King's Lynn: Propped-up hospital gets neonatal unit refurbishment

Parents with babies in a refurbished neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a hospital with 1,500 props supporting its roof say they feel "safe".

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

But the props in NICU have been hidden and the roof strengthened, keeping it safe until 2030.

Manager Kit King said after having to reassure families previously, it was "a lovely space to work in now".

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.

In June, staff described having to plan where to place buckets when it rained.

But the NICU has had the RAAC reinforced, as well as now having improved fire safety, a new ventilation system and air conditioning.

Ms King said: "It feels safer because we've got no props around, they're all hidden."

She said she had been on another ward where the props were in the open, saying: "We had to do a lot of reassuring [of families] because they're just visible everywhere, it just doesn't make patients feel safe."

"This feels so safe, we feel really lucky and privileged," she added.

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.

Ms King said: "In the future we do need our new hospital.

"It feels like sometimes we're not valued if our place of work isn't safe to be in, so it's been a really frustrating time."

Lydia, one of the mums whose baby is in NICU, said the staff had been "brilliant".

The refurbished unit made her "feel more safe", she said. "It's not as scary, you know nothing's going to happen."

Lydia said the rest of the hospital "feels like a totally different place".

"When you step out it's like you're going into the old hospital.

"You want to feel safe and secure, you want your baby to be in the safest place possible, you don't want them to be in a rundown hospital," she said.

Amanda Price-Davey, head of nursing and midwifery for the division of women and children, said the props previously on the ward "were challenging".

She said for families of babies on the ward it was "really important you're in an environment that looks professional and is safe".

But she added the staff were "very mindful the RAAC has a lifespan until 2030" and the hospital needed a long-term solution, such as a rebuild.

The hospital has previously reassured patients that the roof is safe and is being checked on a daily basis.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]