King's Lynn Sandringham Unit celebrates one year anniversary

Lynn's Queen Elizabeth Hospital has marked a year since the purchase of the Sandringham Unit.

The former private hospital became part of the QEH estate in September 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and officials say it has been central to its response to the crisis.

They say that, in the space of 12 months, 4,105 patients have benefited from the facility.

The unit, which was operationalised within four weeks of the purchase, has been an elective surgical ward during the pandemic, which enabled clinically-urgent surgery to continue.

Offering an additional 28 beds and a further two operating theatres, the unit has become an integral part of QEH’s elective recovery programme.

QEH chief executive Caroline Shaw said: "It’s absolutely fantastic to celebrate the one-year anniversary of our acquisition of the former Sandringham Hospital.

"To have purchased the hospital and re-opened it as an elective surgical facility within four weeks at the height of the pandemic is a tremendous achievement and has significantly helped with our ongoing elective recovery.

"I’d like to say a big thank you to all of the teams who work in the Sandringham Unit for their commitment to delivering an excellent patient experience, as evidenced by the patient feedback we receive from multiple sources demonstrating the importance of superb facilities when it comes to delivering an outstanding patient experience."

Dr Samuel Bass, Consultant Anaesthetist at QEH, said: "Having the Sandringham as part of the Trust has enabled us to continue our elective capacity and urgent cancer work despite the restrictions around Covid and has proved an invaluable resource for the safety of the patients that we treat."