LEIGHTON Hospital bosses will be working with the government to discover how the announced review of NHS building projects will affect the planned rebuild, which is needed on safety grounds.

The Crewe hospital was built in the 1970s using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete panels (RAAC planks) in the roof, which means it could be at risk of collapse.

Bosses were planning to build a new hospital and what they termed a ‘health neighbourhood’ at Leighton.

But at the beginning of this week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the previous government had committed to build 40 hospitals without having adequate funding.

She said a full review of the hospital building programme was needed with a ‘realistic and costed timetable for delivery’.

Russ Favager, who is heading up Leighton Hospital’s new hospital programme and estates redevelopment, said: "We are aware of the government announcement around a review of the New Hospital Programme to develop a realistic and costed timetable for delivery and will be working with NHS England and the government to understand the details and what it means for our own plans."

This week three of Cheshire’s Labour MPs - Crewe & Nantwich MP Connor Naismith, Congleton MP Sarah Russell and Mid Cheshire MP Andrew Cooper - wrote to Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling for a meeting as soon as possible to discuss the future of the hospital.

Connor Naismith MPConnor Naismith MP (Image: Cheshire East Council)

In the letter they said: “Leighton Hospital was constructed using RAAC which has a lifespan of 30 years.

“The hospital was constructed 50 years ago and therefore parts of the building are significantly past their lifespan.

“The situation has led to fears that parts of the hospital could collapse if action is not taken.”

Just a month ago Mr Favager was updating members of Cheshire East’s health and wellbeing board on the vision for the new hospital.

He had told them at the July 2 meeting, that Mid Cheshire Hospitals Trust (MCHT) had purchased extra fields at Leighton and the new hospital would be built on a field next to the existing building.

“This isn’t just about building a hospital, this is about how we transform services – health and social care and use that investment in the area,” he had said.

“The idea going forward is that…we’re going to make it into a health neighbourhood, so it wouldn’t just be the hospital there, there would be a number of organisations on there.”

He also said, at that early July meeting, that MCHT was hoping to submit an outline planning application for the new hospital to Cheshire East Council in December this year.

Hospital bosses now have to wait to hear what the government’s announcement means for their plans.