Hospital confirms Raac maternity ward rebuild

A Northamptonshire hospital has confirmed a £33m expansion to its maternity unit.

Kettering General Hospital has been given approval by the NHS to begin the multi-million-pound project following the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

The maternity unit had to be partially closed after the crumbling concrete was found in the roof of the Rockingham Wing in 2023.

A new 32-bed maternity unit, alongside other facilities, is expected to be built within the next two years.

Kettering General Hospital's maternity department opened in 1977, with Raac concrete widely used in its roof.

Last month, the government announced up to £1.5bn would be pledged to rebuild the town's hospital.

The University Hospitals of Northamptonshire's (UHN) Director of Midwifery, Ilene Machiva, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "This new extension will enable a major improvement to our maternity services for local people."

"It will come after the significant disruption caused by the discovery of Raac in the roof of our maternity unit," she added.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said between £1bn and £1.5bn would be spent on the landmark project.

UHN Director of Strategy, Polly Grimmett, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We have been working closely with NHS England to look at the best solutions for addressing the issues in our maternity unit."

She added: "The extension is a good solution as it enables us to get services back into good and appropriate adjacent locations in a way which will improve the care we offer to local people."

Construction is due to begin on Kettering General Hospital between 2032 and 2034.

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