VIDEO | End in sight for Royal Liverpool Hospital saga 

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the move to the facility will begin at the end of September, more than five years after the project was due to complete. 

Drone footage of the hospital (above) shows what the facility looks like just weeks away from completion.

The delivery of the new Royal Liverpool Hospital, located on the corner of Low Hill and West Derby Street, has been plagued by delays and soaring costs since construction began in 2014. 

Carillion was originally appointed to build the hospital but went bust mid-scheme. Laing O’Rourke was drafted in to complete the project in 2018, a year after the hospital had been supposed to open. 

As well as the delays brought about by Carillion’s collapse, a series of issues with the half-built project also held the scheme back. 

These included the discovery of asbestos in the ground, structural faults and problems with the cladding. 

In 2019, it was announced an additional £300m would be required to rectify the issues and complete the hospital. 

A report by the National Audit Office at the time estimated the project would end up costing at least £724m, compared with £350m in the original business case. 

Eight years after construction started, the 640-bedroom facility is nearing completion. 

Liverpool University Hospitals has taken partial possession of the building and announced that the process of relocating operations from the old facility to the new one will begin on 28 September. 

The move is expected to complete by 21 October, the trust said. 

“The new hospital marks the beginning of a new era of healthcare in the city. The people of Liverpool will finally have the hospital and facilities that they deserve,” said James Sumner, chief executive at the trust. 

“After a lot of anticipation, we are now able to say that we will be moving to the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital. I want to thank everyone involved for the dedication and hard work involved in getting the project to this point. Now, we can look forward with great excitement to opening the doors on a new hospital that the people and the city of Liverpool deserve.”