Royal Liverpool University Hospital

File:Royal Liverpool University Hospital.jpg

The former hospital, originally known simply as the Royal Liverpool Hospital, was designed to replace three other city centre acute hospitals that existed at the time – the Liverpool Royal Infirmary on Pembroke Place, the David Lewis Northern Hospital on Great Howard Street, and the Royal Southern Hospital on Caryl Street.{{cite web|url=http://www.mersey-gateway.org/server.php?show=ConNarrative.186&chapterId=1009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070321172941/http://www.mersey-gateway.org/server.php?show=ConNarrative.186&chapterId=1009|archive-date=2007-03-21|title=Hospital Records|publisher=E. Chambré Hardman Archive|access-date=5 October 2018}} It had been agreed to amalgamate the separate facilities on a site in close proximity to the University of Liverpool for the purposes of medical education and research. The site on which the current hospital now stands (on Prescot Street) was identified as part of the post-war regeneration of Liverpool. However, building on the main hospital did not commence until 1963. The first phase of the hospital was designed by Holford Associates and built by Alfred McAlpine between 1963 and 1969.Gray, Tony (1987). The Road to Success: Alfred McAlpine 1935 - 1985. Rainbird Publishing. p. 107 The construction was plagued from the outset by problems of cost, time and quality, together with difficulties over fire certification due to changes in health and safety law whilst building work was ongoing. The second phase was completed and the hospital eventually opened in 1978.{{cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1980-02-13/debates/ef8b03c8-4c5c-49c5-8ace-156027a21c07/RoyalLiverpoolHospital|title=Royal Liverpool Hospital|publisher=Hansard|date=13 February 1980|access-date=29 September 2018}}

In December 2013, the landmark £429 million redevelopment of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, procured under a Private Finance Initiative contract, reached financial close; its collaborative links with the University of Liverpool, and institutes on the Liverpool BioCampus, have given the city of Liverpool recognition as one of the leading UK centres for health research and innovation.{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolbiocampus.com/about-us/|title=About Us – Liverpool Health Campus|publisher=Liverpoolbiocampus.com|author=Your Name Here|access-date=19 September 2016}} The new Royal Liverpool University Hospital, which was designed by NBBJ and HKS{{cite web|url=https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/nbbj-and-hks-bag-royal-liverpool-hospital-job/8647454.article|title=NBBJ and HKS bag Royal Liverpool Hospital job|date=2 May 2013|publisher=Architects' Journal|access-date=19 September 2016}} and was being built by Carillion, was expected to be the largest all single-patient room hospital in the UK upon its originally scheduled completion of March 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-24128952|title=New £429m Royal Liverpool University Hospital given the green light – BBC News|publisher=BBC|access-date=19 September 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-22373507|title=Royal Liverpool Hospital: New design unveiled – BBC News|publisher=BBC|access-date=19 September 2016}}

In March 2017, the project was running more than a year late due to problems caused by asbestos, cracking concrete and bad weather,{{cite news|last1=Belger|first1=Tom|title=Construction of new Royal hospital delayed again by a YEAR|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/construction-new-royal-hospital-delayed-12823229|access-date=2 February 2018|work=Liverpool Echo|date=31 March 2017}} and further delays were announced in early January 2018.{{cite news|last1=Sembhy|first1=Ravender|last2=Houghton|first2=Alistair|title=Here's why Royal Liverpool Hospital builder Carillion is in trouble - and why it matters|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/heres-royal-liverpool-hospital-builder-14107366|access-date=2 February 2018|work=Liverpool Echo|date=3 January 2018}} Less than a fortnight later, on 15 January 2018, Carillion went into liquidation, partly due to its problems with the hospital contract, and delaying the project still further,{{cite news|last1=Matthews-King|first1=Alex|title=Alarm in hospitals as NHS triggers emergency plans in 14 trusts after Carillion collapse|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/carillion-latest-nhs-contingency-plans-hospitals-triggered-contracts-trusts-liquidation-government-a8161881.html|access-date=21 January 2018|work=Independent|date=16 January 2018}}{{cite news|last1=Davies|first1=Rob|last2=Clark|first2=Tim|last3=Campbell|first3=Denis|title=Carillion collapse further delays building at two major hospitals|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/19/carillion-collapse-expected-to-further-delay-building-at-two-major-hospitals|access-date=21 January 2018|work=Guardian|date=19 January 2018}} with the hospital unlikely to be finished in 2018.{{cite news|title=Carillion collapse delays new £335m Liverpool hospital|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-42943297|access-date=6 February 2018|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|date=6 February 2018}} On 26 March 2018, it was reported that the project had been costing £53.9M more than Carillion had officially reported.{{cite news|last1=Price|first1=David|title=Carillion understated hospital costs by £70m|url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/news/contractors-news/carillion-understated-hospital-costs-by-70m-26-03-2018/|access-date=26 March 2018|work=Construction News|date=26 March 2018}} In September, the NHS Trust revealed that the cost of rectifying serious faults, including replacing non-compliant cladding installed by Carillion, was holding up plans to restart and finish the £350M project; with the project further delayed, the Trust was considering invoking a break clause to terminate the PFI contract.{{cite news |last1=Morby |first1=Aaron |title=Stalled Royal Liverpool Hospital fails cladding check |url=http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/09/12/stalled-royal-liverpool-hospital-fails-cladding-check/ |access-date=13 September 2018 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=12 September 2018}} On 24 September 2018, it was reported that the government would step in to terminate the PFI deal, taking the hospital into full public ownership, meaning a £180M loss for private sector lenders Legal & General and the European Investment Bank.{{cite news |last1=Kleinman |first1=Mark |title=Ministers bail out £335m Liverpool hospital after Carillion collapse |url=https://news.sky.com/story/ministers-bail-out-335m-liverpool-hospital-after-carillion-collapse-11507854 |access-date=24 September 2018 |work=Sky News |date=24 September 2018}} This was confirmed on 26 September 2018, with completion of the hospital in 2020 likely to cost an additional £120M, due to unforeseen issues left behind by Carillion.{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Faye |title=Royal Liverpool Hospital "to open in 2020" after PFI deal with Carillion ripped up |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-royal-hospital-open-2020-15204313 |access-date=26 September 2018 |work=Liverpool Echo |date=26 September 2018}}

Construction work was expected to resume in November 2018.{{cite news |last1=Prior |first1=Grant |title=Construction to restart this year on Royal Liverpool Hospital |url=http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/09/26/construction-to-restart-this-year-on-royal-liverpool-hospital/ |access-date=27 September 2018 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=27 September 2018}} On 25 October 2018 Laing O'Rourke was confirmed as the contractor to complete the project,{{cite news |last1=Garner-Purkis |first1=Zak |title=Laing O'Rourke confirmed on Carillion's Royal Liverpool Hospital |url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/news/contractors-news/laing-orourke-confirmed-on-carillions-royal-liverpool-hospital-26-10-2018/ |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=Construction News |date=26 October 2018}} but, a month later, with the contractor not prepared to take any risk, Mace was also appointed to help manage risks associated with the £350M scheme.{{cite news |last1=Marshall |first1=Jordan |title=Mace brought in to manage Carillion's Liverpool hospital as Laing O'Rourke restarts work |url=https://www.building.co.uk/news/mace-brought-in-to-manage-carillions-liverpool-hospital-as-laing-orourke-restarts-work/5096757.article |access-date=26 November 2018 |work=Building |date=26 November 2018}} In April 2019, the project was reported to be facing further delays due to subcontractors' reluctance to work on the scheme,{{cite news |last1=Marshall |first1=Jordan |title=Wary subcontractors means timetable to restart stalled Carillion hospital slips |url=https://www.building.co.uk/news/wary-subcontractors-means-timetable-to-restart-stalled-carillion-hospital-slips/5099173.article |access-date=29 April 2019 |work=Building |date=29 April 2019}} while further defects were detected in May 2019, with rectification also likely to delay completion and increase costs.{{cite news |last1=Humphries |first1=Jonathan |title=More 'defects' revealed in new Royal Hospital - prompting fears of further delays |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/more-defects-revealed-new-royal-16303676 |access-date=21 May 2019 |work=Liverpool Echo |date=21 May 2019}}

On 17 December 2019, hospital CEO Steve Warburton confirmed the project had been further delayed until at least 2022 and that patients and staff would be at the existing hospital for the next three winters.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-50828141 |title=Royal Liverpool Hospital: Opening delayed again until at least 2022 - BBC News |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |access-date=2019-12-18}} In addition to £285M already spent, Warburton said completion would cost £300M, including costs to replace an aluminium composite cladding system, which, since the Grenfell Tower fire, was known to breach building regulations.{{cite news |title=Liverpool hospital completion delayed by two more years |url=https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/liverpool-hospital-completion-delayed-by-two-more-years |access-date=19 December 2019 |work=The Construction Index |date=19 December 2019}} In March 2020, the hospital NHS Trust revealed it was drawing up claims against Carillion's insurers and a Carillion subcontractor Heyrod Construction.{{cite news |last1=Weinfass |first1=Ian |title=Liverpool hospital trust reveals subjects of potential legal action |url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/carillion/liverpool-hospital-trust-reveals-subjects-of-potential-legal-action-30-03-2020/ |access-date=30 March 2020 |work=Construction News |date=30 March 2020}} In June 2020, the Portuguese manufacturer of the cladding was drafted in to remove it.{{cite news |last1=Lowe |first1=Tom |title=Faulty cladding on Carillion hospital to be removed by manufacturer |url=https://www.building.co.uk/news/faulty-cladding-on-carillion-hospital-to-be-removed-by-manufacturer/5106686.article |access-date=29 June 2020 |work=Building |date=29 June 2020}}

A delayed National Audit Office report into the government's handling of the Royal Liverpool and Midland Metropolitan University Hospitals was published in January 2020. The report warned of possible further significant cost increases, particularly to rectify the badly-built Liverpool project, and blamed Carillion for pricing the jobs too low to meet specifications. The two projects were expected to cost more than 40% more than their original budgets, and to be completed between three and five years late. However, due to effective risk transfer to the contractor, the total cost to the taxpayer would be very similar to the original plan.{{cite news |last1=Morby |first1=Aaron |title=NAO raises alarm over cost of finishing Carillion hospitals |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2020/01/17/nao-raises-alarm-over-cost-of-finishing-carillion-hospitals/ |access-date=17 January 2020 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=17 January 2020}}

Part of the new hospital was opened early in May 2020 to provide additional critical care capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.{{cite news |last1=Price |first1=David |title=Royal Liverpool Hospital to partially open for COVID-19 care |url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/laing-orourke/royal-liverpool-hospital-to-partially-open-for-covid-19-care-01-05-2020/ |access-date=1 May 2020 |work=Construction News |date=1 May 2020}} In June 2022, the NHS Trust said the hospital was scheduled to open in September or October 2022.{{cite news |last1=Gayne |first1=Daniel |title=Liverpool hospital stalled by Carillion collapse set for autumn opening |url=https://www.building.co.uk/news/liverpool-hospital-stalled-by-carillion-collapse-set-for-autumn-opening/5117879.article |access-date=13 June 2022 |work=Building |date=13 June 2022}} The NHS Trust took partial possession of the new building on 11 July, with a 24-day moving-in period set to run from 28 September to 21 October 2022.{{cite news |title=Royal Liverpool saga draws to a close |url=https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/royal-liverpool-saga-draws-to-a-close |access-date=19 July 2022 |work=The Construction Index |date=18 July 2022}}

In October 2022, the trust said that the old hospital building would permanently close at 23:59 on 19 October 2022 with the A&E department at the new site taking their first patients from 00:00 on 20 October 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/royal-liverpool-hospitals-ae-department-25293403|title=Royal Liverpool Hospital's A&E department to move to new site|first=Liam|last=Thorp|date=18 October 2022|website=Liverpool Echo}} The old hospital had 685 beds. The new hospital has 640 beds and there are 21 'transfer of care' beds opening at the nearby Broadgreen Hospital site, with a further 10 beds in the community - a net reduction of 14 beds.{{cite news |title=Hospital issues 'full capacity' alert days before move to smaller building |url=https://www.hsj.co.uk/liverpool-university-hospitals-nhs-foundation-trust/hospital-issues-full-capacity-alert-days-before-move-to-smaller-building/7033168.article? |access-date=28 October 2022 |publisher=Health Service Journal |date=13 September 2022}}

In January 2023, the BBC reported that senior medics at the hospital claimed to be "embarrassed, ashamed and demoralised" by the care they can give at the new A&E, calling the department "overcrowded, chaotic and unpleasant".{{Cite news |date=2023-01-06 |title=Royal Liverpool Hospital: New A&E overcrowded and chaotic, medics say |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-64191948 |access-date=2024-04-11 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} In the same article, it is claimed that costs are expected to reach over £1 billion, up from an initial estimate of £335 million.

Between 2023 and 2025, demolition works took place at the old hospital building.{{cite web |title=Dramatic new pictures show demolition of old Liverpool Royal hospital |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/gallery/dramatic-new-pictures-show-demolition-31012183 |website=Liverpool Echo |access-date=16 February 2025}}

In 2007, the Healthcare Commission rated Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust "Good" for 'Quality of Services' and Good for 'Use of Resources'.[http://2007ratings.healthcarecommission.org.uk/patientsandthepublic/searchforhealthcareproviders.cfm/cit_id/11072/widCall1/customWidgets.content_view_1 2007 Rating] In 2009, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust was rated "Excellent" for the quality of its services and the quality of its financial management.[http://2009ratings.cqc.org.uk/findcareservices/informationabouthealthcareservices/overallperformance/searchfororganisation.cfm?cit_id=RQ6&widCall1=customWidgets.content_view_1 2009 Rating]

The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is a major teaching and research hospital for student doctors, nurses, dentists and allied health professionals. The hospital works with the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.{{cite web|url=http://www.lstmed.ac.uk/research/collaborations/liverpool-health-campus|title=Liverpool Health Campus|publisher=Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine|access-date=28 October 2017}}

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