Local MP Secures Major Victory as Harrogate Hospital Finally Gets Funding to Remove RAAC

Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, is celebrating a major victory following years of tireless campaigning, as Harrogate District Hospital has now secured the full funding it needs to remove remaining Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and invest in new facilities.

This marks the success of a long-standing Liberal Democrat campaign led by Tom, who made securing investment for Harrogate Hospital a top priority well before entering Parliament. From raising the alarm early about the risks of RAAC to holding Ministers’ feet to the fire in Parliament, Tom has worked relentlessly to get the hospital the backing it urgently needed.

Years before being elected as MP, Tom launched a public petition calling for action, which gathered hundreds of signatures from concerned local residents and was handed directly to the Department for Health. He secured national backing too – ensuring that Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey and MP Richard Foord raised the issue of RAAC in Harrogate in the last Parliament, at a time when the previous Conservative MP had yet to mention it parliament.

Since being elected, Tom has left no stone unturned: raising questions in Parliament, writing directly to the new Health Secretary Wes Streeting, speaking with ministers, and pressing the case both publicly and behind the scenes to ensure Harrogate’s voice was heard loud and clear.

Just last month, during the Government’s Spending Review, Tom challenged Ministers over the absence of detail on which NHS hospitals would benefit from newly announced RAAC funding – calling out the omission of Harrogate and demanding urgent clarity from the Health and Social Care Minister. Days later, confirmation came through that the final tranche of funding – £14 million – would be allocated to Harrogate.

The Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has now confirmed to Tom that the funding has arrived. It will go toward essential estates works, including the full removal of RAAC across the hospital site. Crucially, the same funding will also help deliver new facilities, including support for the development of the Day Case Surgery and Imaging Centre – a major investment in the future of healthcare in the district.

Commenting, Tom Gordon MP said:

“This is a huge moment for Harrogate Hospital – and I’m proud to have played a leading role in making it happen.

“Before I was elected, I campaigned to get our hospital the investment it needed. Now I’m delivering that change in Parliament. This has been a sustained fight over several years – but I never gave up, because our communities deserve a safe, modern, fully-funded hospital.

“From launching a petition and delivering it to the Department for Health, to securing support from Liberal Democrat colleagues in the last Parliament, and since then raising the issue time and time again in Westminster – I’ve worked relentlessly to get Harrogate the funding it needs.

“The £14 million now secured will allow the removal of RAAC from the hospital estate – and help fund brand new facilities, including a much-needed Day Case Surgery and Imaging Centre. This is a win for staff, patients, and our entire community.

“I’ll keep fighting for the investment our area needs and deserves, so our local NHS can thrive for years to come.”

ENDS