BRITISH MPs have expressed outrage after discovering that some of the country's hospitals are able to treat obese patients only on the ground floor over fears that the floors made of crumbling concrete might collapse.
The unnamed medical facilities were described in an article in The Times, where Labour MP Meg Hillier commented that the findings were "jaw-dropping".
"In one hospital, staff can carry out roof maintenance only if they and their tools are a certain weight...heavy patients must be treated on the ground floor because the combined weight with equipment is too heavy to be safe," she wrote.
The issues surround the use of RAAC or Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, a lightweight building material which was used in the 1980s and 1990s.
The UK Government has confirmed RAAC is present in buildings at 34 hospitals across the country, pledging that seven of the worst affected will be upgraded by 2030.
Unions blamed the "perilous state" of the facilities on "years of budget cuts" which have caused the postponement of upgrade plans.
RAAC is less dense than traditional concrete because its manufacturing makes it "bubbly", with some engineers describing the material as "somewhat like an Aero bar".
Officials say they believe the current monitoring of the buildings remains appropriate.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 07 Sep 23
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 07 Sep 23
