King's Lynn hospital has 'compelling' case for rebuild, says boss, after site misses out on new hospital plan

Bosses of Lynn's Queen Elizabeth Hospital have insisted it has a "compelling" redevelopment case, despite the site missing out on being one of 40 new hospitals promised by the Government.

Ministers have this evening announced the sites which are part of a £3.7 billion plan to develop the sites over the next decade.

The list does include the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston and the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds.

The news is likely to come as a big blow to QEH bosses, who say the site has suffered as a result of decades of under-investment .

But chief executive Caroline Shaw says they will fight on, as an open competition will take place to choose eight schemes on top of those announced today.

In a statement released a short time ago, she said: “Though it is disappointing that QEH does not feature in the list of 40 new hospitals that have been announced today, the Trust did not feature on the original list of hospitals that were announced for the Health Infrastructure Plan 2 in 2019.

"The Trust last week submitted a compelling case for a new hospital as part of the NHS’s response to the Comprehensive Spending Review.

"We await a response to our submission and remain hopeful that QEH will be a serious contender for one of the further 8 schemes that will compete to attract future funding to deliver new hospitals by 2030.”