Hospitals with unsafe concrete expected to miss rebuild deadline

"Work to fix hospitals built using unsafe concrete will not be completed in time to meet the government's target, a new report has warned. Seven hospitals built using Raac, or reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, were prioritised for remedial work last year, with the government setting a deadline of 2030. The new buildings are now expected to open in 2032 and 2033 - but some are already facing pressure to meet the revised timetable, the National Audit Office (NAO) said."

"In a number of hospitals, roofs are being supported by metal props and some areas have been closed as unsafe. Meanwhile, affected health trusts face huge maintenance bills to keep their aging buildings safe. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the original New Hospitals Programme - 40 new hospitals by 2030 - promises "that were never going to be met". In January 2025 he revised the scheme, prioritising 20 of the projects, including Raac hospitals, with more funding and later dates of completion."

"The NAO report says the 2025 review did put the programme on a "more realistic, stable, long-term footing". Standardising the design for some of the new buildings should speed up delivery and reduce costs, for example. But some of the new dates for completion have slipped. Torbay, Kettering and Musgrove Park hospitals are all delayed they are estimated to be open nine to ten years later than under the previous plan."

Remedial work on seven hospitals containing Raac will not meet the original 2030 deadline and now has completion dates in 2032 and 2033. Several hospitals are operating with metal props supporting roofs and have unsafe-closed areas, creating clinical and operational risk. Affected trusts face substantial maintenance bills to keep ageing sites safe. The New Hospitals Programme was revised in January 2025 to prioritise 20 projects with more funding and later completion dates, and standardised designs are expected to speed delivery and reduce costs. Several major projects have slipped by nine to ten years.

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