Campaigners ask residents to support their SoS

Save the QEH campaigners take to the streets - again

On Saturday 30^th April Save the QEH campaigners will once gain to be taking to the streets of King’s Lynn over the state of their local hospital. Just days after it was revealed that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is being kept standing with 1528 support props the campaigner will be encouraging shoppers and visitors to the town centre to sign a letter to Sajid Javid. Starting at 2.30pm they will be outside the former Burtons shop on the High Street with letters calling on the Secretary of State for Health to stop the delays and fully fund a total new hospital now.

The shortlisting decision, which was originally meant to be announced in Autumn 2021, has been pushed further and further back and has still not been announced. This decision is now seen as political which is the reason it has now been pushed back until after the May elections, which are taking place next week – May 5^th.

Trades Council Secretary and Independent Councillor, Jo Rust, says “the need for a new hospital is clear for all to see. Yet this decision is months overdue. The Tories have said that they don’t want to politicise this matter, but it is political. We’ve had years of underfunding and cuts imposed by a Conservative Government, yet in the pandemic we saw them giving huge money making contracts to their mates. Had the NHS been given the £37 Billion that Tory peer Dido Harding (and also wife of Tory MP John Penrose) was given for the failed Test and Trace system then we wouldn’t be in this situation. We’re sick of having to compete for a tiny amount of money to fund new hospital buildings when there should be a long term strategy in place to repair and replace aging and decaying estates”.

John Hunt, Local Campaigner said “We, as a local community, cannot stand by and allow the disgraceful delay in making a decision as to whether we are on the begging bowl list for a new hospital. Meanwhile, our QEH staff, patients and wider community continue to work and receive treatment in unsafe conditions with the huge threat of the roof collapsing on them. 1528 roof props is way too many in a building site, but in a hospital it’s totally unacceptable. Enough is enough. We demand a new hospital now”.

Trade union workplace rep Gordon Taylor said “A recent HSJ (Health Service Journal) article suggested that the final outcome decision could be delayed until late in 2022. This is unacceptable. We have waited long enough. Staff are tired as they have been working incredibly hard to ensure that the trust comes out of special measures. We deserve and need a new hospital now. But we know even if we are listed for a new build, it’ll take years to come to fruition”.

The campaign group aim to get hundreds of letter signed and sent to Sajid Javid just before the local elections. It is expected that the shortlist will be announced once these have finished and so the Queen Elizabeth Hospital will be in the front of his mind when making a decision. The campaigners know that it’s vitally important for Central Government to understand how widely and deeply this matter is felt by the residents who relay on the QEH for their NHS treatment. They are also urging concerned residents to email the SoS for Health on sajid.javid.mp@parliament.uk to express their thoughts on the matter.

You can use the following text to send to Sajid Javid:

Dear Secretary of State for Health

I am writing to express my extreme concern about the state of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn. The roof is currently being propped up by 1528 support poles. It was opened in 1980, but only meant to last 30 years. It’s over a decade past its “best by” date and we must have a new one.

You have delayed and delayed decisions over funding new hospitals and we can’t wait any longer. Please ensure that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn is on the shortlist.

We urge you to make the final announcements as early as possible and not to wait until Autumn or Winter 2022 as our hospital just won’t last that long. For the sake of the 330,000 people who rely on the QEH, and the 8 or 9 MPs who serve that area, fully fund a new build now.

Best wishes