When English Heritage paid a recent visit to St Margaret's Hospital, Swindon, they 'threw up their hands in horror', admits Ian Keeber, the trust's public relations officer.

In 1960, the hospital, designed by architects Powell and Moya, had been heralded by Architects' Journal 'as a distinguished building' and 'of quite exceptional interest, being the first phase of the first new, large, general hospital to be finished'.

Early photos showed spectacular window views across open countryside, roof gardens, an ornamental pool and a mosaic courtyard.

In 1965, the Architectural Review reported, 'it is a measure of the popularity of this most distinguished building that it is not unknown for people to visit for a Sunday afternoon's outing'.

Today, it is a different story.

Mr Keeber explains that the roof gardens were 'grassed over' because they leaked, courtyards have been built into and the mosaic floor was covered over because it was 'impractical'. Due to 'concrete cancer', big chunks of concrete cladding are falling off. 'The building hasn't been properly maintained from day one,' he admits.

The large windows make the rooms 'either freezing or boiling hot', and those on the top floors 'rattle and bow in' alarmingly. Last June one fell out onto a patient, and in August the trust was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive for a general breach of regulations. The wards are unsuitable for modern nursing, he adds, and the layout can't change because of concrete dividing walls.

The trust now wants to demolish the building and sell the site, to make way for a new hospital under the private finance initiative.

'We're telling people we've got a great design,' says Mr Keeber. He pauses. 'But I wonder how daft that's going to look in 30 years' time.'