Seven more hospitals across England have now eradicated reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
This low-cost concrete was a popular construction material in schools and healthcare facilities in the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s.
However, popularity changed when issues were discovered with RAAC’s longevity.
This type of concrete has a porous structure that allows water to enter, which can cause its internal steel reinforcements to corrode and lead to cracking over time
In 2025, the challenge is how to make all buildings with RAAC safe for occupation.
Now, the UK government has confirmed that seven more sites have eradicated RAAC, with a further 12 set to be completed by the end of March 2026.
The 7 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
- New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton
Backed by up to £440 million this year, hospitals across the NHS estate are being upgraded at pace to remove the potentially dangerous building material and are receiving support to mitigate its impact in the meantime.
It marks rapid progress towards the government’s pledge to eliminate RAAC from the NHS estate by 2035, as the government works to rebuild the health service and make it fit for the future.
Minister for Elective Care, Karin Smyth, said: “Our nation’s hospitals have been starved of investment and left to crumble for more than a decade. Patients and staff deserve safe, modern hospitals and an NHS they can rely on.”
The 12 further hospitals set to be completed 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
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 our mission to cut waiting lists.
This government inherited buildings and equipment across the NHS that had been left to crumble, disrupting patient care and hindering staff. As Lord Darzi found in his investigation, the NHS was starved of capital in the last decade, with a £37 billion under-investment over the 2010s, leaving some hospitals with roofs that have fallen in and leaking pipes which freeze over in winter.
Simon Corben, Director of Estates at NHS England, said: “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.”
Top image: AI generated