Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust has launched a £6.5m tender for the final phase of works to manage reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) across its estate.
The contract will cover roof re-covering works and the installation of additional steel and timber supports at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, Norfolk.
RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete used in buildings that can deteriorate over time and is susceptible to structural failure, prompting a major programme of safety and replacement works across affected NHS sites.
The seven hospitals most severely affected by RAAC have been prioritised for replacement through Wave 1 of the New Hospital Programme, with Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn among those included.
The works form part of a seven-year programme to make areas of the hospital containing RAAC safe, with around 18 months remaining on the programme.
The trust is seeking a contractor to deliver the latest package, with work expected to begin in November 2026.
The works will focus on providing additional structural support and protecting the existing roof rather than removing the RAAC itself.
Around 8,598 support props have already been installed across 56 areas of the hospital as part of the wider failsafe programme.
RAAC planks are present across around 79% of the roof and walls of the main hospital building.
The latest contract will provide further structural measures to support the existing estate while plans for the replacement hospital progress.
The trust's procurement notice describes the project as the final phase of its RAAC failsafe works.
The contract is expected to run from November 2026, with the works forming part of the wider programme to maintain the safety and operation of the hospital while the future estate is developed.
Preparation for replacement hospital
The latest safety works come as the trust progresses plans for a modular facility to provide additional clinical and administrative space while it prepares for the replacement of the existing hospital.
The trust is also progressing its replacement hospital through the New Hospital Programme, with Skanska appointed to deliver the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn as part of the programme’s first wave of Hospital 2.0 projects.
The new hospital forms part of the government’s plans to replace hospitals affected by RAAC and modernise NHS infrastructure through the £37bn New Hospital Programme.
