A Welsh NHS trust has warned that the construction schedule at £900m cancer centre is at risk of “further slippage” as board members accused the contractor of a lack of transparency.
Velindre University NHS Trust said the work programme on the ££321m Velindre Cancer Centre (VCC) in Cardiff could face further delays, three-and-a-half years after a contractor was first appointed to the job.
The project is being delivered by the Acorn consortium under a contract to finance, design, build and maintain the new building.
The consortium is made up of 28 members, including Spanish multinational construction firm Sacyr, investor Kajima Partnerships, asset manager Abrdn, and Kier Facilities Services.
Minutes of the trust’s November VCC scrutiny sub-committee, which have just been published, show members are becoming increasingly concerned that a push to recoup lost time could lead to a “loss of quality” in the build project and have warned construction is behind schedule.
Key construction milestones, such as the ground floor slab, were completed 53 days late, the board heard The prefabricated external walls (facades)
were also late, the minutes said.
The minutes said: “The contractor has issued three versions of the programme, each showing further delays, and the ability to recover time is diminishing as the project progresses.
The trust also said “transparency” with the contractor is an issue.
“The sub-committee expressed frustration over the contractor’s lack of transparency and reluctance to share problems early,” the minutes stated.
Mark Trumper, the trust’s senior responsible owner, said recent meetings had been held with the contractor to improve “openness and collaboration, noting cultural differences and the need for relationship-building”.
The trust agreed the following action will be taken going forward: “Clearer narrative to be provided in future reports to explain the risks and mitigation actions, as well as regular updates on the contractor relationship and progress at future meetings.”
In 2024, the costs for the project drastically increased from £562m to £884.8m.
According to its website, the trust first suggested a cost of £240m back in 2010.
The new medical building will replace the current Velindre Cancer Centre, which was built in 1956, with a 32,000 square metre treatment and research facility. It is scheduled to open in 2027.
A statement from Velindre University NHS Trust said: “The safety and quality of the new Velindre Cancer Centre are paramount.
“Where quality concerns have arisen, they have been actively managed through the contractual and technical assurance processes, including via a third-party independent tester, that exist for precisely this purpose.
“At no stage have the issues identified compromised the structural safety of the building.
“The contractor has provided revised programmes and is implementing mitigation measures to recover time wherever possible.
“Our priority is delivering a state-of-the-art cancer centre that will deliver better outcomes through world-class cancer treatment, enhanced diagnostic capability and greater access to innovation, training and research.
“The new Velindre Cancer Centre will open in spring 2027.”
CN approached Sacyr, which leads the consortium, for comment.
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Joshua Stein