Urgent review of hospital buildings ordered over collapse-prone concrete fears

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In a letter issued on Tuesday, NHS England said new guidance by the Department for Education regarding RAAC in schools had “generated heightened public interest in the presence of RAAC in the NHS estate”. We are writing to reiterate the position in the NHS estate, and to outline actions you should be taking to assure yourselves as far as possible that RAAC is identified and appropriately mitigated, to keep patients, staff and visitors safe.” In May, NHS England ordered all NHS trusts to review their estate and Tuesday’s letter urged any that have not already carried out the checks to speed them up. The Department for Health and Social Care previously announced funding for the NHS to replace RAAC used in seven hospital trusts before 2035. Matthew Taylor, chief executive for NHS Confederation which represents hospitals across England, said RAAC was “part of a much bigger problem facing the NHS” where the cost of repairs and new equipment stands at £11 billion.