No Raac found at Whittington Hospital, NHS trust confirms

The Archway hospital has moved to reassure patients and staff concerned over the recent concrete safety crisis, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Whittington Hospital does not contain a type of concrete prone to collapse that has recently sparked safety fears, according to the NHS trust that runs it.

Whittington Health NHS Trust says the hospital site in Magdala Avenue, Archway, does not contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

The trust is currently carrying out an audit of other sites to determine whether the material is present.

A nationwide alert was sparked last week when the government ordered more than 100 schools to close off areas containing Raac that do not have safety measures in place.

The material, a lightweight form of concrete with a lifespan of around 30 years, was used in the construction of schools and other public buildings for several decades up until the mid-1990s.

Hospital buildings are among those at risk. The National Audit Office previously revealed that 41 hospitals contain the material, including seven that were built with the concrete “throughout”.

A Whittington Health spokesperson said: “At Whittington Health, safety is our top priority. We do not have Raac in our hospital site and we are in the process of auditing all of the sites where our services operate.

“We take the health and safety of our patients, colleagues, and visitors extremely seriously, and all sites across our organisation are safe.”

The NHS has been surveying sites and carrying out Raac mitigation work since 2019.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The NHS has a mitigation plan in place for hospital buildings with confirmed Raac, backed with significant additional funding of £698million 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.

“Additionally, we have announced that the seven most affected NHS hospitals will be replaced by 2030 through our New Hospital Programme.

“The technical advice received from the NHS is that the current approach to monitoring and mitigation remains appropriate.”

Local news needs your support

We are proud that we were at the forefront of reporting on the recent local elections. We can’t do this without the support of our readers.

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.