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Revealed: Aberdeen’s Denburn Medical Centre condemned over crumbling concrete fears

RAAC was identified at the former Aberdeen health centre, accelerating its closure.

The vacant Denburn Medical Centre. Image: Ben Hendry/DC Thomson
The vacant Denburn Medical Centre. Image: Ben Hendry/DC Thomson

NHS staff were forced to move out of Aberdeen’s Denburn Medical Centre after it was found to have been built using unsafe RAAC material.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete was used between the 1950s and the 1990s as a cheaper and lighter alternative to concrete.

The material, which has been known to crumble, was discovered at the Rosemount Viaduct practice.

It had been earmarked for closure anyway, but it has now emerged that the alarming discovery accelerated its demise.

NHS Grampian made the decision to shut the site last month as it was deemed “no longer suitable”.

Denburn Medical Centre, which was found to have RAAC.
The former Denburn Medical Centre closed last month. Image: Ben Hendry/DC Thomson

Staff relocated to Carden House, just a ten-minute walk away, on September 20.

Patients of the Aberdeen medical centre were sent letters advising them of the change.

Denburn Medical Practice one of RAAC affected NHS Grampian sites

NHS Scotland warned the concrete is potentially vulnerable to “catastrophic failure without warning”.

Members of the Grampian health board’s property team carried out an exercise to identify buildings in the region that could have been affected by the worrying material.

Exterior of Denburn Medical Centre, which has been closed due to the presence of faulty concrete.
Denburn Medical Centre was found to have the worrying RAAC material. Image: Ben Hendry/DC Thomson

They found 54 sites that could have been at risk, which have since been surveyed.

While some final reports are still to be received, NHS Grampian’s deputy chief executive Dr Adam Coldwells said he was “pleased” that the problem material is “not present” in many of the identified buildings.

NHS Grampian deputy chief executive Dr Adam Coldwells, who is pleased that RAAC concrete hasn't been found in a number of identified buildings.
NHS Grampian deputy chief executive Dr Adam Coldwells. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

But NHS Grampian also admitted the ‘bubbly’ concrete has been found in the Labs building at Foresterhill.

Aberdeen Royal Infirmary has 14 areas of concern, including its cardiac department, mortuary and even its corridors.

The city’s Maternity Hospital and Dental School are also affected.

But the health board has stressed that those attending the hospital should “go about their normal business”.

Council homes also under review

The NHS update comes as 22,000 council homes in Aberdeen are currently being reviewed for RAAC.

The front page of the Evening Express highlighting the Aberdeen council homes found to have RAAC concrete.
The front page of the Evening Express highlighting the Aberdeen council homes found to have RAAC. Image: Clarke Cooper/DC Thomson

So far, it is believed that around 500 homes in Balnagask have been affected.

Although the local authority doesn’t expect to have many homes built with RAAC, it has independent structural engineers on the case to see if more investigations are needed.

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