By 2025, the Department had already spent £500 million on maintenance and mitigations for RAAC hospitals to ensure patient and staff safety.20 The Department told us it now planned to give NHS trusts with RAAC hospitals a further £440 million to pay for maintenance until the replacement hospitals are finished.21 Written evidence we received highlighted that maintenance work on RAAC hospitals reduces risk but cannot remove it where RAAC planks are inaccessible.22 Between 1% and 6% of RAAC planks are inaccessible at each hospital built from RAAC.23