Uncertainty looms over Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn as rebuild merges with Gorleston scheme

More uncertainty looms over the rebuild of Lynn’s hospital after bosses announced the project will be merging with another.

A letter from Professor Lesley Dwyer, chief executive of Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group, confirmed the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and James Paget University Hospital (JPUH) in Gorleston will now be combined into a “single, unified programme”.

The announcement also saw Jo Segasby appointed as chair of the group’s new hospital programme board. Up until May, she was the chief executive of the Gorleston facility.

She claims the merger will “strengthen oversight”, “ensure consistency in clinical design” and “deliver both hospitals more efficiently”.

But questions are now being raised as to whether or not the sudden change of plans will affect the 2032 completion date - particularly due to “a temporary pause to some clinical design work”.

Bosses claim this will not hinder the rebuild as a whole - but West Norfolk councillor Jo Rust told the Lynn News that she is not convinced.

“Although they say it won’t affect the timescale, I don’t trust that one bit,” she said.

Earlier this year, the predicted completion date at the QEH was pushed back from 2030 to 2032 - two years past the current hospital’s life expectancy.

Cllr Rob Colwell has echoed Cllr Rust’s concerns today, and said: “We have sadly been here so many times before.

“Residents don’t want excuses any more. They want action with boots on the ground. Anything else is just promises.”

The “temporary pause to some clinical design work” mentioned in the letter “is not expected to have a material impact on the overall delivery timeframe”, Ms Segasby has insisted.

She said: “The new hospital builds are not being delayed. The extensive work on the outline business case and all enabling works continue.

“Some design works at the QEH have been paused while we review latest national guidance and local clinical priorities to ensure these meet the needs of the local population.

“This is a planned and responsible step and helps us to avoid unnecessary extra cost.

“It is not a delay, and our objective remains to open as part of Wave 1 of the Government’s New Hospital Programme.”

But it is not just the possibility of a delay which is making people uneasy. Cllr Rust highlighted that the QEH and the people it serves have different needs from its Gorleston counterpart, which is almost 70 miles away.

“We’ve had no local oversight,” she said.

“We know the needs of our population are different to those at James Paget.”

With Ms Segasby at the helm, Cllr Rust suggested that her knowledge may be limited as the requirements of West Norfolk could be different to those of Gorleston, where she previously worked.

“The needs of the population here in Lynn are being downplayed and minimised. It’s a real concern,” Cllr Rust said.

“Everybody in our area should be concerned about the fact that we’ve got people who do not live here, do not understand our local demographic and have no affinity with our area, making decisions.

“The needs of Lynn and West Norfolk and all the surrounding areas have been betrayed.”

However, Ms Segasby stressed that patient and staff safety remains the “highest priority”.

“Both hospitals have robust RAAC safety monitoring and mitigation in place, with national engineering support and regular inspections,” she said.

“The new QEH and JPUH will be among the most modern and digitally advanced hospitals in Europe, designed to deliver outstanding care for our communities for decades to come.”

Upon hearing the news, North West Norfolk MP James Wild said that although he recognises the potential benefits of sharing expertise and resources, he is seeking “clarification on the implications”.

“I will be meeting the Norfolk and Waveney Group chief executive, QEH executive director, and chair of the new hospital programme board shortly to ensure this helps deliver the new hospital staff and patients deserve,” he added.

On the other end of the argument is South West Norfolk MP Terry Jermy, who “welcomes greater collaboration”.

“This joint working adds skills and knowledge to the team and provides greater resilience,” he said.

“It makes sense that opportunities are explored at the design stage to ensure the hospital is fit for the future.

“As I understand it, there is no delay to the overall project, and myself, the hospital trust and the Government remain totally committed to achieving the first class hospital that West Norfolk deserves as soon as we possibly can.”

Regarding Cllr Rust’s geographical concerns about Jo Segasby, a QEH spokesperson said: “Jo has deep roots in Norfolk.

“She was born and educated here and started her NHS career as a nurse at The QEH, then at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, before later going on to serve as chief executive of the James Paget University Hospital for more than three years.

“With an extensive career spent in local NHS services, Jo is closely connected to the needs of communities in both West Norfolk and the Waveney area and has worked with teams across the county for many years.

“As chair of the new unified new hospitals programme board, she brings expert understanding of the complex and differing health needs across Norfolk, North Cambridgeshire and South Lincolnshire.

“The board’s work is also supported by local clinical and population health experts to ensure each hospital’s plans reflect the distinct needs of their communities and that local teams remain closely involved throughout the design process.”