Hospital bosses defend cladding progress

Bosses at Hull Royal Infirmary have yet to strip cladding from the main building but say they are "still on track" to do so, a year after being told it does not meet fire safety laws.

The BBC understands the NHS Humber Health Partnership (HHP), which runs the hospital, has not yet signed up a contractor to carry out the work.

Insulation and cladding on the 13-storey tower block do not comply with rules introduced in 2022 after the Grenfell fire inquiry.

HHP said despite the lack of scaffolding, it was on track to finish the work within the timescale agreed with Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, but "a significant amount of planning" was required to avoid affecting patient care.

The BBC asked when work to remove the cladding would begin, but was not offered a date.

However, a spokesperson for HHP said "extensive surveys" had been carried out and a design team appointed.

HHP was continuing to "work closely" with the fire service and had "extensive measures in place" to ensure the safety and wellbeing of patients, staff and visitors.

The spokesperson said the group was seeking funding for the work and was "in ongoing dialogue with NHS England", as well as applying to the £750m-a-year NHS Estates Safety Fund.

In September 2025, the group's director of estates said the work was likely to take about 20 months.

The HHP spokesperson said: "While you may not have seen scaffolding going up or construction workers on site, we have made significant progress in the last 12 months, working hard behind the scenes.

"Programmes of this scale, working in a live hospital environment, take a significant amount of planning and development to ensure patient care is not adversely impacted while the works are being carried out."

In July 2025, the fire service issued an enforcement notice, a document usually served when there are concerns about fire safety.

It legally requires HHP to upgrade the cladding and insulation and to take precautions to ensure the safety of employees and the premises until building work is completed.

The fire service said it had continued to monitor the hospital trust's plans and review its interim fire safety measures. A spokesperson said public safety remained the priority and the service was in regular contact with the hospital.

"Further inspections have been carried out to ensure appropriate controls are in place to manage fire risk and support the safety of patients, staff and visitors," the fire service spokesperson added.

The cladding and insulation were fitted on the hospital's tower block in 2013 and 2014.

They complied with building regulations at the time, but the combination of materials did not meet the requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022, a law brought in after the Grenfell tragedy.

Seventy-two people were killed in June 2017 when a fire ripped through the high-rise block of flats in London.

In September last year, Tom Myers, HHP's group director of estates, facilities and development, said the work would take about 20 months to complete.

He said that although the building does not meet current standards, it "continues to be safe", with 600 fire wardens and "one of the best fire alarm systems".