Crumbling concrete found in Kettering maternity ward

Raac has been found in the roof of the Rockingham Wing at Kettering General Hospital

Part of a maternity ward has been closed off following the discovery of concrete that can crumble in its roof.

The Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac) has been found at Kettering General Hospital.

It said it was working with experts to carry out further assessments and agree a plan for remedial work.

The hospital added that the rest of the building was operating normally and there was no immediate risk to people using it.

Raac was widely used in the construction of public buildings from the 1950s to the 1990s, but its lifespan has largely expired - leading to many schools and other buildings across the UK being forced to close in recent times.

The Rockingham Wing at Kettering General Hospital was built in 1977 to house the maternity and gynaecology department.

Independent surveyors reported in October that it was the only part of the site that might have contained Raac, and further work confirmed that it was present in the roof.

Fay Gordon, chief operating officer, thanked hospital users for their patience during the closure

The hospital's chief operating officer, Fay Gordon, said: "We closed a section of our maternity ward so that these assessments could be carried out without disrupting patient care.

"Patients that were in this area were moved to another ward, along with the specialist maternity staff who are looking after them. We kept patients, their relatives and our partner organisations informed throughout these moves."

The concrete that can crumble was found at Kettering General Hospital

The hospital confirmed that the rest of the wing continued to operate as normal and there was "no immediate risk to anyone in the building".

It also said no mothers arriving to give birth had been relocated to other hospitals.

It said it was working with NHS England's dedicated team of Raac experts to carry out further inspections on the site and agree next steps.