Cancer patients centre at risk over 'disgraceful' funds move — SkimNews
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- Department of Health withdrew £1.5m after challenging the trust’s capital-cost estimate; the haematology centre is now a year behind schedule, with its opening date put back to March 2031.
- Belfast Health Trust planned to move about 80 staff from an area of Belfast City Hospital to make way for the new unit and is still seeking ways to fund the move after the related funding was withdrawn.
- Department of Health said project costs had risen from £8m to £19m; it will fund most of the additional cost, but said the trust should provide about £1.05m from its expected £20m annual general capital allocation over the next two years.
- Jennifer Welsh said the funding decision posed a significant issue and a substantial risk to the project, and that the trust had escalated the staff-relocation funding issue to the Department of Health’s permanent secretary.
- Diane Dodds said current conditions at Belfast City Hospital, including a lack of isolation for very vulnerable haematology patients, put those patients at risk when the unit is delayed.
- Nuala McAllister called the funding move “disgraceful” and said withdrawing £1.5m stopped a new cancer unit advancing for severely immunocompromised patients undergoing intensive treatment.
Why it matters: Belfast Health Trust must cover about £1.05m from a £20m annual capital allocation while resolving the relocation of roughly 80 staff. With the opening now put back to March 2031, patients remain in city-hospital conditions that Diane Dodds says leave vulnerable haematology patients without adequate isolation.
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