Friday Politics: West Norfolk councillor Pallavi Devulapalli on visiting King’s Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital

In our latest Friday Politics column, Cllr Pallavi Devulapalli discusses visiting Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital and celebrating a youth project’s 13 years of service to the community…

So, councillors had our much-anticipated visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on a Friday afternoon a couple of weeks ago. The chief executive and several senior managers very kindly took us around the hospital site and showed us all the various parts of the hospital, both old and new.

The outpatient procedures departments which are fairly new seem to be working really well.

It was however somewhat horrifying to see the state of the areas that were being repaired or propped up. It was a hardhat zone with metal props and rubble.

To see this in the heart of a working hospital was quite difficult.

I cannot commend the hospital staff and management enough for the very difficult job they're doing of keeping services running in such a difficult situation.

Since then, we found out that the hospital has decided to shut down two temporary wards to save on expenses. The wards had been opened to house patients who were medically fit for discharge but had nowhere to go because of a lack of suitable spaces in the community where they could be taken care of.

This yet again highlights how important adequate social care provision is so that people can live their lives. And the cost that we all pay as a society when that provision is inadequate or lacking.

In other news, the council's warm homes heating grants are still available to those who wish to apply. The council assesses all applicants to see if they fit certain criteria which include certain chronic illnesses, and/or low income, together with the state of their houses. If the criteria match up, they are allocated funding to insulate their homes which can increase the EPC rating of the home quite dramatically and reduce heating bills permanently.

This is a win-win programme which will also happily reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.

Anyone who is curious to find out more or wants to know if they might be eligible can contact the council in the first instance.

I had the pleasure of attending the celebrations of the Swan Youth Project in Downham last week, marking 13 years of service to the community. The workers gave a moving presentation of case studies and the typical work that they undertake with youngsters in and around Downham market, many of whom come from broken homes and desperately need a safe space where they can talk and feel heard, discuss their problems, get help with their mental health and access meaningful support and mentorship.

Places like this are needed more than ever, and all of the team are doing a great job.

On a festive note, it’s looking like Christmas at St George’s Guildhall where a range of free family-friendly activities will take place on Sunday 8 December 2024. From 11am until 3pm there will be a range of free Victorian-themed activities for families to enjoy:

At 11.30am and 1.45pm there will be a short version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol performed by King’s Lynn Young Players in the Guildhall Theatre (approximately 40 minutes).

Snacks and drinks will be available to purchase during the event in the Red Barn including mulled wine and hot chocolate. More info here: http://guildhall-events.co.uk/.

My most pleasurable evening out in the last month was a poetry recitation by candlelight in the churchyard at Shouldham, followed by some melodious harp music inside the church, organised by the fundraising committee. It was an atmospheric event, and everyone who attended had a very good time, no doubt helped by the mulled cider that was offered as well!

I would strongly encourage everyone to take part in activities in their local communities. It's good for our own health and also helps keep the community resilient and helps local businesses. Each of these things matters and will ultimately make us a stronger and more resilient society. I was speaking to an older resident recently, and she told me that she had gotten rid of her computer. She explained that she loved going out to the shops because it gave her a chance to meet people and she didn't feel the need to use her computer at all. In this age of ubiquitous smartphones and computers, I think we could all take a leaf out of her book. I’m not suggesting that we should all get rid of our computers and smartphones, but using them less might not be such a bad idea.

Finally, please, stay warm during this cold wave and take advantage of the warm hubs in your areas as well as the local libraries and community centres. They are there to be used, and staff and volunteers are always happy to see new faces turn up to their venues.