Northern Ireland Withdraws £1.5m, Delaying Belfast Cancer Centre

What changed

Northern Ireland’s Department of Health has withdrawn £1.5m from plans for a new haematology centre at Belfast City Hospital, putting the project at risk. Belfast Trust had planned to move about 80 staff to make room for the unit, but the opening date is now delayed until March 2031.

Why it matters

This is not just a construction dispute. The staff move is the step that clears the space for the centre, so losing the funding threatens the project’s basic timetable.

The stakes are especially high because Stormont’s health committee heard concerns about inadequate isolation for haematology patients undergoing intense treatment. These patients can be severely immunocompromised, making the conditions around their care more than a question of comfort or convenience.

Belfast Trust says the Department challenged its options appraisal and the strength of its capital-cost estimate. The trust is now looking for another way to fund the relocation and has escalated the issue to the Department’s permanent secretary.

The immediate outlook is uncertain: the March 2031 date could hold if alternative funding is found, but it could move again if the staff relocation remains unresolved.