. All hospitals in England have been asked to survey their buildings amid concerns more sites may have been built with crumbling concrete than initially feared, the Telegraph understands. The concrete, which is filled with air spaces, is at risk of corrosion and collapse. The National Audit Office reported that 41 hospitals had RAAC while seven were built with the aerated concrete 'throughout'. The NHS is asking trusts to redouble efforts to identify any concrete at risk of collapse and ensure plans are in place to repair or replace it. While there has been no decision to expedite its removal from the NHS beyond the current timeline of 2035, its understood trusts are being asked to prepare contingency plans in case this changes. The Government has committed to rebuild the seven hospitals where RAAC is present throughout, including West Suffolk Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Norfolk, by 2030. However, ministers have faced pressure from NHS staff and patients to speed up refurbishment plans. Currently hospitals affected are spending millions of pounds a year on propping up ceilings at risk. Treat obese patients on ground floor Other hospitals have had to treat obese patients on the ground floor, it has been claimed, because of fears the floor above made of RAAC could collapse under increased weight. It comes after more than 100 schools were forced to fully or partially shut days before the new year as a result of a RAAC beam collapsing in a school during the summer. Schools across the country are currently being assessed and made safe with 156 already identified as having RAAC . Nick Gibb, the schools minister, said the Department for Education was 'sending a case worker for every school'. 'We know that the 52 schools that we have already sent in and work is happening during this year, that children were only out of school for an average of six days,' he to){kind=link}
All hospitals in England asked to survey their buildings amid concerns more sites may have been built with RAAC than initially feared
NHS England has ordered an urgent review of hospitals for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
All hospitals in England have been asked to survey their buildings amid concerns more sites may have been built with crumbling concrete than initially feared, the Telegraph understands.
The concrete, which is filled with air spaces, is at risk of corrosion and collapse.
The National Audit Office reported that 41 hospitals had RAAC while seven were built with the aerated concrete “throughout”.