‘State-of-the-art’ Leeds General Infirmary Redevelopment Delayed Until 2032

A ‘state-of-the-art’ redevelopment of Leeds General Infirmary’s (LGI) has been delayed until between 2032 and 2034.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, speaking in the House of Commons on 20 January, stated that Leeds General Infirmary is one of many hospital schemes now scheduled to start between 2030 and 2035. 

The previous Conservative government had previously promised to have the project delivered by 2030. 

Speaking to the BBC, the Health Secretary Said the new schedule was “honest, funded and can actually be delivered” contrasting it to the Conservative’s pledge, which he described as “built on the shaky foundation of false hope”.

Following the announcement of the delay, a demonstration was organised outside LGI. 

The demonstration, organised by Keep Our NHS Public Leeds, saw healthcare professionals and patients gather outside the hospital’s Jubilee Wing, chanting and waving placards, bidding for the Health Secretary to start work on the delayed hospital project.

John Puntis, a retired consultant paediatrician who previously worked at Leeds General Infirmary, stated Keep Our NHS Public Leeds was requesting the government to further invest in the NHS when speaking to the BBC.

According to a report published by the Department of Health and Social Care, the estimated £1.5-2 billion hospital project is now not set to begin until at least 2032, with completion pushed to 2040. 

This makes the planned completion date more than two decades after the initial proposals were first announced.

As a result of the delay, an estimated £800m will be added to the cost of the scheme. The Trust also cautioned there will be an estimated £650m maintenance backlog, covering the cost of maintaining the ageing buildings to function.

In response to the announcement, Professor Phil Wood, Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, released a statement expressing the hosptials disappointment over the delayed construction. 

The statement emphasises the consequences of the delay on hospital services, stating LGI’s “ageing estate” currently has “one of the highest backlog maintenance requirements in the NHS.”

The Trust has also previously revealed that parts of LGI were more than 150 years old and not fit for purpose.

A spokesperson for The Department of Health and Social Care stated that the government is dedicated to “building an NHS fit for the future” confirming a funding plan and a ‘realistic timetable’ to navigate towards implementing the rebuilding of Leeds General Infirmary.

A report to Leeds City Council’s executive board described Leeds General Infirmary as a crucially fundamental facility for the people of Leeds and the wider region.

The report also stated that the council would assist in negotiations to secure earlier funding for LGI and that improving patient care and centralising neonatal and maternity services remained the key priorities for the scheme.

Words by Mabinty Kamara