Responding to a letter from NHS England on next steps for tackling reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

"Trust leaders repeatedly warned that RAAC presented a major risk to patient and staff safety and they will do everything they can to ensure patients, staff and services remain safe, including having stringent monitoring and evacuation plans in place for hospital buildings built with RAAC planks.

"Long overdue investment is now being made available through the New Hospital Programme. The seven trusts with the most critical RAAC risk will be replaced by 2030 but it is concerning that those with remaining RAAC planks have to wait until 2035 before they'll be removed from the NHS estate.

"With these and many more buildings in desperate need of modernisation and restoration – and a burgeoning repair bill of more than £10bn, much of it high-risk – there is a major worry that these buildings will fall into a further state of disrepair as time goes on, worsening the risk to patients, visitors and staff."