Hospital Raac works to be complete by 2030 - Trust

A Surrey hospital trust says it aims to fix roofs built using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) by 2030, but says a new site is "the only way to fully deal with the risk".

Frimley Park Hospital is set to be rebuilt on a new site because about two thirds of buildings at its current location were constructed with Raac, which can fail when exposed to moisture.

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said it aims to "fully remediate" roofs by the end of the decade, but maintained that plans for a new hospital remain "essential".

Work on the new hospital site, rumoured to be at the nearby Pine Ridge Golf Club, is due to begin in 2028 or 2029.

Tanka Ambohang, project manager for the works, said: "Recent independent reports have found Frimley Park Hospital's Raac safety and structural maintenance works are effective and suitable to keep services and people safe beyond 2030, but confirms the new hospital is essential and the only way to fully deal with the risk."

Work on the buildings requiring fixes will "continue to remain a priority until the new hospital opens", it added.

A site has been found for the new hospital but the NHS has yet to formally confirm where, saying it will "as soon as commercial confidentiality restrictions have passed".

In an interview with the BBC in January, Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed the work was "fully funded".

Concerns have been expressed about building on Pine Ridge Golf Club, which Surrey Heath Borough Council previously said would not be in the public interest.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.