Today at the Public Accounts Committee, James pressed the Department for Health and Social Care’s most senior official, Sir Chris Wormald, the Permanent Secretary, on the process for the further eight new hospitals the government is committed to and called for the QEH to be one of them.
James said that QEH was built to last 30 years and is now 41 years old and currently has 131 props holding up the roof in wards across the hospital. He highlighted the closure last month of the critical care unit due to concerns with the concrete planks.
He has been campaigning since he was elected to secure increased investment in order to give West Norfolk the hospital that patients and staff deserve.
QEH has developed a strong case for investment to transform the hospital which represents better value for money than living with the risks associated with the existing roof and structural concrete plank issue.
Last month, the QEH received £20.6 million short-term funding to fix the existing problems with the roof. James welcomed this but urged that long-term King’s Lynn needs a new hospital,
James continues to working with the Trust and other MPs to ensure it is a serious contender for one of the eight additional new hospital schemes.
