Bid for new King's Lynn hospital launched this week

Senior managers at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn are submitting their formal expression of interest to the government to become one of eight new builds on Thursday.

Its annual members meeting heard it was putting through its "strongest possible case" for a replacement.

Professor Steve Barnett, chairman of the hospital's board of directors. (Image: Hasselblad X1D)

Prof Steve Barnett, chair of the trust which runs the QEH, said: "We've lobbied, we've put our case in front of all the right people and we wait now for the response."

Maintaining the current hospital for the next 10 years will cost an estimated £600m, while a new hospital is costed at £700m.

Deputy chief executive Laura Scaife-Knight said: "Our clear preference is to obtain funding for a full new hospital."

The meeting heard proposals have also been drawn up for a redevelopment to be done in stages if the government decides to fund it in installments.

An example of one of the 131 props in place around the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, including its kitchen and Rudham ward. (Image: QEH)

The hospital was built from prefabricated concrete sections with an expected working life of 30 years, but is still operational more than a decade later.

But while its roof is help up by more than 200 props, it was not included in a list of trusts given the go-ahead for rebuilds announced by the government last October.

Now the hospital is pinning its hopes on being one of the eight further new-builds approved after a spending review in November.

The hospital's board of directors, which met on Thursday, heard it is about to submit its case.

Caroline Shaw, chief executive of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in King's Lynn. (Image: Hasselblad X1D)

More than 20,000 people have signed petitions calling for the new hospital to be a priority.

An official response to a petition launched by Love West Norfolk, as it passed 10,000, said: "In October 2020, the government named 32 hospitals which will form part of the 40 new hospitals and is now calling for NHS trusts to submit their expressions of interest to be one of the next eight hospitals.

"Expressions of interest are invited from all NHS trusts in England who would like their plans to be considered, including from Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn."

Protestors outside the QEH hospital in King's Lynn, organised by King's Lynn Trades Council (Image: Archant)

You can sign the EDP petition at https://tinyurl.com/8j2be9fm. The Love West Norfolk petition is at https://tinyurl.com/24e5se7k