Obese patients at Hinchingbrooke Hospital cannot be treated on the first floor because of structural issues with the building, it has been revealed.

The North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, says patients over 20 stone are sent to alternative areas of the hospital or at sister sites.  

While the Huntingdon hospital was built with the reinforced concrete RAAC, the trust explained the weight limit is a separate issue and “isn’t as a result” of the building material.  

In a statement, the Trust said: "We have recently completed a three-year programme of RAAC remedial works which has reduced the number of props on our site significantly and has reinforced the building.  

“A weight limit was put in place in affected areas of the site in 2020 after a site-wide structural survey was carried out by structural engineers and ground floor clinical areas are utilised as an alternative as necessary.  

“In addition to this, our estates and facilities team work on an ongoing rolling programme across the affected areas of the hospital site to ensure that we can be aware of any faults as soon as they arise, implement safety measures and carry our immediate work.” 

The statement also mentioned the new theatre block which will open early next year with seven operating theatres.  

Caroline Walker, the trust’s former chief executive officer, said: “The safety of our patients, visitors and staff is our highest priority and we appreciate your understanding and support while we continue to manage our structural issues.” 

RAAC was a material widely used in construction of public buildings between the 1950s and 1990s.  

The government published a list of schools across the country affected by the affected by RAAC – and fortunately none in Cambridgeshire were included.  

At Hinchingbrooke Hospital, the material is a decade beyond its 30-year lifespan.  

Earlier this year the health secretary Steve Barclay announced Hinchingbrooke Hospital was being added to the government’s hospital rebuild programme.  

This means the hospital should be able to exit its RAAC building by 2030.