James Paget Hospital shares vision of its new Norfolk hospital
The new hospital is being built as part of the national New Hospital Programme
Fresh designs have been released for the new James Paget hospital which is to be built in Norfolk.
They come from the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, based in Gorleston, and are being called ‘Future Paget’.
The new hospital is being built as part of the national New Hospital Programme, with an allocated budget of £1-1.5 billion to complete the project.
The James Paget is one of seven that will be prioritised within the programme, as it's constructed primarily using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) that requires replacement.
Bosses at the trust hope the new hospital will use state-of-the-art facilities to improve patient care and overall experience, help attract staff to careers in health and care, and provide high quality care that meets the needs of our county's future population.
Jo Segasby, Chief Executive at James Paget Hospital, said: “We are delighted to share our vision for our new hospital, which gives our patients and communities a feel for what ‘Future Paget’ could look like.”
“At this stage of planning, these are not our finished designs – and we need our patients, our staff working at the hospital, and residents across Gorleston, Great Yarmouth and Waveney, to give their feedback on the scale of what our new hospital looks like.”
Looking for feedback
Situated to the west of the current James Paget Hospital, the new hospital has a provisional size of 114,469 square metres, around 600 beds for patients, and incorporates single rooms for all patients on wards.
The hospital will feature a new entrance from the west, with a new multi-storey car park and additional parking spaces across the site.
The plans have been released as part of efforts to gather the views of its staff, patients, the public and stakeholders before the trust submits its outline planning application to Great Yarmouth Borough Council later in 2025.
This application will provide an outline of the scale and position of the future hospital design, which will be refined further through the planning process.
The hospital is inviting people to attend open events across Great Yarmouth and Waveney to view the plans for Future Paget, and give their feedback. Details on the events as follows:
• The Cliff Hotel, Gorleston – 29th April, 2-7pm
• Great Yarmouth Town Hall – 30th April, 2-7pm
• Lowestoft Library – 7th May, 1pm-5:30pm
• East Point Pavilion – 8th May, 2-7pm
• Burrage Centre, James Paget Hospital – 14th May, 2-7pm
The James Paget also has secured the purchase of land next to its current hospital site that will form part of its future new hospital, supported by £9.8m of funding from the Department of Health and Social Care, which approved a business case to purchase land to the west of the hospital’s current estate in February.
The hospital trust says it's worked closely with partners Great Yarmouth Borough Council to have the land assessed and valued, and this purchase of the land will allow the hospital to plan for key enabling works in readiness for construction of its new hospital, which is scheduled to start in 2027-28.
“This is a major milestone"
Karin Smyth, Minister of State for Health said: “I am truly delighted to confirm that we have issued £9.8m of funding to James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to purchase land from Great Yarmouth Borough Council.
“It’s for communities like Great Yarmouth that we were determined to put the New Hospital Programme on a realistic and affordable timetable for delivery – which we set out in January, backed by funding from the Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Today’s land purchase is a vital first step to deliver this much needed new hospital.”
Mark Flynn, Director of Strategic Projects at James Paget Hospital, said: “This is a major milestone for our plans for a new hospital. We are grateful of the help that Great Yarmouth Borough Council has shown in helping with the land purchase, and supporting our vision for ‘Future Paget’.”
Councillor Graham Plant, Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s portfolio holder for Operational Property and Asset Management, said: “The council is delighted to have been able to assist The James Paget University Hospital with some of the land acquisition that was necessary for the scheme.
"The construction of a new hospital is an exciting and ambitious project and supporting the team as it looks to deliver the best possible care it can for residents is something we are very pleased to support."
The land will be used as the locations of enabling works that are vital to the constructing the new hospital.
The area to the south west has been allocated as a site for a contractor compound and car park, while the land adjacent to the current hospital will be the location of a multi-story car park for staff when construction begins on the land where staff currently park.
Alongside these enabling works, the hospital will also use the land to develop a new access road to the site, begin work on sewerage and utilities relocation, and moving the solar panel array currently located to the rear of the hospital’s staff car park.