MANCUNIANS are getting "woefully inadequate" health care because of delays in building a new super hospital, say council chiefs.

The city council's executive has criticised health bosses for failing to keep a promise that the project should be finished in the next five years and for arguing about money while services become increasingly run-down.

Council leader Richard Leese said: "We and the public were promised that the children's hospital would be open by 2005 and the whole development by 2007-8.

"Three years later we have still not got a hospital where a single brick has been laid.

"There have already been a lot of delays. As a result of that some facilities that were already inadequate have continued to decline.

Debt

"We are getting a raw deal. A promise was made and so far that promise has not been delivered on."

The super-hospital, on the site of Manchester Royal Infirmary, will include a children's hospital to replace Booth Hall and Pendlebury, a new eye hospital, a women's hospital and adult services.

It will cost private firm Catalyst £422m to build, with health organisations buying it back under a PFI deal at £38m a year for 38 years.

The Strategic Health Authority and primary care trusts across Greater Manchester have expressed concern at the cost and say the project could plunge the local health service £700m into debt by 2010. They want to scale down the project despite warnings from MRI bosses that delays will cost £100,000 a month.

Tony Lloyd, MP for Manchester Central, has already expressed dismay and has called for a meeting with health secretary John Reid.

The executive's motion, passed yesterday, says: "The council calls on the Strategic Health Authority to prioritise the resolution of the current round of discussions to ensure that the project is delivered to the original timescale.

"They should ensure that the new specialist children's hospital, other specialist hospitals and consequent local facilities are opened in line with previous commitments and public expectations.

"The city council is seriously concerned that delays have already led to inferior secondary and tertiary health care across Greater Manchester and are appalled at the prospect of further delays.

"Whatever concerns there are about costs we believe that delays and deferred decisions may add to the costs rather than reduce them and that quality of provision already woefully inadequate, will continue to decline.

"Therefore any re-design should be limited so as not to affect the overall timetable and to ensure that all the commitments are honoured."

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