A hospital's new emergency department will not welcome patients until at least October – some four months after it was due to open.

Just last month Medway NHS Foundation Trust director Gary Lupton said the facility at Medway Maritime Hospital would be ready for public use in “early September”, having also previously suggested “the end of July or early August”.

But asked for an update yesterday, the man in charge of estates and facilities at the Gillingham site admitted there has been a further hold-up.

He also warned the opening date could move yet again.

Mr Lupton said: “The trust’s estates team continues to remain very focused around ensuring we get a real good-quality build handed over to us.

“Unfortunately, again through the work the estates team has done in identifying additional challenges within that building, they have picked up on an issue with the ventilation system.

“Some of the ventilation needs to be changed and re-modified as the original designs were wrong. That will hopefully be completed in early October, and we’re looking at a date around October for handover.

“However, history tell us that date keeps moving.

“Credit for the local estates team for being focused on keeping a close eye on the quality, and we’re just not prepared to take on a building which doesn’t meet those quality requirements.”

An £18 million contract – which also included building a new children’s department, minors area, and majors waiting area – was awarded to Integrated Health Projects in 2016.

Stephen Clark, trust board chairman, described the latest delay as “more than regrettable” and hoped the facility would be open before the busy winter period began.

The trust maintains the delays have had no impact on providing care to patients.