There has been a "significant delay" to work at the Royal Bolton Hospital’s maternity ward due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, or RAAC. The collapse-prone concrete, which has been likened to a "chocolate aero bar", was discovered in the maternity unit back in December. Sign up to our newsletters to get the latest stories sent straight to your inbox.
In August last year, more than 100 school buildings were ordered to be closed across the country after the material – which was used in buildings between the 1950s and 1990s, was discovered. Last year, the Health and Safety Executive stated that the material was "liable to collapse". Now, the Royal Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has revealed there has been a "significant delay" to work implanting projects in the hospital’s maternity ward as a result of the RAAC crisis.
Follow The Bolton News on Facebook , Instagram , X (Twitter) , and TikTok . In a report presented to the hospital’s board on Thursday, May 30, the hospital admits that there has been a delay in implementing a maternity specific electronic patient record due to the material, as well as issues with installing Wi-Fi services. Additionally, the hospital says RAAC is having a "large impact" on the hospital’s "flow" – the movement of patients between departments – causing bed blocking.
In the document, the hospital’s chief executive report says inspections of the RAAC continue alongside daily monitoring of props, used to keep the ma.
