Protestors to form symbolic queue against proposed hospital service changes in King's Lynn
Campaign highlights concerns over potential NHS service relocation
A protest is scheduled for today Saturday 17th October at the Tuesday Market Place in King's Lynn to raise awareness about potential changes to services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, including A&E, maternity, and ICU.
Organisers are calling on residents to bring placards displaying their travel distance to the hospital, and the anticipated distance if services are relocated to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
Cllr Jo Rust, organiser and borough councillor, expects a turnout of hundreds, forming a queue that could extend down the high street.
She says the event is not political but aims to highlight the impact on locals who rely on the hospital's services.
" This is not a government decision that's being made. It's a hospital board decision.
" I think it's really important for local people to show the depth and the breadth of their feeling about this. " Jo said.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital services a broad area, covering parts of South Lincolnshire, North East Cambridgeshire, and the Fens. Organisers stress the importance of maintaining the hospital's full range of services for these communities.
The campaigners aim to prevent any downgrade of the hospital’s offerings.
Professor Lesley Dwyer, Group Chief Executive of the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group, regarding the services at The QEH:
“No decisions have been made about the future configuration of services at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn (The QEH) or any other hospital in the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group.
“We have identified many of the clinical and operational challenges and improvement opportunities we need to address and are beginning to explore potential options for the future that will need to be fully evaluated.
“The New Hospital Programme is central to delivering the healthcare we want to provide for future generations. We have a responsibility to make the best possible use of the £2.8 billion investment in new hospitals at The QEH and the James Paget Hospital and to ensure these facilities are designed around the healthcare needs of the populations we serve.
“The current work is focused on understanding the evidence, considering a wide range of ideas and assessing the benefits and implications of different approaches before any conclusions are reached.
“If at a later stage, this work resulted in proposals for significant changes to services, those proposals would require robust clinical evidence and would need to go through appropriate NHS governance, staff engagement, public engagement and consultation before any decisions could be taken.“