NHS hospital buildings risky and need repair, say trust bosses

Some hospital leaders in England say they are "living with risk" every day, with buildings in urgent need of repair.

According to NHS trust bosses, delays to funding allocations have stalled vital upgrade projects.

Structural safety concerns caused the critical care unit at one trust to be temporarily closed and planned operations were stopped.

The government said it was working closely with trusts on building plans.

One trust has installed props and steel beams in the maternity unit, making life very difficult for staff and mothers, according to hospital managers.

The hospital leaders said the current political situation - with the government looking for a new leader - complicates matters.

"This kind of political paralysis and instability is deeply unhelpful for the NHS when we've got a whole range of critical decisions that need to be made not only in capital investments but also NHS pay," said NHS Providers chief executive Saffron Corder.

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Source: BBC News, 8 July 2022