Heatwave concern over King's Lynn hospital's propped-up roof

A hospital said it had concerns about its roof and the 1,500 props supporting it in the hot temperatures.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, Norfolk, has steel and wooden posts in 56 areas.

A red extreme heat warning has been issued by the Met Office, with temperatures set to hit 41C (106F).

Nichola Hunter, acting director for estates and facilities at the hospital, said it was "closely monitoring the whole of the site".

The hospital opened in 1980 and was one of seven hospitals built using a material called reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), which has serious weaknesses and is deteriorating.

Ms Hunter said teams would be "checking all the [RAAC] planks that we have got concerns about, that need support".

She said engineers would "make sure there isn't any movement or any more cracking during this hot period".

Ms Hunter also said there were worries "any construction material", such as the props and supports, could "expand in the heat".

The hospital was "monitoring the temperature of the wards on a two-hourly basis," she said.

She added the hospital had cancelled elective operations to make space, so emergency patients were "not on the back of the ambulances for a long time".

The hospital has also bought in air conditioning units for the most vulnerable patients.

In 2020, the government announced 40 hospitals would be built by 2030 as part of a package worth £3.7bn, with a further eight schemes invited to bid for future funding.

The trust is waiting to hear if it will be one of those eight across England that will be chosen to get a new hospital.

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