King's Lynn: Decision over hospital now due in New Year

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital at King's Lynn has thousands of props supporting its sagging concrete roof planks.

The 500-bed hospital, built with an expected working life of 30 years in the late 1970s, is still in operation more than four decades later and was not included in a list of 40 hospital rebuilds announced in 2019.

Some of the props and timbers holding up the roof at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn (Image: Chris Bishop)

Hopes are high it will be one of a further eight re-builds, which were originally due to be announced in the spring, and there had been speculation that an announcement could be imminent.

However, NHS leaders have now been told to expect an announcement in the New Year at an 'industry day' for those whose schemes have already been approved and contractors hoping to tender for the work.

Lord Markham, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State with responsibility for the new hospitals programme, said sites such as the QEH which were built from reinforced concrete planks would be integrated into the programme and a decision was expected in early 2023 when the timetable would be set out.

Alice Webster, acting chief executive at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn (Image: Newsquest)

Alice Webster, acting chief executive at the QEH, said: “We understand that a decision on QEH being added to the government’s new hospital programme will be announced in early 2023.

"We continue to do all we can to press our case for a new hospital, which is extremely strong, and very much hope we can bring good news about the future of our hospital early next year.”

King's Lynn Trades Council members will be travelling to health secretary Steve Barclay's office in the town of March on Saturday with a giant Christmas Card signed by hundreds of worried residents.

It calls for the North East Cambridgeshire MP to give west Norfolk the Christmas present it so badly needs. 

Jo Rust (left) with campaigners from the King's Lynn Trades Council and North West Norfolk MP James Wild (fourth from right) outside the QEH (Image: Jo Rust)

Trades council secretary Jo Rust said: “We’ve faced an unacceptable and unjustifiable delay to the announcement about the funding of the new hospitals.  There is just no excuse for further delays."

On Tuesday, Norfolk county councillors agreed a motion calling for the government to place the QEH on the list.

Councillor Alexandra Kemp, who proposed it, said: "The QEH rebuild is the most important infrastructure West Norfolk needs, for the health of the local community, for the safety of staff and patients, for skills, jobs, innovation and the sustainability of the local economy."