The new Buckland Hospital will not open until June.

The hospital, which should have been completed in April, has been delayed by a further two months.

An electrical fault has been blamed.

Director of communications for East Kent Hospitals Peter Gilmour said: “There’s been a delay in terms of the electrical systems within the site.

“It’s a hospital, we need to make sure it’s right. It’s not something we can take any risk on whatsoever.”

Mr Gilmour said contractors were likely to finish work on the hospital in May.

He said: “We’ll do a deep clean throughout, we’ll bring in the equipment and make sure it’s all working and probably see our first patients here in June.”

Leaks in the roof, and last winter’s wet weather, first delayed the contractors’ schedule.

The assistant director of strategic estates, Keith Bourn, said at the time: “Although the contractors had been confident that they would catch up the time lost to the exceptionally wet winter last year, this proved not to be the case.”

Dover MP Charlie Elphicke joined Health Minister Jeremy Hunt in a guided tour of the new building in Coombe Valley Road earlier this month.

He said: "We've waited more than a decade for the new hospital.

'The delay of two months is tiny compared to the years of failure and neglect.' - MP Charlie Elphicke

"The delay of two months is tiny compared to the years of failure and neglect."

The trust has contacted Buckingham Palace requesting a Royal opening in either July or August.

Mr Gilmour said: "We're waiting to hear from the palace now.

"We'd be delighted for any member of the Royal Family to come for the opening."