In a statement in Parliament today (May 25), the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay provided some much-needed clarity on the immediate progress of the New Hospital Programme (NHP). He said the government remains “committed to eradicating RAAC from the wider NHS estate.”
There are seven hospitals in England that were constructed either in major part or wholly from RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete). As this material is known to have a limited lifespan, which in most cases has been exceeded, there is considerable concern about the safety of the buildings and the risk of harm to patients who are treated in them and staff who work in them. MPs and health leaders alike have lobbied for government recognition of and action on this problem, as estates teams attempt to identify and mitigate the worst risks within the limited resources available to them. An independent assessment has concluded that these hospitals are not safe to operate beyond 2030. Two of these hospitals had already been accepted as part of the NHP.
Today’s announcement confirms that the NHP has been extended to now also include Airedale General (Keighley), Queen Elizabeth Hospital (King’s Lynn), Hinchingbrooke (near Huntingdon), Leighton (Mid-Cheshire) and Frimley Park (Surrey).
All seven RAAC hospitals will be completely rebuilt, using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), and a standardised design known as Hospital 2.0. The aim is to complete all seven by 2030. The Health Secretary also confirmed they would be “fully funded.”
NHP cohorts
Presenting an update on the progress of the NHP, Mr Barclay said that of the eight schemes in Cohort 1, two are already open to patients and the new Louisa Martindale Building at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton is due to open later this year.
Work at Moorfields Eye Hospital is due to start imminently, having cleared its final business case.
Cohort 2 comprises 10 schemes, eight of which will now be ready to proceed, in line with the plans set out by the Trusts. These are:
• The National Rehabilitation Centre
• Derriford Emergency Care Hospital (Plymouth)
• Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital
• Dorset County Hospital (Dorchester)
• St Ann’s Hospital (Dorset)
• Christchurch Hospital (Dorset)
• The Royal Bournemouth Hospital (Dorset)
• Poole Hospital (Dorset)
A further two schemes within Cohort 2 - Shotley Bridge Community Hospital and the Women and Children’s Hospital in Cornwall - will also be approved to proceed, but in line with the standardised design elements of Hospital 2.0.
Cohort 3 includes major hospital new builds in Sutton, Whipps Cross, Hillingdon, Watford, Harlow, Leeds and Leicester.
These schemes will also now proceed, constructed using the Hospital 2.0 standardised approach and be fully funded.
In addition, enabling works - which had been held up due to the uncertainty on the RAAC hospitals - can now progress.
Of the hospitals in Cohort 4, two of them are RAAC hospitals and will be funded for completion by 2030. Four other hospitals remain on track for completion by 2030 – Milton Keynes, Kettering General, Musgrove Park (Taunton) and Torbay (Devon). The remaining seven hospitals within the cohort will proceed, but although work will start on the schemes over the next two years they will be part of a rolling programme where not all work will be completed by 2030.
Some work within Cohort 4 will start next year, including a new surgical hub at Eastbourne, temporary ward capacity at Charing Cross in Hammersmith, a new surgical hub and three new operating theatres in Nottingham, a new surgical hub at the Royal Preston Hospital (Lancashire) and services will be reconfigured across two Trusts. Active discussions are ongoing with the Royal Berkshire, where problems with the existing site had made a 2030 completion date challenging.
MMC
Commenting on the use of MMC, the Health Secretary added: “Construction experts estimate that with modular design the efficiency saving will be in the region of 25% per square foot. This is essential to addressing the pressures of construction inflation and unlocking the additional schemes that are being absorbed as a result of the RAAC announcement.”
Great news
During a Q&A session at HEFMA’s National Forum, Simon Corben, Director and Head of Profession for NHS Estates and Facilities described the announcement as great news for the RAAC hospitals, adding that it is a good example of the power of teams being able to articulate and evidence a problem that presented a risk to patients and staff. That is has been listened to means the capital is now being made available to remove RAAC and rebuild.
