Members of Parliament in Surrey and Hampshire have sounded the alarm over patient safety following the announcement of delays to critical hospital rebuilds. This week, Will Forster, the Liberal Democrat MP for Woking, and Damian Hinds, the Conservative MP for East Hampshire, both condemned the Government after it was revealed that essential work on hospitals in the region would be postponed. Mr Forster highlighted Frimley Park Hospital, which was scheduled for rebuilding in 2023 due to the presence of deteriorating reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) beams affecting 65 percent of the hospital's infrastructure.
He said: “Frimley Park Hospital is a vital local service for Woking residents. I was even born there. It's a disgrace that the redevelopment of it has been pushed back even further.
We deserve better.” The project had originally been promised by former prime minister Boris Johnson, with plans to begin construction in 2025 and complete the new building by 2030. However, health secretary Wes Streeting said the initial construction phase will now be postponed until 2028 at the earliest.
The Government also announced that new hospitals for Basingstoke and North Hampshire would be pushed back for several years. Mr Hinds said: “It’s deeply disappointing that the much needed new hospital for Basingstoke and North Hampshire has been pushed so far back. The government says it will now only begin construction between 2037 and 2039.
“Clinicians and hospital sta.
