Edmonton hospital moves to reassure patients amid nationwide building safety scandal, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

An inspection of North Middlesex University Hospital’s main site did not identify a type of concrete prone to collapse in any of the buildings.

The NHS trust that runs the hospital says reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was not found during a review undertaken to establish whether the material was present in the “floor or roof construction”.

It added that all the inspected buildings appear to be “structurally sound”.

Earlier this month, the government ordered more than 100 schools to close off areas containing Raac that do not have safety measures in place, sparking a nationwide alert.

The material, a lightweight form of concrete with a lifespan of around 30 years, was used in the construction of roofs, floors and walls in schools and other public buildings between 1950 and the mid-1990s.

The National Audit Office previously revealed that 41 hospitals contain the material, including seven that were built with the concrete “throughout”.

North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust said: “We commissioned an external contractor in June 2023 to conduct a review of our estate, including whether Raac existed in either the floor or roof construction of the buildings at Sterling Way.

“From the visual inspection and existing structural record drawings review, all the buildings inspected appear to be structurally sound and no Raac construction was identified whatsoever.

“Earlier this year, community services in Enfield transferred to North Mid from a neighbouring trust. The buildings these services operate in continue to be owned by the neighbouring trust until later this year, and we have sought assurance from them regarding the estate. They are in the process of commissioning a review similar to the one we conducted on our hospital site.”

The NHS has been surveying sites and carrying out Raac mitigation work since 2019. The government has pledged to remove the material from the NHS estate by 2035.

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