A Merseyside hospital made of "chocolate Aero" concrete is among dozens of NHS buildings described as "ticking time bombs".
Aintree University Hospital is one of 34 NHS buildings constructed with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) between the 1960s and 1990s. The special type of concrete contains air bubbles and was used in hospitals and schools because it is cheap, lightweight and fireproof.
But RAAC has a fixed lifespan of around 30 years, after which its integrity comes into question - an issue which has been known about since the 1990s. The conditions have got progressively worse and the cost of repairing the buildings across the UK is more than £1bn. Today an Aintree hospital spokesperson told the ECHO measures were in place to ensure safety and manage the issue.
