Superhospital cost hits £1bn

The cost of a new "superhospital" soared after guidelines were brought in to combat the MRSA bug, it is revealed today.

The Paddington Health Campus, which will see three hospitals merge on one site, was originally set to cost £300 million.

But after new guidance was brought in stating beds had to be 3.6 metres apart to prevent the spread of infections, the designers had to make changes. The overall size of the hospital, which will take in St Mary's, the Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals, had to be increased by about a third and the cost went up to £1billion.

Now the Evening Standard has discovered the guidance that the Department of Health brought in to force the changes is under review.