A much-needed upgrade to hospital services could cost £800m more than planned after being delayed by the government.
City health bosses were told they would not be able to start building work on the scheme at Leeds General Infirmary until at least 2032.
It means a new maternity centre, adults’ hospital and children’s hospital might not be delivered until 2040, more than 20 years after first being announced.
A progress report on the Leeds project said the government decision, on top of previous delays, “could result in an estimated additional £800m cost” to the scheme.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTH) NHS Trust was previously told government funding would be in place.
It is one of a string of projects put on hold following a review by health secretary Wes Streeting.
LTH chief executive Professor Phil Wood said: “This means our patients, staff and communities in Yorkshire and beyond will need to wait even longer for this much-needed new hospital.”
The trust has warned that parts of LGI were than 150 years old and not fit for purpose.
The organisation faces a maintenance backlog of more than £650m, which includes the cost of keeping ageing LGI buildings running.
The government review found the overall cost of the LGI scheme, part of the national New Hospital Programme (NHP), was now between £1.5bn and £2bn.
But LTH said the information used to come up with that figure, and delay the scheme, had not been shared.
Prof Wood said: “We have requested the information from the NHP which has been used to determine the decision that has informed this delay.
“We will continue to work with the NHP, to understand the detail of this announcement and what it means for our plans.”
LTH said it was assessing how much extra funding would be needed to maintain the LGI site.
Prof Wood said: “Our key priority now will be to make sure that we can continue to provide safe, high quality services for our patients in an appropriate environment.”
A building site was cleared to make way for the new LGI facilities and plans were submitted to the council.
The trust was planning a series of public events to share information on the scheme.
The progress report said a new planning application would be needed after the current consent expires in June.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said national NHP schemes were prioritised using set criteria.
A spokesperson said: “This government has confirmed a funding plan and realistic timetable to put us on track to deliver the rebuild of LGI, and we will work closely with trusts to accelerate progress where possible.”
By: Don Mort, LDRS
