Campaigners in King's Lynn hope to see QEH as one of the chosen eight
NHS Trusts can now start bidding for funding for a new hospital.
Last updated 15th Jul 2021
NHS trusts in England have been invited to bid to build eight new hospitals, the Department of Health announced.
Campaigners in King's Lynn will be hoping to see the Queen Elizabeth selected as one of those eight when a decision is made next Spring.
It comes after repeated concerns about the safety of the existing building, which is now 10 years over its lifespan.
Over 200 metal props are currently holding up parts of the ceiling, with James Wild MP calling for urgent action in Parliament earlier this week.
The bidding forms part of a Government commitment to build 40 hospitals across the country by 2030, as set out in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s election manifesto.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said it was an “opportunity for more areas to benefit from the biggest hospital building programme in a generation”.
The other 32 hospitals to be built were named in October 2020, after which the scheme came under scrutiny as it was found that a number of the projects were not for “new” centres but were rebuilds, consolidations of other hospitals, or extra units.
NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said its members welcomed the announcement, but said more long-term funding was needed to tackle the NHS’s “growing maintenance backlog”.
The organisation’s deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said: “We particularly welcome the emphasis on mental health and community trusts, which have so far not been prioritised as part of the New Hospital Programme.
“But there is much more to be done. We are calling on the Government to commit to an appropriate multi-year capital settlement for the NHS as part of the comprehensive spending review.”
Caroline Shaw, QEH Chief Executive, said: “The Trust’s long-term ambition is to bring a new hospital to King’s Lynn and West Norfolk so that the patients we serve across Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire have the local hospital they deserve and one that is fit for the future.
"QEH is doing all it can to position the Trust to be one of the further eight hospitals and will put forward its strongest possible application as part of this competitive exercise.
"In the meantime, the Trust progresses the development of a Strategic Outline Case (SOC), which is on track for completion by the end of 2021.”