BOSSES at Gobowen’s Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Hospital say they have enough money to carry out repairs after it was reported more than £12 million was needed.

According to a report using data from NHS Digital, around £12.7 million is needed to restore a ‘crumbling site’ to full working order at RJAH.

Nick Huband, director of Estates and Facilities at RJAH, agreed that work is needed each year but assured people improvements to RJAQH can be afforded.

He said: “Every year we assess the condition of our buildings and infrastructure to identify priorities for maintenance work.

“This is done against six key criteria: physical condition, functional suitability, space utilisation, quality, statutory requirements and environmental management.

“We would always like more resources, but we have funds available to make improvements to our buildings and ensure our services remain safe, compliant and operational to patients, staff and the public.”

The latest NHS Digital figures show that amount is needed to restore buildings at RJAH to certain standards as of March.

Of this, just £1.2 million is required to fix high-risk issues, which NHS reports say must be addressed with urgent priority to prevent catastrophic failure, major disruption to clinical services, or safety deficiencies liable to cause serious injury.

Chief executive of NHS Providers Sir Julian Hartley said: "The cost of trying to patch up creaking buildings and out-of-date facilities is rocketing. Far too many NHS buildings and equipment are in a very bad way, and the situation is just getting worse.

"The safety of patients and staff is at stake. To provide first-class care, the NHS needs safe, efficient and reliable buildings, facilities and equipment.”

In October, the Department for Health and Social Care confirmed 42 sites have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) and must be repaired, but none of these were at Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital.

Sir Julian said the presence of the collapse-risk concrete "is a symptom of a far bigger and long-running problem".

"Many trusts – mental health, community, hospital and ambulance services – need major investment to refurbish ageing buildings and tackle risks to the safety of patients and staff," he added.

"We need the Government to shift gear and inject a significant shot in the arm of capital investment in the NHS."

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A DHSC spokesperson said: "We have invested significant sums to upgrade and modernise NHS buildings so staff have the facilities needed to provide world-class care for patients, including £4.2 billion this financial year.

"Trusts are responsible for prioritising this funding to maintain and refurbish their premises, including the renewal and replacement of equipment.

"This is on top of the £3.7 billion made available for the first four years of the New Hospital Programme and a further £1.7 billion for over 70 hospital upgrades across England alongside a range of nationally-funded infrastructure improvements in mental health, urgent and emergency care and diagnostic capacity."