Carillion had originally been expected to hand over the building in March 2017 but the client is now not expecting to it to be finished until the end of February 2018.
However, Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen University Hospitals Trust is expecting Carillion to foot the substantial bill for the overrun.
Handover of the hospital, when it finally happens, will be followed by three months of clinical commissioning and relocation of services before the hospital is ready to admit patients.
Health minister Philip Dunne admitted yesterday: “Unfortunately the construction work has been subject to significant delay.”
In response to a written question from West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper, the health minister explained: “The reasons for delays to the construction timetable have been the discovery of asbestos; issues with using cranes in high winds; a delay in completing a new electrical connection and more recently, the discovery of cracks in some of the concrete beams, for which all remedial work has now been carried out.
“Clearly, this delay in delivering a new flagship hospital for the people of Liverpool is disappointing. However, we must emphasise that the costs associated with the problems to the new building have to be met by the building contractor and do not fall on the National Health Service. The trust does not make any payment until the new hospital is finished and is available for use.”
He added: “Currently the trust is expecting the contractor to hand over the building at the end of February 2018. The move is then expected to be completed 14 weeks after the handover date.”
The new Royal Liverpool University Hospital is being built next door to the current Royal. Work began on the new hospital in 2014. It officially topped out just before Christmas 2015.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
