黑洞社区

Balfour Beatty and the NHS trust responsible for completing the Midlands hospital Carillion was building before its collapse are yet to agree on when the 拢267m project can be finished.

The Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust named Balfour Beatty its preferred bidder to complete the Midland Metropolitan hospital earlier this year.

But documents published ahead of yesterday鈥檚 meeting of the trust鈥檚 board have revealed the pair still do not agree on when the stalled hospital will be finished.

The papers said: 鈥漈he trust would like practical completion in December 2021 with a follow-on period for commission. Balfour Beatty was working with practical completion of April [2022].

鈥淸Trust chief executive Toby Lewis] noted that he would like to identify opportunities to migrate that date backward with a target date for practical completion of 14 February.鈥�

In a statement to 黑洞社区, Lewis said: 鈥淲e know the new hospital will open in 2022 and it remains possible to do so before the Commonwealth Games.鈥� These are due to start at the end of July that year.

The papers also revealed there were concerns the government鈥檚 delay in signing off the final business case for the hospital could result in Balfour Beatty walking away from the project.

It said: 鈥淭he government delays would have a downflow affect to Balfour Beatty who may decide that they have had enough or that the price agreed to was no longer applicable.鈥�

Lewis told 黑洞社区: 鈥淭he delay to final approval of the contract is being addressed and we anticipate a clear agreement in coming weeks.鈥�

In the papers, the trust said it had wanted to sign a deal by the end of last month 鈥渢o allow for orders to be placed at the right end of an inflationary cycle to make it easier to meet the 拢266.95m鈥� budget.