Rebuild of Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn is back on track
King’s Lynn’s hospital rebuild looks to be back on track after the Health Secretary announced it is “out of scope” of a review.
A rebuild of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital - which serves much of Fenland - was put on hold in July after the Labour Government ordered a review into the New Hospitals Programme.
This led to widespread concerns across Fenland and West Norfolk, with the Save the QEH campaign group reforming to call for a decision to be made as quickly as possible.
And today, in a letter to North West Norfolk MP James Wild and other MPs regarding the review of the New Hospitals Programme, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said the QEH will be out of scope of this review due to the urgency with which work must proceed.
He has announced that rebuilds of seven critical hospitals with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) “will proceed at pace due to the substantive safety risks associated with these”.
Mr Streeting said these “need to be replaced as a priority, to protect patient and staff safety”.
Mr Wild said: “It is very welcome news for patients and NHS staff that the Government has listened to the concerns about QEH and finally agreed this scheme will proceed at pace so we have the new hospital we need.
“I’ll continue working with the QEH Trust and others to ensure we have the new hospital by 2030 for our community.”
The current building has at least 4,394 steel and timber support props in 56 areas holding up its roof – making it the most propped-up in the country.
A 2030 deadline has been set for a rebuild, as it is the year when the current premises will no longer be safe to use.
It was put on hold a few months ago as Chancellor Rachel Reeves sought to plug a public spending “black hole” of around £20billion.
Terry Jermy, the South West Norfolk MP, said: “I was clear during the election campaign the Queen Elizabeth Hospital would be a priority for myself and the new Labour Government.
“I visited the hospital soon after my election as MP for South West Norfolk and I immediately took up the issue, lobbying Ministers and the Secretary of State whenever I had the opportunity to do so.
“Following a recent letter, I met with Health Secretary Wes Streeting just last week to press him further and invited him to come and see for himself the challenging environment staff are working in.
“Today’s news will be a relief for staff and patients and will give us the hospital we all deserve in West Norfolk. The previous Tory Government only added the QEH to the New Hospitals Programme at the last minute when money was running out.
“I am delighted the new Labour government has recognised the scale of the challenge and made the money available, despite the poor state of our public finances.
“I pay tribute to the whole staff team at QEH who continue to work hard to provide care in a challenging environment. I also pay tribute to the many years of campaigning by local residents, hospital staff and trade unions who kept the QEH in the public eye and top of the political agenda.”
Mr Streeting said: “We recognise that hospitals made primarily from RAAC are a priority to ensure patient and staff safety. Terry Jermy has been a tireless campaigner for a new hospital for his constituents and has made a strong case for this hospital to be a priority.
“We are working at pace because I recognise how important it is that we commit to a realistic timetable to complete this scheme and deliver the healthcare facility local people need and deserve.”
