Hospital purchases land ready for new site

A hospital which has reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) has purchased land next to the current site for a new hospital to be built.

The James Paget Hospital in Gorleston, Norfolk, purchased the land with £9.8m of funding from the Department of Health and Social Care.

The new hospital, which will be located to the west of the current site, will be 114,469 square metres and have about 600 beds for patients.

Jo Segasby, chief executive, said: "We are delighted to share our vision for our new hospital, which gives our patients and communities a feel for what 'Future Paget' could look like."

A new multi-storey car park is also part of the plans, with work due to start in 2027/28.

The current hospital serves up to 250,000 people in east Norfolk and Waveney, including Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft in Suffolk.

It is one of seven hospitals in England affected by Raac, alongside the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, with fears the material could be unsafe.

In an initial report submitted to the authority, the trust said the new building would be up to 50m (165ft) tall, if it included a helipad.

Karin Smyth, Minister of State for Health, said: "I am truly delighted to confirm we have issued £9.8m of funding to James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to purchase land from Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

"It's for communities like Great Yarmouth that we were determined to put the New Hospital Programme on a realistic and affordable timetable for delivery.

"Today's land purchase is a vital first step to deliver this much needed new hospital."

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