MPs representing constituencies across Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Lincolnshire have called on the Prime Minister to ensure that the Department of Health and Social Care makes decisions urgently to include Queen Elizabeth hospital (QEH) in King's Lynn as one of the government’s new hospital schemes.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the MPs "warmly welcome" the Rt Hon Liz Truss MP’s pledge during the leadership election to sort out the serious structural issues facing the QEH in King’s Lynn and her first statement in Downing Street in which she committed to building new hospitals. During the leadership election the Prime Minister said: “I’m completely committed to the hospital building programme. I’m committed to sorting out the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.”
The MPs - James Wild MP, Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP, Richard Bacon MP, Duncan Baker MP, George Freeman MP, Rt Hon Sir John Hayes and Jerome Mayhew MP - set out the compelling case for QEH and expressed their constituents’ “incredible frustration at the delay in decisions on the new hospitals programme. On the original timetable a shortlist of hospitals was due at the end of last year with final decisions on the 8 new schemes expected by spring.” They urged the Prime Minister to “take the much needed and urgent action of confirming that QEH will be one of the government’s new hospital schemes.”
James Wild MP for North West Norfolk where QEH is located and the organiser of the letter said:
“Securing a new hospital for QEH to benefit patients and staff remains my priority. With the new Prime Minister having supported that campaign, I look forward to working with her and the new Health Secretary to ensure we get the hospital people across West Norfolk and beyond need.”
On the compelling case for QEH to be selected as one of the government new hospital schemes, the MPs said:
“The QEH is over 40 years old having been built to last only 30. Around 80 per cent of the estate is covered in deficient Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) planks. QEH is the most propped hospital in the country with over 1500 timber and metal supports holding up the cracking roof. In short it needs to be replaced. The new hospital programme offers a once in a generation opportunity to transform the hospital benefitting our constituents from across Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Cambridgeshire served by QEH.”
The MPs endorsed QEH’s plans for a single phase new build to replace the decaying and ageing estate with a modern hospital fit for the future able to meet demand in areas with significant housing growth.
Representing constituencies in three counties, they also highlighted the strong public backing for a new hospital:
“Public support for a new hospital for King’s Lynn and West Norfolk is very strong with 12,500 people having signed a petition. This is an anchor institution employing 4,000 people. The borough and county councils are fully backing the case, as are key institutions including the College of West Anglia which has opened its new School of Nursing Studies in partnership with QEH.”
Following the Trust coming out of special measures the MPs stressed that improving the facilities is an important element in enabling staff to continue to deliver better healthcare:
“Having come out of special measures earlier this year, QEH and its staff are delivering better care. A new hospital is an important element of continuing that improvement and supporting QEH’s ambition to be the best rural District General Hospital.”
Finally, the MPs underlined that given DHSC’s commitment to removing RAAC from hospitals it was preferable to include QEH as part of the planned capital programme:
“The Department of Health and Social Care is committed to the removal of RAAC from its estate. By including QEH in the programme, the inevitable need for replacement will become a funded part of the capital investment programme rather than an unplanned demand.”
James and the group of MPs have also written to the new Health and Social Care Secretary of State, Rt Hon Therese Coffey MP.
