Demolish and Rebuild Not the Only Answer for RAAC Hospitals

Hospitals with RAAC can be made safe without the need for demolition or rebuild according to RCS, a consortium of RAAC specialist surveyors, engineers and scientists.

Following the findings published last week (16 January 2026) by the National Audit Office that the rebuilding of seven RAAC-affected NHS hospitals is set to miss the government’s 2030 deadline, the RAAC specialist is emphasising there are alternative options in the short to medium terms for the affected hospitals.

While the scale of RAAC across the NHS estate is significant, RCS has demonstrated that an appropriate RAAC remediation strategy can be a highly effective alternative to demolition. In the case of the NHS, a cost-effective interim solution is possible that minimises disruption to patients and staff and supports operational priorities.

RAAC Hospitals

“Demolition is not the only effective strategy for RAAC,” says Angus Drummond, Director at RCS. “Across the public sector we are seeing safe, effective remediation programmes that stabilise RAAC roofs, manage risk properly and buy time for sensible, phased replacement where that is ultimately required. The NHS should not be treated differently.”

“RAAC is being found every day, in many different building types and roof configurations,” Angus continues.

“The response needs to be nuanced, going beyond a simplistic ‘remove it all’ mindset. Many organisations are learning to live with RAAC rather than jump immediately to removal. The science, the inspection techniques and the engineering solutions are far more mature than they were even two years ago.”

There are already numerous examples across the public sector where RAAC has been safely remediated and managed as part of a long-term estates strategy, rather than treated as an immediate demolition issue. RCS believes this pragmatic approach is critical to devising effective RAAC strategies in the short- to medium-term.

Real Risk

“The real risk now,” says Drummond, “is the assumption that there is only one solution to the RAAC issue. Remediation works. It is safe, it is proven, and it allows the NHS to focus limited resources where they are genuinely needed most.”

The report, by the National Audit Office (NAO), concludes that the seven RAAC-affected hospitals targeted for rebuilding under the New Hospital Programme are unlikely to be completed by the government’s 2030 target.

They are unlikely to be open before 2032-33 despite being prioritised under the new plan, due to long-standing underinvestment, the scale of deterioration across the NHS estate, and the complexity of delivering major capital projects while hospitals remain operational.

The NAO warns that reliance on temporary safety measures is likely to continue for longer than planned and that a clear, realistic long-term strategy is needed to manage risk and prioritise investment.

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