Patients could be "at risk" at a Stockport hospital where the repair bill has climbed to more than £130 million, an MP has claimed.

Cheadle MP Tom Morrison said the growing number of problems at Stepping Hill Hospital are leading to worse services and hurting staff morale. The former Lib Dem councillor has urged the government to rethink its decision to rule out providing funds for the site, after research revealed thousands of patients at the hospital are facing waits of longer than 12 hours.

According to data from the House of Commons Library, 9,535 people waited for more than 12 hours for treatment at Stepping Hill between January and September this year, which Mr Morrison said shows the "urgent" need to tackle the problems at the hospital.

"There is no doubt that the issues at Stepping Hill are actively leading to greater wasting lists, whilst also lowering staff morale and putting patients at risk," he added. "The government must urgently rethink its decision to not fund Stepping Hill repairs. The state of Stepping Hill hospital is the biggest issue that comes up on the doorstep, with residents across Stockport crying out for action.

"Large parts of Stepping Hill are older than the NHS itself, and it's time the government finally funded the hospital, and give Stockport residents the world class health facility it deserves."

The hospital, which dates back to 1905, has faced a number of major issues in the past year, with its Outpatients B department having to be demolished, and reports of flooded corridors and collapsing ceilings in some buildings.

Cheadle MP Tom Morrison (Image supplied)

Repair costs were thought to be around £90m in 2021, but this has since spiralled and is expected to continue to get worse.

Stockport council leader Mark Hunter has also sounded the alarm over the state of the hospital facilities, calling for urgent action from the government.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "Whilst we understand the financial and public service mess Labour have inherited from the recent Tory governments, it cannot be right that our hardworking NHS nurses and doctors have to try to treat sick and vulnerable patients in buildings that are literally falling down.

"The management of the [Stockport NHS] Foundation Trust have a plan of what needs to be done. They just need the funding.

"I join with my Lib Dem colleagues, local MPs Lisa Smart and Tom Morrison, in calling for the government to think again and urgently to find the money needed to repair our hospital and keep these vital services open."

Bosses at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust said problems with the estate are "increasing," warning that it has impacted services and will continue to do so without investment.

(Image - Alasdair Perry)

The Trust told the LDRS that the estate is "ageing," with many of the buildings at the site now over 50 years old.

A spokesperson added: "This is now resulting in an increasing number of estates problems, which have impacted on our services, and are likely to continue to do so.

"Our ambition remains to obtain funding to replace some of our old building stock, which would enable us to provide our services, and the care our local population needs from a modern setting which is fit for the future."

The issues at the hospital affect residents across Stockport and beyond, with around half a million people being seen at the hospital each year, and the Trust employing more than 6,000 members of staff in total.

The LDRS asked the department for Health and Social Care whether Stepping Hill would get the funding it needs.

A government spokesperson said: "We have inherited a broken NHS, with many hospitals in a state of disrepair, meaning patients have not been able to access the care they so desperately need.

"Repairing and rebuilding our crumbling hospital estate is a vital part of our ambition to create an NHS that is fit for the future through our 10-Year Health Plan.

"We recognise the importance of strategic, value-for-money capital investments to get the NHS back on its feet.

"As well as vital reform, we will ensure the NHS has the funding it needs as we build a health service fit for the future."

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