We are mindful that there has been a lot of speculation recently about the possible location for the new Frimley Park Hospital. Following Surrey Heath Borough Council's publication of a letter to Frimley Health from Leader of the Council Shaun Macdonald, the trust has provided the following response:

Dear Shaun

Thank you for your letter of 22 December 2025, issued following the Surrey Heath Borough Council resolution of 10 December 2025.

We recognise the importance of public confidence in decisions relating to the future of Frimley Park Hospital. However, we are concerned that the resolution and the accompanying correspondence present an incomplete and, in several respects, misleading characterisation of the work undertaken by the Trust and its partners to date. It is therefore important to clarify the position and correct the public record.

National New Hospital Programme

Frimley Park Hospital joined the national New Hospital Programme (NHP) in May 2023. This was due to concerns about the degradation and longevity of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) beams that make up most of the main building. Frimley Park Hospital is one of seven wholly built RAAC hospitals in the country and is a priority for NHP.

There are extensive remediation works in place to reduce the risk of RAAC plank collapse, and a recent Mott MacDonald report commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care highlighted that while the hospitals can remain open beyond 2030 as a result of the RAAC remediation programme, the need to deliver the replacement hospitals for those with RAAC as soon as is feasibly possible remains.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has responsibility for the overall new hospital programme, with NHS England playing a central delivery and assurance role, supported by the New Hospital Programmes Health Delivery Partner. HM Treasury oversees the financial and economic governance of the programme. We work closely with colleagues from all the above to deliver for our local populations.

Strategic Outline Case

We have followed an extensive, comprehensive and rigorous process in line with the HM Treasury Green Book process to complete our Strategic Outline Case (SOC). The SOC is the first of three formal business cases required for approval of a new Frimley Park Hospital.

After extensive review and assessment of a range of options, we have determined our preferred way forward for the provision of Frimley Park Hospital services in the future. This is for services to be provided across several sites in the future; a main site, the use of some retained estate (non-RAAC) on the current site and the use of future Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) and Neighbourhood Health hubs. This is in line with the NHS 10-year plan, the government’s three strategic shifts for the NHS and one of the key priorities in our clinical strategy to provide care as close to home as possible.

Under the preferred way forward, the new main site will house the Emergency Department, maternity services, intensive care and all acute inpatient wards. Much of the outpatient activity, planned diagnostics and minor procedures will not be provided on the main site, but from the modern non-RAAC estate on the current site and from a new CDC and neighbourhood health hubs, ensuring as much care as possible is provided as close as possible to those needing it.

The SOC is currently in the approvals process with the national teams, and if approved, this option, plus 3 other options (do minimum, current existing site, new site only) will be carried forward to be developed in more detail in our Outline Business Case.

Whilst the SOC is site agnostic, we have been running a parallel process to determine the preferred site for an offsite option. During late 2023 and early 2024 we undertook a public discussion and engagement process, where nearly 3,400 patients, local residents, partners, stakeholders and NHS colleagues had their say on what was most important for them in terms of the site for a new Frimley Park Hospital. This was in addition to gathering the views of 650 people who attended a range of listening events.

The output of this informed the evaluation criteria.

Site selection process

The Trust has followed a rigorous, structured and fully compliant site selection process in line with HM Treasury Green Book requirements, Cabinet Office guidance and national NHS estate code guidance. Our process has been discussed widely with the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) and has also been independently reviewed and assured by the New Hospital Programme delivery team.

In August 2025, NHP commissioned an independent viability review of the top 4 ranking sites from the site selection process, with two of the criteria hurdles in our original selection criteria removed. This came to the same conclusion on the preferred site. A final decision will be subject to the usual business case process, as set out in the HM Treasury Green Book, and will require approval through the DHSC.

The implication that the Trust has failed to earnestly consider alternatives to relocation is incorrect. A wide range of options has been assessed over several years through formal longlisting and shortlisting. This includes eighteen sites in total within a 5-mile radius of the current site, as well as multiple town centre and brownfield options (including those suggested by you and Surrey Heath Borough councillors), and repeated reassessment of the existing Frimley Park Hospital site itself.

No site is without compromise. No site will be a perfect option and fulfil all criteria. This cannot be a barrier to delivering a much needed new hospital for the residents of Surrey Heath and the populations of Farnham, north east Hampshire and south east Berkshire that we serve.

We are agreed that a new hospital is essential and the risks associated with RAAC mean a decision on a preferred way forward (new site and retained site) must be made this year to avoid the risk of losing services in the future from a building that is no longer fit for purpose. We have therefore sought the best option available that remains local, is affordable, is available and where we can work with local people and organisations to ensure access, transport and amenity is integrated into our planning and development.

Existing site viability

The existing Frimley Park hospital site has been reassessed in detail between Autumn 2024 and Spring 2025, and again in Autumn 2025, including a thorough independent viability and constructability review. Each assessment reached the same conclusion: that a full modern acute hospital cannot be delivered on the existing site without very high levels of risk to patient safety, live hospital operations, programme delivery and cost.

These conclusions are evidence based. They are not matters of preference or convenience. However, our plans for the preferred way forward, do involve retaining the parts of the existing site that are new and fit for purpose so that we can extend the range of services we provide, diffuse journeys across the sites and ensure the significant recent investment made in the local NHS at Frimley Park Hospital continues to deliver services for local people.

Existing site and Ministry of Defence land

Your letter suggests that a phased rebuild on the existing site, potentially including adjacent Ministry of Defence (MoD) land, has not been properly or independently explored. This is not the case.

The Trust has undertaken detailed work on phased redevelopment options, including a complete design with architects and experts up to RIBA 1 on a complete rebuild of the whole hospital. This work has also included engagement with the MoD at national level regarding potential temporary or partial use of adjacent land. That work identified significant and prohibitive challenges, including security constraints, protected features, access limitations, construction logistics and the inability to safely maintain clinical services at the required scale during build.

These findings have been shared previously with stakeholders. Both you and Dr Al Pinkerton MP are aware that this work has been undertaken and of the conclusions reached and have been briefed about this.

The presence of recent capital investment on the existing site does not alter these constraints. The issue is not the lack of a ‘can do’ approach, but whether it can safely, credibly and affordably accommodate a full future hospital. In addition to the delivery and operational challenges already identified, discussions with Surrey Heath Borough Council’s Planning service have made clear that it would be very unlikely for a single-phase redevelopment of the existing site to secure planning permission.

Modern acute hospital designs require a site of approximately twice the size of the existing Frimley Park Hospital footprint, to meet clinical adjacencies, building massing, servicing, access, resilience and future expansion requirements. The evidence therefore shows that the existing site cannot realistically accommodate a compliant future hospital.

Transparency and publication of scoring

The Trust is committed to transparency but must also protect value for money and comply with legal and commercial obligations. The detailed scoring requested by you, is, as we have discussed, commercially sensitive and much is subject to non-disclosure agreements with landowners. Publishing this material at this stage would risk prejudicing land negotiations and exposing the public purse to avoidable cost.

Withholding detailed scoring information does not equate to a lack of transparency. We will continue to clearly explain the criteria, principles and assurance underpinning decisions, but we will not publish material that would undermine the programme or the taxpayer.

As you are aware, identifying a preferred way forward and a preferred site, does not represent a final decision. There will be significant opportunities for full public discussion. We have committed to a robust public engagement programme for local people and there is an independent planning consultation and application process, led by your council’s officials.

Transport and access

I recognise and acknowledge that you and Dr Al Pinkerton MP have concerns around potential access to any new site, potential traffic congestion and the requirement for enhanced public transport. We do too, and the public also shared these concerns from our public engagement. Access to and from the current site is a well discussed and documented problem.

The planning process will explore these issues thoroughly and identify any additional access and transport infrastructure needs to a new site. This planning process for the preferred site, would be run by Surrey Health Borough Council colleagues, and we have discussed a number of times that we would like to work together with both you and Surrey County Council colleagues to address any transport and infrastructure needs that the planning process identifies, including public transport provision and upgrades or alternations to the local road network.

Car parking has also been discussed as a concern between us, and we have outlined to you that our plans for any new site will provide enough parking for staff, patients and visitors. Car parking is a well discussed and documented problem with the current site, which we have improved in part recently, through changes to the patient and visitor car park at the front of the site.

Next steps

The next steps for our programme during 2026 are for the SOC to be approved by national colleagues as well as a short-form outline business case for the land. Ongoing monitoring of local land opportunities will continue and there will be a planning application submitted post planning consultation. This will all run alongside an extensive public engagement programme on hospital and out of hospital services into the future.

In parallel we will develop our Outline Business Case, with an expectation of planning determination and decision in 2027/28, before submission of our OBC and a business case for any potential acquisition of land. Full Business Case submission and approval and the start of building continue to be planned for 2028/29, to enable us to get out of the RAAC accommodation as soon as possible.

Public narrative and working together

We are increasingly concerned that the debate is becoming framed around selective information rather than the full body of evidence. That is not in the interests of patients, hospital colleagues or local residents.

The Trust has a statutory responsibility to deliver a safe, future-proof hospital that can serve the population for decades. That responsibility requires us to be clear when options have been robustly assessed and ruled out, even where this is politically inconvenient.

We remain open to constructive engagement with Surrey Heath Borough Council but are disappointed by public comments that cast doubt on the integrity, ethics, motivation and probity of Trust staff and Board members. Any concerns regarding wrongdoing should be raised through appropriate channels and supported by evidence, so as not to unnecessarily and incorrectly undermine trust and confidence in Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust or the wider NHS.

We will ensure that the public record accurately reflects the work undertaken, the independent assurance received, and the reasons why certain options are not viable.

We welcome future discussions grounded in evidence base and a shared commitment to factual accuracy as we strive to achieve our ambition of ensuring world class health care continues to be provided to our local populations in world class facilities.

Yours sincerely

Lance McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer

Bryan Ingleby, Chair of the Board of Directors and Council of Governors