'Patients in Neil Gray's seat are paying a heavy price for the Nationalists' incompetence,' say Tories as costs balloon to £2BILLION for Scotland's new super-hospital

By TOM GORDON, DEPUTY SCOTTISH POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 20:37, 27 April 2026 | Updated: 20:37, 27 April 2026 The cost of a new super-hospital in the SNP health secretary’s seat has reportedly trebled to more than £2billion. The University Hospital Monklands, in the Airdrie constituency being defended by Neil Gray in the election, also faces a three-year delay. The Scottish Government’s biggest health construction project, the UHM was priced at around £700million three years ago with a target to open in 2028. The Times reported the cost is now expected to top £2 billion, with opening in 2031. Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: ‘The SNP are incapable of delivering any infrastructure project on time or on budget - and that includes a hospital in the health secretary’s own constituency. ‘Patients in Neil Gray’s seat are paying a heavy price for the Nationalists’ incompetence. ‘He and John Swinney must come clean before polling day on when Monklands hospital will finally open and by how much the cost to taxpayers has spiralled. ‘This must not become another money pit, like the ferries fiasco or the replacement for Barlinnie prison. The University Hospital Monklands was priced at around £700million three years ago - but costs have reportedly trebled to £2billion ‘The SNP will continue to squander taxpayers’ money on an industrial scale if they win a majority on May 7. That’s why it’s essential that voters across the country back the Scottish conservatives on their peach ballot paper.’ It was also reported that the business case for the UHM was submitted to ministers five months ago, but approval was not signed off before the election campaign. Ex-SNP health secretary Alex Neil told the Sunday Mail he had ‘no doubt’ Mr Swinney had plans for ‘big cuts’ after the election to cope with a looming £5billion budget black hole. Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: ‘Once again SNP chaos is threatening to undermine our NHS. ‘Time and time again spiralling costs, delays and dysfunction from the SNP have held back new hospitals and threatened the patient safety.’ She said Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, scene of a lethal infection scandal, was in ‘constant need of repairs’, with £50million spent since its rushed opening in 2015. The UHM is in the Airdrie constituency being defended by health secretary Neil Gray  ‘The Baird Family Hospital in Aberdeen is still not open and all over Scotland treatment centres are in limbo,’ she went on. ‘The SNP always has a long list of excuses at the ready, but after 20 years of failure they just don’t wash anymore. ‘John Swinney needs to come clean about whether the SNP wants to scrap the new Monklands hospital - and if so Neil Gray can explain why to his constituents.’ At an election event in Glasgow on Monday, John Swinney gave a ‘categorical assurance’ the UHM would be delivered but failed to give a clear timetable. It would be built through the next parliament, he said, without giving an opening date. The First Minister said: ‘Let me just give the absolute, categorical assurance that the Monklands hospital is going to be built. ‘I went the other day there to see the work that’s already underway on the site, to develop the site for it to be constructed, and that will happen through the next parliamentary term under an SNP government.’ The Scottish Government froze new major NHS capital projects in early 2024, affecting Belford Hospital in Fort William, Edinburgh Eye Pavilion and other smaller clinics. NHS Lanarkshire declined to comment but confirmed its opening target was 2031. A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘The Budget provides continued support for projects in construction - including a new Radionuclide facility, the Baird and Anchor Hospitals and Foxgrove - and development of the priority acute replacement projects in Monklands, Belford, Eye Pavilion and St Brendan’s.’ No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.