Scottish Government to foot £6 million Glasgow Hospital cladding bill

It is going to cost around £6 million to replace the cladding on two of Glasgow's newest hospitals, after it found to be similar to the material used on Grenfell Tower.

The Scottish Government has agreed pay for the work on the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Children.

Panels made from an aluminium composite material are thought to have contributed to the fatal blaze in London in which 71 people died.

A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “Replacement products for cladding panels on sections of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and on a section of the Royal Hospital for Children have now been identified and the process of preparing to remove and replace is now getting underway.

“Our senior management team, with the support of Health Facilities Scotland and the Fire Service, have been studying the best options to remove and replace the sections following the Grenfell tower block blaze in London.

“The Board has been given assurances from the National Fire Officer that the hospitals are amongst the safest buildings in the UK in terms of fire engineering, however the decision was taken replace panels to give extra reassurance to the public, our patients and our staff

“The replacement materials will not change the outward appearance of the hospitals and the engineering process to remove and replace them will not require alterations to the buildings. To ensure minimal disruption the works will be spread over several months - everything scheduled to be completed within 12 months of the building warrant approval being granted.

“The total cost of replacing the cladding panels will be in the region of £6m with the works being funded by the Scottish Government.