Construction firm hired for half-built hospital

Construction work has restarted at a new hospital after the original contractor went into administration.

Building crews left the site of Berwick Community Hospital in Northumberland earlier this month following ongoing concerns about the future of Merit Construction.

Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust said it had now appointed Opus Building Services as an interim contractor and had begun looking for a permanent replacement.

The trust's head of healthcare facilities management Damon Kent said the disruption meant it was "very difficult" to know when the hospital would be finished.

"Opus, our interim contractor, are now established on site and we are very pleased they have re-employed most of the on-site Merit team," he said.

"The past few weeks have been difficult for many."

The trust said the building's floors, walls, ceilings and staircases had been completed, while the inpatient ward and the Well Close Medical Group areas were nearly finished.

The next phase of work will include construction of the theatre and endoscopy areas, as well as the installation of the building's windows and work on the roof's plant equipment.

Marion Dickson, Northumbria Healthcare's executive director for nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals, said the trust understood further delays would cause people "frustration and worry" but it would progress the work as quickly as possible.

"We continue to constantly look at what patient services we can bring to Berwick," she said.

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