Works at Airedale General Hospital in Keighley are part of the government’s "New Hospital" programme and will be included in the second wave of the initiative, which was approved earlier this year by Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
The hospital was built in the late 1960s and officially opened by the Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, in 1970.
However, the complex is now in a critical condition, as over 80% of the building was constructed using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) — a material that became a major topic 18 months ago when dozens of schools built with this lightweight concrete were forced to close due to the risk of collapse.
Scottish company Robertson is carrying out remedial works at the hospital, including reinforcing or replacing 50,000 RAAC wall, floor and ceiling panels, as well as another 5,000 structural panels — making Airedale one of the most affected RAAC hospitals in the country.
Other consultants involved in the hospital's redevelopment have not been officially named, but as the project is part of the second wave of the initiative, construction is expected to begin by 2030. The leadership of the Airedale NHS Foundation Trust hopes that work could start as early as 2028, with completion planned for 2030.
In a letter sent to local NHS leaders last week, Health Minister Karin Smith confirmed that funding for the first stage of the reconstruction, including infrastructure works, has already been approved.
Sir Robert McAlpine has been involved in modernisation works at the hospital since 2016, including the expansion of the emergency department, construction of a new car park and building new operating theatres to increase the facility’s capacity.
The hospital serves more than 220,000 residents of the Bradford and Craven areas.