Work to fix the issues will take approximately three and a half years with estimated costs of up to £6m.
A “decant ward” will be established while water and damp issues are dealt with in wards at the Acute Mental Health Inpatient Centre (AMHIC) on the Belfast City Hospital site.
The centre was completed in June 2019 and was designed to provide inpatient accommodation with ensuite facilities for up to 80 patients.
The Belfast Trust said that despite the rectification of a “number of defects during and post construction”, the building has “continued to suffer from water ingress, including pinhole leaks within pipework”.
It said this has “resulted in adverse implications to the fabric of the building”.
Work to fix the issues will take approximately three and a half years with estimated costs of £5.5 million to £6 million.
The mental health unit is in the grounds of Belfast City Hospital (Paul Faith/PA)
News Catch Up – Wednesday 6th August
A trust statement said: “Following exploratory works in two of the bedrooms in February 2025, and subsequent moisture mapping and additional survey works across the building, the trust has now developed a proposed route forward for addressing the damage caused by the water ingress and replacing the existing water system.
“The trust is currently working with its legal advisers to appoint independent specialists to undertake a comprehensive review of the water system and any potential sources of water ingress and to help identify liability for the costs of the remediation work.”
The trust said the safety of patients continues to be its main priority.
It added: “To allow the work to progress with least disruption to services for vulnerable patients, the trust will refurbish a ward at a time by decanting one of the AMHIC wards to another facility for the duration of the works.
“A ward on the trust’s Knockbracken site will be refurbished to be used as the decant ward during the refurbishment period.
“While the main refurbishment works are undertaken the trust will continue to monitor the condition of the existing wards within the AMHIC building.
“This specialist facility has been designed to cater for the specific needs and risks of managing acute mental health patients and remains the safest place for these service users.
“The trust will continue to monitor for evidence of damp in any patient area of the building and carry out localised remediation as necessary.”
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt
The troubled Belfast Health Trust has been rocked by a series of problems in recent months.
Its former chairman Ciaran Mulgrew was sacked by Stormont Health Minister Mike Nesbitt last month.
The minister said a “fresh start” was required for the organisation after a number of controversies.
In May, a leaked report into staff culture at the cardiac surgery unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) in Belfast raised concerns about an intolerable working environment and a pattern of consistently poor behaviour.
Elsewhere, the delivery of two flagship hospitals on the Royal site – a maternity hospital and children’s hospital – have been hit by delays and difficulties.