Following the 2024 general election, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State (SoS) for Health and Social Care undertook a review of the national New Hospital Programme (NHP).

Across all the NHP schemes, there are seven hospitals that were constructed primarily using Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). Given the risk that RAAC poses to the long-term integrity of the building and therefore the risk to patients and staff, all RAAC hospitals in the programme were prioritised and exempt from the review. Frimley Park Hospital is one of these RAAC hospitals.

This week the SoS announced the outcome of the review which re-confirmed the prioritisation of the seven RAAC schemes due to safety risks, including Frimley Park Hospital, and they are all in wave one of the programme.

The review outcome confirmed that all schemes will be managed in a programmatic standardised approach through the NHP and that investment funding will be allocated in five-year waves. The plan also included cost estimates and expected construction dates for all schemes, recognising that ‘delivery expectations may be subject to change depending on local and national factors’.

What this means for the new Frimley Park Hospital

For the new Frimley Park Hospital, a cost estimate of between £1.5 billion and £2 billion has been announced, which aligns with all the work we have undertaken to date.

In terms of an expected construction date, this has been listed as 2028 to 2029. However, this is an unexpected, later construction start date than we have been working towards with our national NHP colleagues. We will therefore work with our national NHP colleagues to understand why this later date has been published and will continue to drive towards the earliest possible date for construction and completion of a new Frimley Park Hospital, in conjunction with the Frimley Integrated Care Board, NHS England South-East and our NHP colleagues.

New hospital site

The key next step is making a decision about the preferred site for the new hospital. Over the last six months we have been working with specialist advisors including architects and health planners, construction consultants, energy specialists, local and transport planners, environmental advisors and many others, to complete the due diligence required to be able to formally evaluate the shortlisted sites. We are on track with our plan for this decision, about the preferred site, to be made in spring 2025.

As soon as the decision has been made and can be announced we will communicate this widely.

RAAC work remains a priority

In the meantime, our robust programme of remedial works to the current building continues, ensuring we provide care for our patients in a safe environment. This work will remain a priority until the new hospital opens.

As our work continues to progress at pace, we will be providing more regular updates via our Newsletter, WhatsApp Broadcast and Website