Scarborough Hospital’s ‘unsafe’ pathology building could be demolished and replaced with a new building if plans are approved by the council.
An “increasingly unsafe, inefficient, and unsustainable” building at Scarborough Hospital serving pathology and ophthalmology services has been proposed for demolition.
The York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust aims to replace it with a new three-storey, 2,600 square metre building featuring a variety of room types, including offices, staff amenity space, laboratories, training rooms, an IV therapy room, and consultation rooms.
The pathology department would be located on the ground floor, with the ophthalmology department on the first floor, and plant equipment above. Access to the roof and plant will be via an internal stair core.
The demolition of a link bridge connecting the now defunct pathology building to the northern wing of Scarborough Hospital, which forms part of the same scheme, was recently given the go-ahead.
There is an “urgent requirement to vacate the first floor of the pathology building” as an inspection identified that the roof contains reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a material recognised nationally as a structural risk.
As a result, the pathology building requires demolition and the existing ophthalmology accommodation requires significant refurbishment.
According to a report, the pathology capacity at York Hospital is “already under severe pressure”.
There is also a “secondary requirement” to relocate the blood sciences service which has been based on the ground floor of the pathology building.
The trust has warned that any further delays carry “significant risks”.
Plans submitted to the council state:
“Ongoing monitoring of the roof is being undertaken, and if staff safety becomes compromised, urgent relocation will be required in line with the departmental business continuity plan.
“Such an emergency move would inevitably lead to delays in turnaround times for test results, with consequential risks to patient care.”
As the new building would enable the decanting of existing hospital services, there would be no increase in staff, patients, visitors or traffic to the hospital site, the application adds.
The Highway Authority and local parish council have said they have no objections to the proposal.
North Yorkshire Council has not set a date for deciding on the application.
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