Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, which governs Royal Bolton Hospital, faces a bill of almost £80m to fix all of its infrastructure issues after the figure more than doubled in a year.

The cost was revealed as it was announced a bid to build a new modern hospital on the ageing Farnworth site had been rejected.

The backlog increased from £34m in 2022 to £80m 12 months later in one of the largest percentage increases (134 per cent) in the country.

The total is split into four risk ratings – low-risk, moderate-risk, significant-risk and high-risk – with the highest risk rating referring to infrastructure issues which must be addressed as soon as possible to avoid disruption.

At Bolton NHS Foundation Trust around 12 per cent are high-risk issues but the bulk of them, around 48 per cent, are moderate-risk issues.

The Bolton News: The figures for Bolton NHS Foundation Trust

Its Finance Director, Annette Walker, said one of the largest percentage rises in the country was a result of the age of the estate and inflation.

There was no mention of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) but this was discovered at Royal Bolton at the end of last year and after the period discussed in the research by the BBC Shared Data Unit.

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Ms Walker said: "We are really committed to making sure that our buildings and facilities are the best they can possibly be for our patients. 

"While we are still able to provide safe and effective care, this can be a challenge due to our ageing estate, some of which dates back to Victorian Times. 

The Bolton News: Annette Walker

"In recent years, the cost of maintaining and repairing our buildings has increased significantly due to inflation and the rising costs of materials and labour. 

"We were unsuccessful in our attempt to gain some funding for a new hospital but we have continued with alternative plans to move ahead with a number of improvements to our estate, so that our hospital is the best it can possibly be for those who need it."

ALSO READ: Bolton NHS Trust apologises for second Never Event.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust put in an application for government funding for a new building on the site of Royal Bolton Hospital on Minerva Road, Farnworth.

The hospital was hoping to secure a slice of the Government’s Health Infrastructure Plan funding, billed as the ‘biggest boldest, hospital building programme in a generation’.

The Trust's bid was for more than £100m to be spent on a ‘new flagship build on the Royal Bolton site’ to help rejuvenate the hospital's ‘ageing estate’.

The new hospital building would have be sited next to the maternity unit and will house maternity, neonatal, gynaecology and breast services.

The trust said it was notified it had been unsuccessful in the New Hospital Bid, "which was disappointing but not unexpected, given the financial climate. The organisation will consider alternatives funding streams are available".

In England the NHS faces a bill of almost £10 billion to fix all of its infrastructure issues, £2 billion of which are high-risk issues.

These figures include acute hospitals alone and these figures are higher if other hospitals, such as specialist units, are included.

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

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

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.