Part-built Berwick hospital to be stripped back as completion moves to 2028

Significant sections of Berwick’s new community hospital will be removed and rebuilt after Northumbria Healthcare confirmed extensive remedial work is required at the unfinished site.

From 19 October, contractors will begin removing mechanical and electrical systems, pipework, internal walls and fittings. The building’s façade and secondary steel frame system will then be taken down and replaced, although the main structural steelwork will remain in place.

Robertson Construction North East was appointed to complete the £35 million project after the original contractor, Merit, entered administration in November 2025. Robertson has since assessed the partially completed building and developed a new programme of work with the NHS trust.

The initial remedial phase is expected to continue until spring 2027. Northumbria Healthcare now hopes that most construction work will be completed by summer 2028, marking another substantial delay for a hospital that was originally expected to open several years earlier.

The new facility is intended to replace the existing Berwick Infirmary and provide inpatient beds, diagnostic services, outpatient care, endoscopy and other community services. The trust said ensuring the building meets the necessary quality and safety standards must remain the priority, despite local frustration over the extended timetable.

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