The admission has prompted renewed fears that ceilings at the hospitals affected may suddenly collapse, injuring staff and patients. There were calls for urgent action to tackle the problem.
Maria Caulfield, a health minister, made the disclosure in a written answer to a parliamentary question asked by the Liberal Democrats’ health spokesperson, Daisy Cooper.
Caulfield said surveys undertaken by the NHS found that 34 buildings at 16 health trusts contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RA AC), which one hospital boss has likened to a “chocolate Aero bar”. RA AC was widely used in building hospitals and schools in the 1960s, 70s and 80s but has a 30-year lifespan and is now causing serious problems.
Simon Corben, NHS England’s director of estates , said in 2020 that RAAC planks posed a “significant risk” because their age meant they could fall down without warning.
This story is from the August 15, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the August 15, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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