More props needed to stop Norfolk hospital roof collapsing
The number of props holding up the roof of a crumbling Norfolk hospital has now hit 211.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn has had its roof held up metal props since last year. But the QEH was not included in the list of 40 new-build hospitals announced in October.
In September, the hospital’s trust submitted a bid to be one of eight further replacement hospitals to the Department of Health.
Last week they also started preparing phase two of a Strategic Outline Case. This will include reviewing and assessing a range of options – both on and off site – for a new hospital, ahead of proposing a preferred option.
A shortlist of options is expected to be presented to the QEH trust’s board of directors in November.
In March, patients had to be moved out of the critical care unit because of the risk of collapse.
A petition started by the Eastern Daily Press newspaper is calling for a new hospital to be built urgently. The building was only supposed to stand for 30 years, but has now stood for more than 40.
It needs £554m just to maintain its decaying building, or £679m for a new building.
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