Campaigners will be kicking cans down the road to highlight the government doing the same over replacing a crumbling hospital.

Time is running out for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in King's Lynn, which experts say will be unsafe to use by 2030.

The QEH, whose roof is held up by more than 3,000 props, is still waiting to hear whether it will be given a go-ahead for a rebuild on what is currently its car park.

Jo Rust, from the King's Lynn Trades Council, said campaigners would be kicking cans from the hospital to the Gaywood Conservative Club, on Gayton Road, on January 25 to highlight lack of progress instead of their usual Wednesday protest outside the hospital.

Eastern Daily Press: Jo Rust (left) with campaigners outside the hospital including North West Norfolk MP James Wild (centre) Jo Rust (left) with campaigners outside the hospital including North West Norfolk MP James Wild (centre) (Image: Jo Rust)

"Campaigners will be kicking a can down the road to the local Conservative Club, as this is what the Tory government have effectively done for the last year in respect of their failure to make an announcement about the funding of a new QEH," she said.

On Saturday, February 4, campaigners will have a stall in Wisbech Market Place with letters supporters can sign which will be delivered to the office of North East Cambridgeshire MP and Health Secretary Steve Barclay.

The following Saturday, they will be in King’s Lynn town centre asking residents to sign a valentines card to Lord Markham, the minister in charge of the New Hospitals Programme. 

"The decision about which hospitals will be funded for a rebuild has been delayed time and time again," said Ms Rust."

"But time is running out for the QEH, which must have a new building up and running by 2030 if we don’t want to lose services there."

A decision was hinted at two or three times in the Autumn but never materialised.

Before Christmas, NHS sources and politicians both said it would be early in the New Year.