McCarthy demands answers over critical care building debacle

Alliance Health spokesperson, Kieran McCarthy MLA, has said that the Health Minister must provide answer after the BBC revealed that there will be a further delay to the completion of the critical care building at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Problems in the pipework were first detected in 2012 but it was hoped the building would be handed over to the Belfast Health Trust this month, however it will now be pushed back to April 2015.

Kieran McCarthy MLA said: “The repeated delays over the completion of this vital resource for our health system is absolutely scandalous. This critical care building is lying empty when it should be being used for patients.

“We need to see some answers from the Health Minister over this debacle. He needs to explain who will be paying for the work needed to fix these problems.

“It is time that somebody took responsibility for these delays. It is draining money away from front line services. There must be accountability over this shameful fiasco.”

ENDS