Today, the Conservative Government have announced that Frimley Park Hospital is to be rebuilt.
The Health Secretary, Steve Barclay MP, has just announced that Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust’s bid to the New Hospital Programme for funding to build a brand new Frimley Park Hospital has been successful. Much of the existing hospital was built using Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), which has degraded rapidly and is extremely costly to maintain and repair. The Trust’s preferred approach to resolve the RAAC issue was to build a new hospital.
Frimley Park Hospital is one of five additional hospitals being built – the others include Airedale in West Yorkshire, Hinchingbrooke in Cambridgeshire, Queen Elizabeth King’s Lynn in Norfolk, and Mid Cheshire Leighton in Cheshire. These hospitals all have significant amounts of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a lightweight type of concrete used to construct parts of the NHS estate in the past but has a limited lifespan, after which it deteriorates significantly. The Government has prioritised rebuilding these hospitals given the risks they pose to patients and staff.
The New Hospital Programme as a whole is expected to represent over £20 billion of investment in new hospital infrastructure.
Leo Docherty MP, alongside neighbouring MPs Michael Gove and James Sunderland, have long been backing the Trust, supporting their bid to ensure that Frimley can continue to deliver world-class healthcare services for local residents for generations to come.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, said:
"These five hospitals are in pressing need of repair and are being prioritised so patients and staff can benefit from major new hospital buildings, equipped with the latest technology.
"On top of this I’m strengthening our New Hospital Programme by today confirming that it is expected to represent more than £20 billion of new investment in hospital infrastructure.
"As we approach the 75th anniversary of our fantastic NHS, this extra investment will ensure it can care for patients for decades to come and help cut waiting lists so they get the treatment they need quicker.”
Neil Dardis, Chief Executive at Frimley Health, stated:
“Our ambition is to provide the highest quality urgent, planned and specialised care in the most modern environment, as well as deliver first class community care.
"We will ensure that all these services are delivered from a hospital incorporating the very latest sustainability and environmental initiatives and cutting-edge digital technology. We are so excited to be leading this initiative that will transform the future of healthcare for people in and around Frimley.”
Commenting, Leo said:
"The Health Secretary Steve Barclay has just announced that Frimley Park will receive Government funding to build a brand-new hospital.
"Much of the existing hospital was built using Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), which has degraded rapidly and is extremely costly to maintain and repair. The Trust’s preferred approach to resolve the RAAC issue was to build a new hospital.
"I, alongside my neighbouring Conservative colleagues Michael Gove MP and James Sunderland MP, have long been backing the Trust, supporting their bid to ensure that Frimley can continue to deliver world-class healthcare services for local residents for generations to come.
"Neil Dardis and his team at the Trust worked tirelessly to put together a really compelling bid, and I am delighted that it has been successful. A big thank you to them for all their efforts!"