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Professor John Robertson OBA
BBC England on 9 September 2025, has:
A hospital which has its ceilings held up by thousands of props has been rated the worst performing in the country. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, came bottom of the league table of 134 acute hospital trusts in England. As a hospital which has crumbling reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), QEH has been prioritised for a rebuild by the national New Hospital Programme, which will see a new hospital built on the current site’s car park.
Is RAAC crumbling inevitable?
From Chris Goodier, professor of construction engineering and materials at Loughborough University in the Guardian 6 September 2023:
As a professor of construction engineering and materials at Loughborough University, I’ve been studying Raac in buildings in Britain – mainly in the NHS – for several years now. It has been on many people’s radar for a while. Over the past few days there have been many somewhat overblown ideas circulating about the dangers of Raac: that it is a fundamentally flawed material, that it only lasts a few decades, or that it is something like “an Aero bar” in terms of strength. These are worth pushing back on.
There is nothing in our research that has suggested Raac immediately fails after 30 years, or that it is a uniquely dangerous material. TV clips of Raac pieces being snapped in half are unhelpful. No material or building lasts for ever, and much depends on how it has been manufactured, installed and maintained, and how it is used. Our research suggests that properly maintained Raac can easily last 50 years, and should be able to carry on for several decades after that. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/06/raac-isnt-always-dangerous-bad-news-not-just-in-schools
What is the current situation?
From the Scottish Government in 2024:
Mitigations like reinforcements and monitoring have been implemented, with no immediate safety threats reported. The Scottish Government and NHS boards emphasize that while RAAC requires ongoing management—such as regular surveys, propping, or eventual removal—there is currently no evidence of imminent collapse in these hospitals. Remedial work is funded from existing budgets, with a national program guided by the Institution of Structural Engineers recommending risk-based actions like annual monitoring for stable panels. Unlike some English cases, no Scottish hospitals have been closed due to RAAC as of mid-2024, but the issue remains a priority for long-term eradication.
https://www.gov.scot/publications/raac-in-the-public-sector/pages/sector-responses/
Is the above because building regulations are more stringent in Scotland?
Yes, Scotland’s system is distinct, with a stronger emphasis on mandatory compliance with technical standards, whereas England’s Approved Documents are more advisory, allowing ‘flexibility.’ Grenfell would be an example of that ‘flexibility.’
Scotland requires a building warrant before construction begins, with local authorities verifying compliance at multiple stages. This pre-approval process is more rigorous than England’s, where private building control bodies can be used, potentially leading to inconsistencies. Grenfell would be an example of an ‘inconsistency.’
Scotland’s regulations place greater emphasis on climate resilience, such as designing for extreme weather (e.g., flooding, high winds) due to its harsher climate. This includes stricter drainage and structural requirements compared to England.
https://www.nicholsonnairn.co.uk/post/scottish-building-standards-vs-english-building-regulations
Does this apply to hospitals too?
Yes, building regulations in Scotland apply to hospitals, but they are subject to additional considerations due to their specialized nature. Scotland’s building regulations, governed by the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 and the Scottish Building Standards Technical Handbooks, apply to all new buildings, including healthcare facilities like hospitals, as well as extensions, conversions, and major refurbishments. However, hospitals face more stringent and tailored requirements compared to standard buildings due to their critical function, high occupancy, and specific operational needs.
Hospitals must meet Section 1 (Structure), with enhanced requirements for resilience against Scotland’s harsh weather (e.g., high winds, flooding). This includes robust drainage systems and structural integrity [keeping RAAC dry] to ensure continuous operation during extreme weather.
https://www.gov.scot/policies/building-standards/monitoring-improving-building-regulations/
Thus keeping the RAAC dry.
England has been aligning with some of Scotland’s standards (e.g., post-Grenfell cladding bans), but Scotland’s proactive updates and mandatory compliance keep it ahead.
Some of the above text is AI-generated (Grok).
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Reporting of Scotland’s superior building regs. has gone to RAAC and ruin ever since an SNP Government was elected .
If only we had stuck to the tried and failed Labour Party with its built-in ‘brown envelope ‘ culture or its massively profitable PFI scam ( but not for the public ) then we would have the full support of the MSM for any over-budget , shoddy , ramshackle construction built for the lowest tender by a friend ( wink wink !) of the local Labour Party coooncillor !
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‘Our research suggests that properly maintained Raac can easily last 50 years, and should be able to carry on for several decades after that.’
Proper maintenance? See this from the National Audit Office (January 22, 2025) on Westminster government’s neglect of its property portfolio, including NHS England’s estate. (https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/maintaining-public-service-facilities.pdf)
‘We calculated that the government’s maintenance backlog has increased steadily in recent years and is now at least £49 billion. This equates to approximately 4% of the government’s total expenditure in 2023-24, or around £710 for each person living in the UK (based on mid-2023 population estimates). The OGP has estimated that the actual cost of remediation (the real cost of repairs to improve property condition, rather than simply maintaining it) could be substantially higher, in some cases 10 times higher. MoD properties, schools and NHS properties have a backlog totalling more than £10 billion each and make up 88% of the total backlog.’ (OGP = Office of Government Property)
And: ‘The Department for Health & Social Care transferred £4.3 billion from its capital to revenue budget between 2014-15 and 2018-19, partly to prioritise day-to-day spending for NHS providers whose financial position had deteriorated. In November 2023, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee concluded that “the raiding of capital budgets in the recent past is an underlying cause of the estates crisis the NHS is now in”.
‘… between 2014-15 and 2023-24, NHS England’s backlog increased steadily, at an
average of £908 million per year (in 2023-24 real terms)‘ Elsewhere in the report (Figure 6) the NAO calculates that NHS England’s maintenance backlog has been increasing over this time by an average of 11% every year. From the NAO’s Figure 5 as of October 2024 the NHS England’s maintenance backlog was estimated to be £13.8 billion.
Of course, this considerable and long standing neglect of building maintenance for the NHS England estate coupled with the raiding of capital budgets to finance day-to-day spending within a financially struggling health and social care system in England, ALL will have had direct negative impact on the size of the so-called ‘Block Grant’ from the Westminster to the Scottish Government.
The contrast in agency is stark. From the NAO report we learn that Westminster/Whitehall has opted to neglect property maintenance, preferring to reducing spend from what is its largely unconstrained budgeting. But as the NHS is devolved, any Scottish Government concerned to meet basic property maintenance standards – and to avoid accumulating a huge maintenance backlog – has to vire funds from elsewhere in its largely fixed budget to make good what Westminster won’t!
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“Do you ever get fed up with me reporting how after 18 years without LabCons just about every public service in Scotland has been protected by the SNP”?
No. Why would we ?
However I , and I am sure also others, do get extremely “fed up with” much of the media in Scotland and also Labour UK and too their branch office in Scotland promoting how they regard the SNP as being very secretive and also scandal ridden while their leader at Labour HQ is now, yet again, under deserved scrutiny for his making , as in him “personally selecting” (against advice) a very dubious individual as the UK’s new US Ambassador…..as in Peter Mandelson………aka “Best Pal” of a known paedophile !
A non compromised Journalist (yes they do exist within the UK…though rare) Andrew Fisher who writes for the ‘I’ newspaper was interviewed on SKY News….he said this….
“Well I think he (Starmer) is under a lot of pressure and a lot more pressure on this particular one because he appointer Peter Mandelson, it was his (Starmer’s) personal choice to appoint him as US Ambassador. He was advised not to by people right across the political spectrum within the Labour party. You had Lord Glassman , whose very much on the right of the Labour party, blue Labour figure , saying he (Starmer) shouldn’t have appointed him. The Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell at the time , or former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell at the time was sating don’t appoint Peter Mandelson he’s a liability. Look it was known that Peter Mandelson had stayed in the house of Jeffrey Epstein after his conviction and was still in touch with him and phoning him and corresponding with him after his conviction for child sex crimes. Now that in itself should have prohibited any appointment. When you are appointed to a senior position , like an Ambassador, you go through some sort of vetting process , I don’t know the particulars for what it is for an Ambassador, but you will go through that process. There’s a series of questions asked, normally candidates are asked to disclose anything that might embarrass them. What was disclosed by Peter Mandelson ? What was known at the time ? Because Keir Starmer cannot say that he did not know about his (Mandelson’s) ongoing relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after his conviction , after his first conviction, and now we’ve learned that , obviously in a bit more detail of that, that’s certainly , I’m sure. some of the detail of that is new but it was known at the time and Journalists have tried to ask questions of Keir Starmer of this , tried to ask questions of this of Peter Mandelson on this and they have shut it down and now it has come back to bite them. So I think this is a much bigger case than the Angela Rayner case , which is a very complex personal situation which is quite unique I think most people would have struggled to get it right. This (Mandelson case) is a lot more serious and I think , you know the questions will be asked about what Keir Starmer knew, what advice he was given , why he appointed him in the first place and the details of that process that I think could rebound much more deeply on Keir Starmer than anything to do with Angela Rayner or any of the previous cases”.
Jackie Baillie once said in relation to the SNP that they were……….
“treating the public with contempt and attempting to stifle scrutiny” also that the SNP “presided over a culture of secrecy and cover up” and then also “the SNP the most scandal struck party in Scottish history”……….
Well after a succession of Labour scandals (where Labour HQ have only held office as the UK government for …..14 months….) now the latest Labour party scandal exposes the (very bad) judgement and the insanity in who was chosen , by the Labour PM, to be the new UK Ambassador to the US……while facts were known on who he, this new UK Ambassador to the US, had associated with………..as in he, Mandelson, maintained a relationship with …..as in he , Mandelson, continued associating with a man, Jeffrey Epstein, post that man’s convictions for sexual crimes against children.
It does not get any #Badder than that…..surely ?
Jackie and Anas now see that their constantly passing judgement upon others that they declare to be #BAD is now, as judgement, currently visiting their own political party….a succession of times….and unfortunately for them it is judging things to not just be #BAD but be very very very much a case of #LabourBad.
( I would disagree with Andrew Fisher on Angela Rayner though…..as someone in her position would have had access to excellent legal advise that you and I would have probably been unable to access….and someone in her elevated position should really have checked this out…..or suffer the consequences she has now suffered due to her failing to undertake due diligence…..and she too has also passed judgement upon the SNP…..hypocrisy seems a essential requirement for Labour politicians….based upon the evidence of the double standards that they seem to often apply to themselves compared to how judgemental they are towards ‘others’ aka in Scotland as being the SNP).
…………I do agree with Andrew Fisher though when he was asked “whether Starmer would lead the party into the next UK GE” and he said “No”.
(Pity more people last year in Scotland had also not said “No to Labour” in the 2024 UK GE………but they did not….so now look at what they got for their (wasted) vote).
Vote Labour and get………
“Catastrophe” , “fiascos” and “Scandals” and of course also extremely “controversial” decisions …….or at least that’s the political ‘take’ that we hear (too often) and read about from the BBC in Scotland……but usually reserved for the SNP alone…..
Liz S
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Liz
I’m taking a break from this Sunday till the next so won’t be able to repost things like the above.
John
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Hey no need to repost anything at all by me, I like all others on here, am just happy to keep adding my tuppence worth aka comments onto your fab articles…..
Have a well deserved and chilled out break…..
Liz S
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l have a fever and the only thing that helps that fever is my daily dose of “ Talking up Scotland “.
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I hear John plays a mean cowbell 😁
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Fascinating
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I shall never, ever, ever, get fed up reading or listening to your content analysis. I am continually amazed at the bias, spin and lies that Scottish media produce. Even though, I know, that the only purpose of the BBC is to promote “Britain” within Geo-Politics.
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