Campaigners want hospital rebuild to start sooner

Campaigners have gathered outside a hospital to urge the government to release the funding needed to rebuild it.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in King's Lynn, Norfolk, has thousands of props holding up ceilings made from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), which are crumbling.

Previous assessments of the building have said it needs to be replaced by 2030.

The government has confirmed the QEH will be rebuilt but the start date for construction has been pushed back to 2027/28, which means it will not be open until 2032/33.

Campaigners want funds for the first stage of the construction project, a multi-storey car park, to be released by Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

Jo Rust, from the Save the QEH campaign group, said the delays were worrying.

"The longer the hospital is open the more expensive it is to run and surely that can't be good for anybody.

"The car park has to be put up first because the new hospital will be built on the footprint of the current car park. The new hospital cannot commence until the current car park is free."

• LISTEN: Campaigners speak to BBC Radio Norfolk

In a statement, the Department of Health and Social Care said: "The New Hospital Programme we inherited was undeliverable, with funding due to run out in March 2025.

"This government has confirmed a funding plan and realistic timetable to put us on track to deliver the rebuild of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and we will work closely with trusts to accelerate progress where possible."

Bharti Patel, from the Save the QEH Campaign, was concerned about the impact on patient care.

"It's a service that's in the community, it's cradle to grave, everyone needs a hospital. It's not something that you choose, it's something that you need.

"The community at the moment is hearing about these delays. It makes you fear it is not going to happen."

James Wild, the Conservative MP for North West Norfolk, which includes the hospital, said: "Essentially we've had seven months where the new government hasn't made any decisions to help bring our new hospital forward.

"I warned at the election that Labour would not deliver to 2030 and now, unfortunately, that's what looks like what could happen."

A spokesperson for the health trust that runs the QEH said: "We are progressing through the design and business programme required for a government-funded project of this size.

"Currently we expect work to commence on the car park in mid-2025. The car park will be built in one phase and take one year to complete".

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