The HSJ has reported that many NHS buildings have been constructed with RAAC, which is in some cases reaching the end of safe use and causing danger to staff and patients.

We have concerns regarding the safety of our members and the patients they serve, and would appreciate answers to the following:

1. Where, if at all, has RAAC been identified within Trust premises?
2. Where identified, has any assessment been made of RAAC structural strength? Please share these with us.
3. Have any risk assessments been completed in line with Regulation 3 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999? Please share these with us.
4. Who is the key officer or expert in the trust with whom we can further liaise directly about safety of the estate?
5. Where RAAC has been identified, what mitigations have been made and proposed? Please share with us a timescale of completed and planned works.
6. Where RAAC has been identified, what are the plans for evacuation? Please include what the trigger point for evacuation would be, and how would doctors will be affected under these plans.
7. Are there, or may there be, circumstances of danger which may be reasonably believed to be serious and imminent?

Thank you for your recent request dated 7^th September 2023.

1. Where, if at all, has RAAC been identified within Trust premises? 

An exercise has been undertaken to determine if RAAC was presumed to be present at all sites owned, leased, or managed by Public Health Wales (PHW) NHS Trust. The exercise has ruled out the presence of RAAC for all sites with a construction date outside the scope of the building period when RAAC was widely used. 

All sites constructed within the scope of the building period when RAAC was widely used were visited by structural engineers for survey; formal inspection reports have been received to date for three sites in this category of these sites providing confirmation that RAAC is not present.

The final four sites requiring site surveys by structural engineers have now had site visits completed and Public Health Wales has been provided with verbal assurance that RAAC has not been found to be present at them.   The final formal inspection report for these for sites is awaited.

2. Where identified, has any assessment been made of RAAC structural strength? Please share these with us.

Not Applicable

3. Have any risk assessments been completed in line with Regulation 3 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999? Please share these with us.

Not Applicable

4. Who is the key officer or expert in the trust with whom we can further liaise directly about safety of the estate?

Christopher Orr – Head of Estates and Health & Safety

5. Where RAAC has been identified, what mitigations have been made and proposed? Please share with us a timescale of completed and planned works.

Not Applicable

6. Where RAAC has been identified, what are the plans for evacuation? Please include what the trigger point for evacuation would be, and how would doctors will be affected under these plans.

Not Applicable

7. Are there, or may there be, circumstances of danger which may be reasonably believed to be serious and imminent?

No