How RAAC concrete affects staff at Airedale Hospital, Keighley

Steve Barclay MP visited Keighley as part of the Government’s plans for a new state-of-the-art Airedale Hospital.

Built in the late 1960s, Airedale Hospital was largely constructed using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, known as RAAC. 

RAAC was found to have a lifespan of 30 years - making the hospital’s crumbling structure out of date by decades.

An artist's image of the new hospital (Image: submitted)

Structural engineers had long advised that the hospital should be replaced as soon as possible.

The minister spoke to staff about how the ambitious plan, part of a Government pledge to build 40 new hospitals by 2030, will transform their working lives.

Foluke Ajayi, chief executive of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The discovery of the RAAC has put a lot of pressure on our colleagues. Our engineers spend every single day examining and monitoring walls, floors and ceilings to check for changes. We might discover something needs propping up, sometimes that needs to be done within hours. Within hours our staff are having to move rooms.

“We have staff that are very flexible and understanding. They understand it’s important in terms of the safety of the hospital. But it creates inefficiencies as well. We’re having to put staff, services, in places they’re not designed for. Our endoscopy service is split across two locations while their usual environment is going through remedial works.”

Asked how Airedale had been allowed to reach its current state, the health minister said: “Some hospitals have actually stood for a much longer period of time but what the engineers have identified is there are specific risks with the way hospitals like Airedale were constructed.

Health minister Steven Barclay visits Airedale Hospital (Image: Government)

“That is a point that local members of Parliament - Robbie Moore, Andrew Stephenson, Julian Smith, Philip Davies - have really emphasised in their lobbying of Government to ensure Airedale secured its funding for a complete new hospital. They’ve been hugely effective in the case they made and in drawing attention to the fact there has been these degradation of concrete. That is why we’re committed to prioritising schemes like Airedale. 

“The next phase of that will be the enabling works through its multi-storey car park, staff will be able to see that later this year as part of our journey towards a complete rebuild.”

Health minister Steven Barclay meets staff at Airedale Hospital - including Foluke Ajayi, chief executive of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, pictured behind the minister (Image: Government)

When pressed on how key lobbying from the region’s Conservative MPs had been for Airedale’s bid, the minister said: “The fact I’m here visiting speaks volumes about the effective campaign.

“They’ve been very clear how important this was to staff, having to work around the temporary repairs that were going on.

“Already investment had been secured - the £50 million for the new ICU and the administrative block - but clearly that was not sufficient. That was the case they made to me, to the Prime Minister, to other ministers. The Government has listened to that and acted. That’s why Airedale is being prioritised.”

It comes after chiefs at Bradford’s hospital and care trusts expressed their disappointment over the lack of clarity on other bids.

Plans: Lynfield Mount being developed into a new acute inpatient facility that integrates mental health and neurodiversity within our community

In May, a T&A reader poll found 78 per cent of participants believed politics played a part in the decision making process.

In 2021, the Act as One health and care partnership issued a three part bid to rebuild Airedale Hospital, develop a new acute inpatient facility at Lynfield Mount and create a new purpose-built hospital for Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke’s Hospital. 

Questions now remain over the fate of Bradford’s other two bids. 

Asked for clarification over these plans, Mr Barclay said: “We’ll have a rolling programme that will look at future bids but that will be done in conjunction with the integrated care boards. It’s right that at a local level that we look at these things on a system wide, what works for the area as a whole, we think that is best decided by local people. That’s why it should be determined through the integrated care board who looks at the needs of the NHS on a place based way.”

Reflecting on the minister’s visit, Ms Ajayi said: “It signifies Government are really interested in investing in what’s happening here and they have an understanding of the challenges we are facing.

“It shows commitment to our local population and understanding the people we serve will have a service that’s fit for purpose.”