A “disappointing” new two year delay to developing the £88m Newry Community Treatment and Care Centre (CTCC) has been criticised as “bad business”.
The updated 2029 timeframe has been revealed this week by the Southern Trust during a special meeting with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC).
The ‘health hub’ project on the old Abbey school football grounds at Courtney Hill has faced major disruption from its original 2016 operational target, including GPs unable to fully relocate to the new site due to ownership arrangements at the current Newry Health Village.
Crotlieve SDLP rep, Declan McAteer said: “Can you update on the Newry clinical hub to be built for us?
“I think it is the very last one out of the primary care projects spread out through Northern Ireland in the last 10 years.
“It has not even commenced building yet never-mind being operational.”
The health project was first planned to be built and funded by the private sector and paid for annually over a 25-year term by the Southern Trust through its revenue budget.
Continuous delays eventually led to the Trust taking responsibility for the project delivery out of the private sector in early 2023.
A recent report by the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) published in February had identified construction to begin in April 2025 with a completion date of 2027.
However, it seems it could be a close-run thing for the CTCC to be operational before the end of the decade.
Southern Trust director of finance, Catherine Teggart responded: “In relation to the CTCC, the Trust purchased the land and the plans at the site two years ago and we have been preparing an outline business case to the Department (of Health), which has been submitted in April.
“We still have not received confirmation back. We are waiting on a letter of support and that particular capital project was on the 10 year capital list as a priority.
“I know this question was raised at the health committee to the Department and they did say that it will go ahead, however they are concerned about the revenue consequentials given the funding constraints that we are under at the moment.
“Once we gain the letter of support we will submit the outline business case to the Department of Finance.
“The timeframe we have is 2029, that will be heavily dependent on approvals, but we require that time in terms of the tender and construction.
“The original case had included GPs for primary care, and we know in our revised model we will hold some space there for primary care, it will also be used for community treatment and it will help to relieve some of the pressures on Daisy Hill (hospital).”
The new timeframe has however been criticised in chambers with doubt raised that the 2029 date will be met.
Cllr McAteer added: “The rest of the health hubs have been built, Belfast, Lisburn, Banbridge…with Newry left last.
“We knew probably about three years ago that the GPs hadn’t got the deal they were looking for to move to the new hub.
“I know you said it is being given a priority, but 2029, it looks very much like it is bad business, a poor reflection really on organisational skills of the health service.
“I know the council went through so much angst in planning. Now we are hearing that it is 2029, which probably means it is 2030 or more, it is very disappointing to hear that.”
