UNSAFE concrete has been found at Warrington Hospital.

A number of isolated RAAC planks, known as ‘collapse-prone concrete’, have been discovered in a small post room at the Lovely Lane site.

RAAC is a lightweight form of precast concrete, which was frequently used in public sector buildings in the UK from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s.

Last year, it was revealed that more than 50 hospitals in the country containing RAAC had been identified.

Warrington Hospital was not one of these, however a new list released yesterday, Thursday, revealed that RAAC has now been identified at the site.

Following the discovered of the concrete at Lovely Lane, the affected area was closed immediately.

Further surveys were carried out at both Warrington and Halton Hospitals following the incident.

A spokesperson for Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said:

“An isolated number of RAAC planks have been identified in a small post room at Warrington Hospital. The affected area is not used for the delivery of patient care and was closed immediately following identification of RAAC.

“Our Trust estates team has been working with specialist structural engineers to ensure we have the best possible advice and to arrange for repair works to this particular building.

“We have carried out extensive surveys of our estate at both Warrington and Halton. It is safe for patients, visitors and staff to be on site and people should attend appointments as normal.”