New hospital 'may not be ready until 2032'

The Princess Alexandra Hospital is outdated and needs to be replaced, according to its board

A new hospital may not be ready until 2032, a senior manager has revealed.

Plans for a newbuild to replace Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, were put forward as part of a pledge to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 by the-then Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

However, speaking at an Essex County Council meeting to discuss the progress of the plans, Michael Meredith, director of strategy and estates at the hospital, said the 2030 date might “slip”.

"In the meantime we will continue to invest in the current site," he added.

Land still not bought

In 2019, the current chief executive of Princess Alexandra, Lance McCarthy, said a new £400m hospital would be open by 2024.

But addressing councillors on the county council's health overview and scrutiny committee, Mr Meredith admitted land for the new hospital, close to junction 7a of the M11, had not been bought and there were no alternative sites.

The hospital is also still waiting to find out a newbuild schedule from the Department for Health (DfE).

"We hope to have planning in place by 2025, with the build date of 2030, but that might slip until 2032. In the meantime we will continue to invest in the current site," he said.

“If we get the go-ahead pretty soon we’ll hit 2030; if the new hospital programme is delayed, we’re delayed,” he said.

Mr Meredith told the committee the hospital trust was spending £9-£10m a year in keeping the site going, admitting it was “at the end of its life”.

In March, a major incident was declared when a ceiling caved in above a patient in an intensive care unit.

The hospital also suffers with sewage leaks with 40 reported across the estate in 2022.