The unveiling of Scarboroug h Hospital’s new £47m urgent and emergency care centre (UECC) has been postponed due to a malfunctioning boiler.
The cutting-edge facility was scheduled to be fully operational by the end of November, 2024, but this has now been deferred until the spring.
During the “final operational checks” and site testing, one of the four boilers failed and needs to be replaced before the building can be handed over from contractors. The UECC, representing the largest ever capital investment by the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is set to nearly double the existing space at Scarborough Hospital in Woodlands Drive.
A new boiler has been commissioned, but it will “take some time to both manufacture and install”, hence the moving programme has been delayed. The trust stated that it was “not currently able to give a new date for the move”, but expected the centre to be operational “by the early spring”.
Outside Scarborough’s new UECC
(Image: LDRS)
A spokesperson said: “We recognise that it’s disappointing as everyone is keen to get into the new space as soon as possible, but it’s important that we don’t move until we’re ready as it’s a complex process to transfer these services from the old areas into the new.”
Touted as a “game-changer” for coastal healthcare, the promise of brand new facilities has already helped to attract new medical staff and create jobs in other roles including catering and cleaning. In addition to a new CT scanner and two new X-ray machines, the centre comes with a secure room for highly infectious diseases and the whole building can be securely divided into two sections in the case of a wider outbreak, such as Covid-19.
More than £800,000 has been raised by the York and Scarborough Hospitals Charity to fund projects which will enhance the patient experience including creating four outdoor terraces and providing accommodation suites for relatives.
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