RAAC: Crumbling concrete discovered in three operating theatres at Scarborough Hospital

Potentially unsafe reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been discovered in three of Scarborough Hospital’s 29 operating rooms, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed.

Experts have highlighted the “significant risk of failure” of RAAC as a building material which poses a risk of collapse due to its limited lifespan.

A spokesperson for the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the operating theatres had been “assessed as safe” and that the RAAC would be removed “in due course via a systematic plan, one theatre at a time”.

The spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “There will be no patient impact and no staff will be moved.”

It follows the news this summer that RAAC planks were found in the roof of the pathology unit at Scarborough Hospital, forcing staff to be moved to temporary workspaces.

The discovery of the building material has affected several other local buildings including Scalby School.

Responding to the news, Alison Hume, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Scarborough and Whitby, said: “Staff at Scarborough Hospital are working incredibly hard to deliver care despite enormous pressures, so this is yet another hurdle for them to clear.

“The Conservatives have fundamentally failed when it comes to our NHS services, and have put patients and staff at risk. The image of crumbling schools and hospitals sums up what 13 years of Conservative mismanagement have done to our public services.”

Ms Hume added: “Residents deserve better. Only Labour can get the NHS back on its feet and make it fit for the future.”

Roberto Weeden-Sanz, the Conservative’s parliamentary candidate for Scarborough and Whitby, previously told the LDRS: “I’m passionate about making sure that we don’t lose any services at Scarborough or Whitby Hospitals.

“The government has invested a huge amount in the health care services and it’s just about making sure that it reaches communities like ours.”

He added: “My understanding is that over the last 13 years, we’ve had the biggest increase of NHS funding ever.”