Huge announcement as hospital rebuild is back on track

Lynn’s hospital rebuild looks to be back on track after the Health Secretary announced it is “out of scope” of a review.A rebuild of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital was put on hold in July after the Labour Government ordered a review into the New Hospitals Programme.This led to widespread concerns across West Norfolk, with the Save the QEH campaign group reforming to call for a decision to be made as quickly as possible.

And today, in a letter to North West Norfolk MP James Wild and other MPs regarding the review of the New Hospitals Programme, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said the QEH will be out of scope of this review due to the urgency with which work must proceed.He has announced that rebuilds of seven critical hospitals with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) “will proceed at pace due to the substantive safety risks associated with these.”Mr Streeting said these “need to be replaced as a priority, to protect patient and staff safety”. Mr Wild said: “It is very welcome news for patients and NHS staff that the Government has listened to the concerns about QEH and finally agreed this scheme will proceed at pace so we have the new hospital we need.“I’ll continue working with the QEH Trust and others to ensure we have the new hospital by 2030 for our community.” The current building has at least 4,394 steel and timber support props in 56 areas holding up its roof – making it the most propped-up in the country.A 2030 deadline has been set for a rebuild, as it is the year when the current premises will no longer be safe to use.It was put on hold a few months ago as Chancellor Rachel Reeves sought to plug a public spending “black hole” of around £20billion. Terry Jermy, the South West Norfolk MP, said: “I was clear during the election campaign the Queen Elizabeth Hospital would be a priority for myself and the new Labour Government.“I visited the hospital soon after my election as MP for South West Norfolk and I immediately took up the issue, lobbying Ministers and the Secretary of State whenever I had the opportunity to do so.“Following a recent letter, I met with Health Secretary Wes Streeting just last week to press him further and invited him to come and see for himself the challenging environment staff are working in.“Today’s news will be a relief for staff and patients and will give us the hospital we all deserve in West Norfolk. The previous Tory Government only added the QEH to the New Hospitals Programme at the last minute when money was running out. “I am delighted the new Labour government has recognised the scale of the challenge and made the money available, despite the poor state of our public finances.“I pay tribute to the whole staff team at QEH who continue to work hard to provide care in a challenging environment. I also pay tribute to the many years of campaigning by local residents, hospital staff and trade unions who kept the QEH in the public eye and top of the political agenda.”Alice Webster, CEO at the hospital, said: “This is fantastic news for our patients, our community and our staff. We know just how much the QEH means to the surrounding community and this announcement will be welcomed by all those connected with the hospital.“We now look forward to pressing ahead with our new hospital plans. There is still a thorough process to go through, but we are all committed to delivering a new hospital on this site in 2030. “The New QEH will feature modern construction methods and healthcare innovations to meet the needs of the local population for generations to come.”Tracey Bleakley, chief executive of NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB, added: “This is really welcome news for residents of Norfolk and Waveney, as well as for the staff who work at both hospitals.“Rebuilding the hospitals is an important part of our plan for improving the care we provide to local people, alongside investing in primary and community care.“Changes of this scale do not happen often, to make the most of the money and the opportunity it is essential that we also look at how we care for people and what we can do better. “We look forward to working with local people as we further develop our plans.”Following today’s announcement, the trust will continue working with the New Hospital Programme to ensure services can continue safely on the current site for as long as needed.Hospital bosses say that using the current location will “enable the hospital to be built within the quickest timeframe”.Mr Streeting said: “We recognise that hospitals made primarily from RAAC are a priority to ensure patient and staff safety. Terry Jermy has been a tireless campaigner for a new hospital for his constituents and has made a strong case for this hospital to be a priority.“We are working at pace because I recognise how important it is that we commit to a realistic timetable to complete this scheme and deliver the healthcare facility local people need and deserve.”