"Imminent" faulty concrete surveys for three Huntly-area NHS buildings
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INVESTIGATIONS into whether Huntly NHS buildings have faulty concrete, which can collapse with "very little noticeable warning", could start within the week.
Three buildings in the Huntly area have been identified as potentially containing a lightweight concrete which caused an English school's "sudden collapse" in 2018.
Across NHS Grampian, 54 potential cases have been identified based on building age and roof style – the highest number of any Scottish health board.
Staff have been told: "No-one needs to be concerned".
Huntly Health Centre, along with Jubilee Hospital's link corridor and Insch Health Centre, are on the list of potential Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) buildings.
The lightweight concrete, often used for flat-roofed buildings built between the 1950s and 1990s, is "much weaker" than traditional concrete according to a May 2019 safety alert.
Last week, NHS Grampian said the chance it will "fail" increases with water damage or faulty manufacturing.
Potential RAAC buildings across all Scottish health boards are to be surveyed to see if the concrete was used and whether it poses a risk.
The number of locations across Scotland which will face further investigation currently sits at 255.
Deputy chief executive Dr Adam Coldwells, speaking after the last NHS Grampian Board Meeting (August 3), said he was "sure some some of them will have it [RAAC]".
"It is really important to emphasize that they might have it, but they might not," he said.
"But I can't believe none of them have got it.
"In 54 buildings built in that period, I'm sure some of them will have it."
In documents from the board meeting, staff were encouraged to "go about your work duties as normal".
Dr Coldwells added that "no-one needs to be concerned" and that most surveys would not disrupt staff or patients.
"Our current understanding is that all of the buildings are safe to be in," he said.
"The surveys will give us the intelligence to be able to do the next steps.
"But the assurance we've got, from all of the surveyors at the moment, is that no one needs to leave the buildings.
The surveys, organised by NHS Assure and contracted to Currie and Brown, will only investigate buildings top floors unless RAAC is found.
Dr Coldwells said he expects surveyors to arrive next week.
"They will survey those [buildings], and then we will clearly know what we've got to do," he said.
"Which might be tonnes of stuff or it might be very little.
"From that, we then work with the surveyors to understand whether we need to do some remedial action now.
"Or whether we just need to check it again in a years time, in three years time, or in five years time."
Surveys on buildings where patients stay overnight will be the top priority, according to new information released yesterday by the health board.
The next-highest priority will be places where "patients are seen, but do not stay overnight."
Staff-only areas come third, above lowest priority "ancilliary buildings, such as substations or boilerhouses"..
Those working in affected buildings have been contacted, Dr Coldwells said, and support has been organised.
"We're working hard at engaging staff in general, as well as the people who actually are in the 54 buildings on the list," he said.
"We are working with them, so they can ask questions and have the experts tell them what's happening and not to be worried."
Staff have also been asked to draw up new contingency plans ahead of the surveys, for disruption including: "taking the top floor out of a building."
If faulty or degraded RAAC is identified in buildings major works including rebuilding could be required, though observation may be enough, according to Dr Coldwells.
Plans to rebuild five hospitals in England contained faulty RAAC were announced in July, with Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay describing them as "in pressing need of repair".
Further works are planned to figure out which of these have RAAC, though "any further action will be a matter for the building owners" according to an NHS Grampian FAQ.
