Royal Bolton Hospital discover RAAC in maternity ward

Work is now being taken to prop up the potentially dangerous RAAC, reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

Hospital bosses say it's been discovered in the fabric of the building could cause disruption to services and wards.

A number of schools in Bolton have been affected by the crisis, with areas cordoned off until the issue can be resolved.

Annette Walker, Chief Finance Officer with responsibility for Estates at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust said: “As part of our ongoing monitoring, there has been some identification of RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) in our maternity building.

“This was our first priority area to inspect when assessing our estate due to the age of the building.

“We are working with our estates team, iFM Bolton, and the national experts in the NHS to safely secure and prop the RAAC immediately.

“We are taking all necessary steps to keep our patients, families and staff safe in the affected area.”

Concerns have arisen over the use of RAAC.

It is a cheaper alternative to standard concrete but is also considered to be less durable.

RAAC is a light form of concrete used in  from the 1950s until the mid-1990s.

The material  came to the attention of the authorities after an incident at a primary school in Gravesend, Kent, in 2018 when ceiling collapsed overnight.

Remedial work is now taking place at the hospital which involved propping the affected areas while surveys are carried out.

Royal Bolton Hospital say disruption is possible including ward and service moves which will be put in place over the coming days and weeks.

Maternity Unit at Royal Bolton Hospital

While other areas of the hospital have not been identified as affected, more inspections are still continuing to assess the building.

A spokesman said: “Until the full survey is conducted, we will not know if we have RAAC in other areas of the building or the hospital.

“The safety of staff, patients and visitors is our utmost priority, which is why we are accelerating this programme of inspection so we can begin any remedial works where required as quickly as possible.”

Out of bounds at St William of York RC School due to RAAC (Image: Public)

MP Yasmin Qureshi said: “To discover RAAC in Royal Bolton Hospital, just days before Christmas, is hugely concerning.

“There now needs to be a strong contingency plan as this has the potential to compound an already difficult time for Health Services. “I will be liaising with the Chief Executive for more information on the extent of the problem and to see how I can assist in ensuring the Government steps up.”

Maternity unit (Image: NQ)

It comes as over 200 schools in the UK were identified as having RAAC in their buildings.

St William of York RC Primary, which is on track to be one of Bolton's outstanding schools, was one of a number of schools in the borough to be affected by the material.

Children have been learning in propped up classrooms and are currently without a playground.

Other schools in Bolton listed to have RAAC concerns when the issue of the material was raised earlier this this year were St Bernard's RC Primary School, St Stephen and All Martyrs CE Primary School, Canon Slade, St Andrew CE Primary School and St William of York RC Primary School.

All pupils are getting face-to-face learning.

MP Yasmin Qureshi said: “To discover RAAC in Royal Bolton Hospital, just days before Christmas, is hugely concerning.

“There now needs to be a strong contingency plan as this has the potential to compound an already difficult time for Health Services. “I will be liaising with the Chief Executive for more information on the extent of the problem and to see how I can assist in ensuring the Government steps up.”