Hospitals in Cornwall require £78.5 million pounds to clear maintenance backlogs according to the latest data released by NHS England.

The data has revealed the extent of the backlog bill in Cornwall’s hospitals – with the vast majority of the money needed to bring maintenance at Cornwall’s main hospital, the Royal Cornwall Hospital, up to scratch.

Out of the £78,598,935 required to eradicate all the backlogs in maintenance, categorised in four categories based on risk; namely low risk, moderate risk, significant risk and high risk, work to the Royal Cornwall Hospital requires £77,303,810 of investment.

This comprises £49,073 to eradicate all high-risk maintenance backlogs, while £31,479,691 is required to cover significant risk backlogs, £39,363,120 for moderate risk backlogs and £6,411,926 to clear low risk backlogs.

The majority of Cornwall’s community hospitals and clinics, operated by Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, had no reported backlog in maintenance, according to the figures, although to bring all buildings up to date would require £1,295,125.

The largest of the maintenance backlogs is attributed to the Banham House building in Bodmin requiring £206,807 of work, of which £23,250 was low risk backlog, £63,424 representing moderate risk backlog and £120,133 of work required to eradicate significant risk backlog.

Additionally, the Kernow building, in Redruth, is reported to require £750 to clear the significant risk maintenance backlog, £1,750 to clear moderate risk backlog and £5,600 to clear the low-risk backlog, a total of £8,100.

Other buildings operated by Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust requiring maintenance includes Bolitho Hospital, which requires £243,420 of maintenance, of which £1,200 is high risk, Trevillis which requires £138,738 of work of which £4,992 is high risk, and £698,060 for other reportable sites, of which £1,500 is high risk.

Liberal Democrat Deputy Group Leader and Cornwall Councillor for Bodmin St Petroc, Cllr Leigh Frost said: "The government has let our Duchy's hospitals fall apart. The backlog of repairs is putting the patients and staff in Cornwall at risk. It is completely unacceptable and utterly disgraceful that it has been allowed to come to this.

"People in Cornwall deserve to know that they can go and get the treatment they need in a safe environment. Not having to worry that they are being treated in a place that is collapsing around them. The Conservative party cannot be trusted with our NHS and cannot even be trusted to ensure the basic safety of staff and patients. Their neglect of our local health services is unforgivable."

A spokesperson for the Department for Health and Social Care said: “We have invested significant sums to upgrade and modernise NHS buildings so staff have the facilities needed to provide world-class care for patients, including £4.2 billion this financial year.

“Trusts are responsible for prioritising this funding to maintain and refurbish their premises, including the renewal and replacement of equipment.

“This is on top of the £3.7 billion made available for the first four years of the New Hospital Programme and a further £1.7 billion for over 70 hospital upgrades across England alongside a range of nationally funded infrastructure improvements in mental health, urgent and emergency care and diagnostic capacity.”

ROYAL CORNWALL HOSPITALS NHS TRUST

Cost to eradicate high risk backlog: £49,073.

Cost to eradicate significant risk backlog: £31,479,691.

Cost to eradicate moderate risk backlog: £39,363,120.

Cost to eradicate low risk backlog: £6,411,926.

Total: £77,303,810

CORNWALL PARTNERSHIP NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

Cost to eradicate high risk backlog: £7,692.

Cost to eradicate significant risk backlog: £358,487.

Cost to eradicate moderate risk backlog: £618,879.

Cost to eradicate low risk backlog: £310,067.

Total: £1,295,125

ROYAL CORNWALL HOSPITAL

Cost to eradicate high risk backlog: £0.

Cost to eradicate significant risk backlog: £28,044,444.

Cost to eradicate moderate risk backlog: £37,843,697.

Cost to eradicate low risk backlog: £4,784,783.

Total: £70,672,924

WEST CORNWALL HOSPITAL

Cost to eradicate high risk backlog: £0.

Cost to eradicate significant risk backlog: £385,468.

Cost to eradicate moderate risk backlog: £875,534.

Cost to eradicate low risk backlog: £773,747.