Surrey’s Liberal Democrat MPs have raised alarm over patient safety in the county after the start of construction at Frimley Park Hospital was postponed.

Will Forster, the Liberal Democrat MP for Woking, condemned the Government following the announcement that the redevelopment of Frimley Park Hospital will now be delayed until 2028/9.

Will Forster, Woking MP
Will Forster, MP for Woking, has expressed concern about the delay to the rebuild of Frimley Park Hospital. (Submitted)

The rebuild was first planned in 2023 due to the presence of deteriorating reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) beams, which affect 65 percent of the hospital’s infrastructure.

Mr Forster said: “Frimley Park Hospital is a vital local service for Woking residents. I was even born there. It's a disgrace that the redevelopment of it has been pushed back even further. We deserve better.”

The project had originally been promised by former prime minister Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party, with plans to begin construction in 2025 and complete the new building by 2030.

However, the Labour health secretary Wes Streeting recently announced that the initial construction phase will now be postponed until 2028 at the earliest, with no clear timeline for completion.

Dr Al Pinkerton, the Liberal Democrat MP for Surrey Heath, joined Mr Forster in condemning the delay, warning that patients in the area had been “desperately let down.” He emphasised that the ongoing issues with the hospital’s infrastructure were putting patients at risk.

Dr Pinkerton outside the Houses of Parliament
Surrey Heath MP Dr Al Pinkerton outside the Houses of Parliament. (Al Pinkerton)

“Patient safety here in Surrey Heath is at risk and we have been desperately let down,” Dr Pinkerton said.

“We simply can’t wait any longer for Frimley Park Hospital to be rescued. The Conservatives broke their word to our community, and now this government has kicked the issue into the long grass.”

The MPs also called for the Government to immediately release its impact assessment on how the delays will affect patients and what risks they face without the new building in place.

Dr Pinkerton added: “The health secretary must immediately publish the impact assessment of what the delays to completing Frimley Park Hospital will mean for people here in Surrey Heath and how much longer we will have to suffer with not fit-for-purpose local health services.”

“I will continue fighting for our community day in and day out until we get the commitments we need.”