Problem-hit hospital 'faces £90m bill to fix repairs backlog'

Stepping Hill Hospital's Outpatients B department was closed last year due to "significant deterioration" of the building

A problem-hit hospital is facing a £90m bill to fix a "significant backlog" of repairs.

Stepping Hill Hospital, in Stockport, Greater Manchester, has faced major issues with its facilities over the past year, and had to close its Outpatients B department at the end of 2023 because of "significant deterioration" to the building.

Problems have continued since then with staff and patients having to deal with flooded corridors and collapsing ceilings.

The trust which runs the hospital said it was exploring plans to build an additional hospital in Stockport to help manage the "ever increasing demand" for its services at Stepping Hill which was currently "not conducive to modern medicine".

The new Labour government has committed to providing investment for the ageing site, which first opened in 1905, but bosses at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust said the cost to tackle the problems is far beyond what is currently received from Westminster each year.

The trust is given £14m a year to deal with issues to its estate and other matters such as replacing equipment, and maintaining the hospital’s IT set up.

But Karen James, the trust's chief executive, said the money is not enough.

She said: "Stockport hospital is quite an old hospital, the main facade is going back to 1905 so that comes with many issues in terms of trying to maintain the site.

"Other buildings are over 50 years old, so require quite a bit of maintenance.

"Each year we are allocated capital money to address some of these backlog maintenance issues, but that has to cover not only the estate issues but also the IT infrastructure and replacement of equipment.

"We have got a significant backlog maintenance problems so whatever allocations we receive will not cover that."

The trust confirmed it was exploring plans to build an additional hospital facility in Stockport town centre.

This would help to manage the "ever increasing demand" for hospital services at Stepping Hill, which were currently "not conducive to modern medicine".

The ambition includes replacing a "substantial element" of the current site to a new location in Stockport.

It comes after Cheadle MP Tom Morrison made renewed calls this week for funds for "desperate" repairs at Stepping Hill, with the long term aim of rebuilding the site.

Mr Morrison said: "Stepping Hill can’t carry on in the grounds it is in, we need a modern hospital building."