'Major internal incident' declared at Welsh hospital over potentially dangerous concrete

A major incident has been declared at a Welsh hospital as it investigates potentially dangerous concrete in the building.

Hywel Dda University Health Board declared the incident at Withybush Hospital on Tuesday afternoon as it said it was "seeking to identify the scale and impact" of a specific form of concrete in the hospital building.

The concrete is Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete - which is known to be a potentially dangerous, lightweight, building material that was predominantly used in roofs between the 1960s and the 1980s.

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A statement from Hywel Dda University Health Board said: "The health board has decided to declare an internal major incident in relation to RAAC at Withybush Hospital to enable it to stand up its command and control structures (Gold, Silver and Bronze).

"In doing so, the health board is also able to prioritise the work of our teams to deal with the emerging issue and draw upon support from partner agencies that are members of the Dyfed Powys Local Resilience Forum."

The presence of the concrete has been confirmed at Withybush Hospital and at a limited part of Bronglais hospital, as well as being several other NHS properties in Wales. 

The concrete was predominantly used in roofs between the 1960s and the 1980s.

The health board has said it is working with a Welsh Government approved external contractor to identify the scale of the issue. 

However, it discovered the scale of the issues is putting "additional pressure" on the availability of clinical space and is likely to have a "knock-on impact" on services.

Three wards in Withybush have needed to close to date due to the condition of the RAAC planks found since May, with patients relocated to other health board locations in Pembrokeshire.

The health board said it is its intention to manage as much of the relocation of patients within Pembrokeshire as possible.

"As time progresses, this is likely to have an impact on other health board services at other sites as we move patients and services to alternate locations. Local mitigations are also being put in place, including structural props and temporary closure of impacted areas."

The health board said that unless notified otherwise, patients should continue to attend their appointments and access services at Withybush Hospital as usual but that this may be subject to change at short notice.