Teesside hospital acts after suspect concrete found

Raac has been found in office and staff accommodation blocks

Potentially unsafe concrete has been found in blocks at a Teesside hospital.

The Raac concrete, used between the 1950s and 1990s, was discovered at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton.

The lightweight material is less durable and has a lifespan of about 30 years and has led to widespread concern in recent weeks.

The NHS trust running the hospital said five office blocks and two for staff accommodation were affected.

The concrete was not found in the main building where patients are treated, it said.

Some staff have been moved to alternative accommodation while safety work is carried out but ageing roofs may have to be replaced at some point.

• What is RAAC concrete and why is it a safety risk?

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust said it acted after receiving guidance by the Institution of Structural Engineers.

It added: "We continue to monitor and inspect the buildings in line with national guidance."

An engineer is carrying out further surveys and there will be a yearly inspection of each roof to guard against defects, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesman said: "We remain committed to eradicating RAAC from the NHS estate entirely by 2035."

The material has forced the full or partial closure of more than 100 schools across the country in recent weeks, but the DHSC said the NHS had been surveying sites and carrying out mitigation work since 2019 with "relatively minimal service disruption".

The hospital has previously been described as "not fit for purpose" due to its crumbling buildings.

However, a £380m bid to build a new hospital was rejected by the government in May.