King's Lynn hospital looks to future with £250m modernisation plans

Officials at Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital have developed a £250m case to modernise facilities, after being turned down for funding for a new hospital.

It comes as West Norfolk councillor Alexandra Kemp has said she is “highly disappointed” at the news, having heard of the situation at the meeting of Norfolk health overview and scrutiny committee last week.

She said: “I am aware that the Government promised an infrastructure revolution. Lynn needs a new, modern hospital now and so it is highly disappointing that the QE was recently turned down for ‘Health Infrastructure HIP 2’ funding.”

Ms Kemp added that the committee was told a new hospital would cost £500m but that the QEH has put together a wish-list for improvement, costing £250m.

And minutes from the meeting say: “The deputy chief executive, QEH, confirmed in response to a query that the estimated cost of a new hospital was half a billion pounds; the Department of Health found this to be unaffordable and asked the Trust to put in a bid consisting of a mixture of refurbishments and new builds.

“It was pointed out that the new bid, at £250m, was only half of the cost of a new hospital.”

QEH officials declined to comment on the issue of Health Infrastructure funding, but spoke of their hopes to modernise the whole site over a period of years.

Chief executive Caroline Shaw said: “We have developed a £250m case to modernise our hospital, including our estate and digital infrastructure.

“Significant capital investment would enable a mix of new, refurbished and redeveloped accommodation so that over a period of years we could modernise the whole site, making it fit for the future for patients and the communities we serve and which will enable QEH to fulfil its role alongside system partners in delivering the future strategy for the Norfolk and Waveney health and care system.”