Crumbling concrete used to build part of Harrogate District Hospital could cost £20 million to remove

RAAC, which stands for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, is a lightweight material that is less durable than traditional concrete and has a life expectancy of just 30 years before it runs the risk of collapse.

The first section of Harrogate District Hospital was built in 1975 during a period when RAAC was used in the construction of public buildings.

A report about RAAC at the Lancaster Park Road hospital was discussed at a meeting of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust’s board on Wednesday at the Crown Plaza hotel.

The report said a full survey of the estate by engineers WSP found 2,500 RAAC panels.

It added that remedial works have been completed on 12 “high-risk” panels with some theatres and corridors in the hospital made safe with props.

The report said there will be an annual survey of all RAAC panels and a roof with the concrete will be replaced.

It said there may also be further propping of panels that are in danger of collapsing.

To eradicate RAAC from the site, the trust has bid for £20 million of funding to NHS England, which includes relocating demolishing and rebuilding a therapy services building.

Whilst there is RAAC present at Harrogate hospital, it is not as prevalent as in other hospitals in Yorkshire such as Airedale in the Bradford district.

In May, the government announced it will be completely rebuilt due to RAAC.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust’s chief executive Jonathan Coulter addressed RAAC in a statement.

He said: “There has been a flurry of activity in respect of the management of estate where there is RAAC present.

“This followed the concerns raised at the end of last month across the education system.

“To be fair, the NHS has been very aware of this issue and risks are being managed, but there is now greater concern and the threshold for risk is being challenged.

“As the board will be aware, we do have some RAAC across the HDH site that we survey regularly, manage, and have a plan for gradual replacement.

“As part of our capital plans, including our new theatre build, we are reviewing and assessing the potential to tackle this issue more quickly.”