Airedale trust gets the green light to replace general hospital built in the 1960s

Plans for a new state-of-the-art building for Airedale General Hospital are a step closer after it was announced that it has secured a place on the Government’s New Hospital Programme. Staff celebrated the news after an announcement was made on the outcome of a bid to rebuild the hospital.

Airedale General Hospital is among a small number of hospitals in the UK built in the late 1960s and experiencing severe structural problems as it was built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, a lightweight, bubbly form of concrete.

Chief executive of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust Foluke Ajayi said: “A new hospital will have far-reaching benefits for our local community, allowing us to continue to provide vital healthcare in a safe, modern environment that is fit for the future and that will improve patient outcomes and experience.

“I know I speak for all our staff, patients, governors, volunteers and wider supporters when I say that this is the news that we have been waiting for since we were first made aware of the major structural problems Airedale General Hospital faces with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

“We are eager for planning to start on the new hospital but recognise that this is just the first step in the journey, and we look forward to hearing further details when they are announced.”

The new hospital will be built on the current site and is planned to be more environmentally friendly, making use of a range of sustainable technologies.

Lead picture: Artist’s impression of how the new hospital may look.

Published on page 30 of the June 2023 issue of RAD Magazine.