Today I was delighted to announce that the QEH at Kings Lynn will be rebuilt.
Patients and staff in King’s Lynn will benefit from safe, state-of-the-art new facilities and improved care with Queen Elizabeth Hospital set to be rebuilt by 2030 as part of the New Hospital Programme.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital is one of five additional hospitals being rebuilt – the others include Airedale in West Yorkshire, Hinchingbrooke in Cambridgeshire, Mid Cheshire Leighton in Cheshire, and Frimley Park in Surrey. These hospitals all have significant amounts of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a lightweight type of concrete used to construct parts of the NHS estate in the past but has a limited lifespan, after which it deteriorates significantly. The Government has prioritised rebuilding these hospitals given the risks they pose to patients and staff.
The Government remains committed to eradicating RAAC from the wider NHS estate by 2035 and has already allocated £685 million in immediate support to affected trusts to help keep patients and staff safe.
The New Hospital Programme as a whole is expected to represent more than £20 billion of investment in new hospital infrastructure.
