The findings come as the Lib Dems warned the repair bill for projects delayed under the New Hospital Programme (NHP) could cost £6bn by the launch of construction.

According to the poll, 30% said they were not sure if their hospital was safe.

Of those who felt their local hospital building was not safe, 34% said it was because they feared the power going off and 32% that the heating would fail.

Over a quarter thought the roof might collapse (27%) and another quarter that there might be a rodent/insect infestation (26%). A further 20% of people feared there might be a sewage leak or flooding.

In further research, the Lib Dems said delays to hospitals under the NHP could cost £6bn in repair bills.

The Lib Dems said if the repair backlog continued to increase by an average of 10.5% as it has done since the launch of the programme in 2019 it will reach £5.7bn by the earliest construction dates in each phase of the delayed programme (2032, 2035, 2037), up from the £2.1bn currently, a rise of £3.5bn.

Liberal Democrat health and social care spokesperson, Helen Morgan, called for ministers to create a dedicated taskforce to drive urgent repairs and safeguard patients.

‘Communities are being forced to put up with ramshackle hospital buildings, utterly unfit for purpose, for years longer than they were promised. It is a complete disgrace,' Morgan said.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to bring the delayed construction dates of the projects on the New Hospital Programme forward. The party said the Government should create a ‘crumbling hospitals taskforce' to protect patients from the deteriorating NHS estate and drive forward the New Hospital Programme.