Planned closure of the main outpatients building at St Mary's Hospital
Following the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in the roof slabs of the St Mary’s main outpatients building on Winsland Road in November, we have now completed a full structural investigation. In response to the findings, we have decided to close the whole building by 31 March 2026. All clinics and services are to be reprovided, elsewhere on the St Mary’s site wherever possible.
We do not plan to cancel any clinics as part of these changes. We will contact you directly if your clinic location is moving, with clear instructions on where to go and what to do if you have any concerns.
The top floor of the building will remain closed, as it has been from when the RAAC was discovered as part of routine works. We are taking an additional, precautionary measure – as advised by the structural engineers – to reduce the weight on the top floor and install roof supports over the Christmas holidays. This will help ensure there are no safety risks in continuing to use the building until March.
What is RAAC?
Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is a lightweight type of concrete used in some UK buildings between the 1950s and 1990s. Over time, RAAC can weaken and needs careful monitoring or replacement. The NHS runs a national programme to identify and manage RAAC in healthcare buildings.
Planning underway, now and for the longer term
We are now coordinating plans for the reprovision of clinics and services and reviewing the temporary arrangements that were put in place in November when the top floor was closed. This includes exploring options for making better use of space in nearby buildings, with potential refurbishment as needed.
The problems with the outpatients building are part of a much wider estates challenge across our hospitals, especially at St Mary’s. For the longer-term, we are exploring options for redeveloping the main outpatients building site and potentially other land nearby. This work is being led by our redevelopment team to ensure it is fully aligned with our wider redevelopment plans for St Mary’s, where detailed design is already underway for a completely new hospital and regeneration of the whole campus.
We are continuing to work closely with Imperial Health Charity, who own the land, as well as clinical leadership and other partners, to ensure that our response is appropriate and considers the multiple demands on outpatient services.
Ian Bateman, chief operating officer said, “We’re really sorry for the disruption this has caused for both patients and staff. And we’re grateful for the responsiveness, flexibility and collaboration that everyone has shown as we work hard, not just to minimise the impact, but to identify possible improvements in how we run our services and address our underlying estates problems at the same time."
