Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the remaining lifespan is for the buildings within Hinchingbrooke Hospital constructed from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete panels.

In 2021/22, the Department and NHS England jointly commissioned a detailed structural assessment of the five hospitals built mostly using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) to assess the condition and rebuild options, which included Hinchingbrooke Hospital. The report estimated that the remaining life of the RAAC panels across the five hospitals would generally extend until approximately 2030, following the installation of fail-safe steelwork.

We are clear that hospitals built wholly or mostly with RAAC, including Hinchingbrooke Hospital, will be replaced through the New Hospital Programme as a priority. We are undertaking a full review of the programme to provide a thorough, costed, and realistic timeline for delivery, and to recognise the particular needs of the RAAC hospitals. The review will be completed this autumn, and once concluded, Parliament will be updated on the next steps for the programme.

Like all National Health Service sites in England with confirmed RAAC, Hinchingbrooke Hospital is part of NHS England’s national RAAC programme, backed by £954 million since 2021/22. Hinchingbrooke Hospital has received over £39 million to deliver required mitigation, safety, and eradication works, to keep facilities safe and open in line with the current recommendations of the Institution of Structural Engineers.