Rebuild of 'crumbling' hospital to begin by 2030

Work to replace a Surrey hospital which was built using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) has been scheduled to begin by 2030, the government says.

Plans to rebuild Frimley Park were announced in September.

It has now been confirmed that Frimley Park will be included in the first round of NHS hospital rebuilds and will cost between £1.5bn and £2bn.

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust has been approached for comment.

Meanwhile, the government has announced work to rebuild St Helier Hospital in Sutton, which serves thousands of Surrey residents, has been delayed until at least 2032 at the earliest.

In 2023, the Conservative government said St Helier would get new buildings and upgrades to existing ones by 2025.

But Health Secretary Wes Streeting told MPs on Monday that the previous government's plans were "underfunded and undeliverable", so building work had been postponed.

James Marsh, deputy chief executive at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals, said this would be "devastating" news for patients.

"I'm extremely disappointed to hear about the further delay for the new build," he said.

"It means money being spent on propping up our crumbling buildings, [which are] older than the NHS itself."

Staff at St Helier have told they BBC they have been forced to attach tarpaulins to corridor ceilings to stop rain pouring in.

The Department for Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment.

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