A modern, purpose-built pathology facility is set to replace Scarborough General Hospital’s ageing and increasingly unsafe building, addressing urgent issues caused by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
The new design by P+HS Architects will transform clinical capacity on site while supporting sustainability and efficiency.
The three storey, 2,600 square metre building will house a 24/7 laboratory service on the ground floor, including clinical biochemistry, haematology, blood transfusion, point-of-care testing, and molecular diagnostics, alongside office, seminar, and staff spaces.
The first floor will provide ophthalmology and outpatient services, with consultation and treatment rooms, offices, and supporting facilities. The second floor will primarily contain internal plant space with external plant screening, and a rooftop solar array will support the Trust’s sustainability objectives.
The development will occupy a currently vacant site that previously hosted a construction compound and, prior to its relocation, the hospital’s helipad. Council officers confirmed that no alternative site, including York Hospital, could accommodate the required service relocation. Approval has also been granted for the demolition of the link bridge connecting the now defunct pathology building to the hospital’s northern wing as part of the wider redevelopment scheme.
RAAC was discovered in the pathology department in 2023, with staff relocated to other parts of the hospital.
The new facility will allow existing services to continue operating without increasing staff numbers, patient activity, visitor levels, or traffic on the hospital site, part of York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
North Yorkshire Council stated: “The proposal represents a sustainable development providing enhanced healthcare facilities within the existing hospital estate,” noting that the design is appropriate and would not adversely affect surrounding amenities.