Hospital awaits government review amid rebuild

Leighton Hospital had bought plots of land surrounding its site in preparation for rebuilding work

A hospital is waiting to find out how a government review of NHS building projects will impact its plans to rebuild due to it being deemed at risk of collapse.

Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Cheshire, is one of five hospitals found to have been constructed using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

Its bosses had announced plans to develop a new campus.

However, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the previous government had committed to build or develop 40 hospitals without having the full funding for them.

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust (MCHT) said it was working with NHS England to understand the details.

The current hospital was built in the 1970s and more than 60% of the site has Raac in its roof and walls.

The material, which has bubbles inside, has a limited lifespan.

In 2023, MCHT said more than £55m had already been spent on stabilisation and repair work in wards and departments - with another £29m budgeted for the current financial year.

The trust had aimed for a "world-class" health and care campus for the local community to be completed by 2030.

Now, the chancellor has said a complete review of the hospital building programme was needed "with a thorough, realistic and costed timetable for delivery".

The hospital said it would work with NHS England and the government

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the total cost to deliver the remaining 37 schemes had been estimated at significantly over £20bn, but only £3.7bn had been allocated up to 2024-25.

This comes amid an £11bn maintenance backlog across the wider NHS estate not covered by the programme.

Russ Favager, from the hospital's redevelopment programme, said: "We are aware of the government announcement around a review of the New Hospital Programme to develop a realistic and costed timetable for delivery and will be working with NHS England and the government to understand the details and what it means for our own plans."