Seven more hospitals across England are now free from Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, otherwise known as RAAC, with a further 12 on track to complete the process by the end of March 2026.
RAAC is a lightweight building material used widely in public buildings between the 1960s and 1980s. It has since been shown to have a limited lifespan, presenting safety concerns.
Estates teams across the country have been working hard over several years to keep buildings safe for patients and staff whilst mitigating and eradication works take place. All hospitals where RAAC has been identified have robust mitigations in place to make them stable and safe while they await its removal – minimising disruption to services and supporting priorities to cut waiting lists.
The seven hospitals where RAAC has now been eradicated are: Kidderminster Hospital, Kidderminster; Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford; Homerton University Hospital, London; Scunthorpe General, Scunthorpe; Churchill Hospital, Oxford; Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead; and New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton.
Simon Corben, Director of Estates at NHS England, says: “Keeping patients and staff safe is always our top priority, and we have been working closely with Trusts to manage RAAC safely and ensure the continuation of services while this essential work is taking place.
“The completion of these latest projects is a positive step, giving staff confidence that they can continue delivering care in safe environments – and we will keep working with Trusts to complete the programme across the NHS estate at pace.”
Next phase
The 12 further hospitals set to complete by the end of the financial year are:
• Countess of Chester Hospital
• Royal Blackburn Hospital, Lancashire
• Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester
• St Mary’s Community Hospital, Portsmouth
• Guildford Hospital, Guildford
• Royal United Hospital, Bath
• Rowley Regis Hospital, West Midlands
• Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Edgbaston
• Clatterbridge Hospital, Liverpool
• Leigh Infirmary, Wigan
• North Devon District Hospital, Barnstaple
• Stamford and Rutland Hospital, Stamford.
The RAAC programme has been backed by up to £440 million this year. This latest achievement marks rapid progress towards the Government’s pledge to eliminate RAAC from the NHS estate by 2035.
In addition to hospitals, the Department for Education has removed RAAC at speed in over 50 schools, to keep pupils and teachers safe.
