Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon has spoken out about the hospital’s reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete (RAAC) roof, following a letter from Health Secretary Steve Barclay.
The hospital’s roof is one of dozens across the country to use the material, which has been likened to a ‘chocolate aero bar’.
The material led to the closure of a number of schools earlier this year, following a change in guidance.
A letter from the Health Secretary addressed to Mr McMahon, dated October 19, states that the Department of Health and Social Care "has been notified that some RAAC is present in The Royal Oldham Hospital in your constituency”.
This was first reported by The Oldham Times in August last year.
RAAC is made up of two parts, aerated autoclaved concrete, and a steel reinforcement. The aerated autoclaved concrete is made by adding aluminium into a lime or cement-based concrete mix.
This reacts to make millions of tiny bubbles which form the bulk of the material.
The steel reinforcement is coated with a latex or cement mix before the concrete is then cast around it.
The material is mostly found as precast panels in roofs, as well as floors and walls.
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In his response to the Health Secretary, Mr McMahon asked for a ‘robust plan and timescales’ to be published as to when the situation can be fixed.
Mr McMahon said: “The first priority in this is the safety, health and wellbeing of all staff and patients at the Royal Oldham site. Their safety and well-being need to be the top of the asking price when considering the impact of RAAC and the cost of bringing the buildings up to standard.
“I ask the government to make available a work plan and timescales that reduce the impact of the work on staff and patients as much as possible, while looking to make sure that the project is finished.
“We can’t have a situation with the Royal Oldham whereby the government promises one thing and does not deliver – as we have seen so often with this government.”
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A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The NHS has an established national programme to manage hospital buildings with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), backed with significant additional funding of £698 million from 2021 to 2025, for trusts to put in place necessary remediation and failsafe measures. We remain committed to eradicating RAAC from the NHS estate entirely by 2035 and our approach is in line with guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers
“Additionally, we have announced that the seven most affected NHS hospitals will be replaced by 2030 through our New Hospital Programme.
“Where structural surveys identify RAAC in their estate, trusts are inducted into this national remediation programme. Each site will be different – and just because RAAC is present, it does not necessarily mean there is a high risk.”
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