Yesterday (Wednesday 1 April), The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn (QEH) has opened a newly equipped Sterile Services Department (SSD), securing the future of a vital service that supports safe surgery and clinical care for thousands of patients every year.
The opening marks a major milestone in the Trust’s Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) safety programme, relocating the department from an ageing RAAC‑affected building into a modern, purpose-built modular unit.
The Sterile Services Department plays a crucial but often unseen role in patient care – not only at The QEH but also for external healthcare professionals in the community such as GPs, podiatry and dentists.
At The QEH, the highly specialist team is responsible for cleaning, decontaminating and sterilising every reusable medical instrument used across the hospital – from surgical trays in operating theatres to scopes, devices and equipment used in outpatient clinics.
In 2025-2026 the team cleaned around 77,000 instrument trays for surgical procedures.
This essential work of the Sterile Services Department ensures clinical teams have the safe, sterile tools they need for the thousands of life-changing and life‑saving procedures The QEH carries out each year. Without this team, procedures cannot take place.
A safer, more efficient and future‑ready facility
The new modular unit has been purpose‑designed to protect the continuity of this critical service. It brings improved working conditions for staff and houses advanced technology that supports the highest standards of medical device decontamination. The upgraded equipment replaces older systems and boosts efficiency, reliability and quality across the service.
Jill Dawson, Sterile Services Manager, said: “We are delighted to have moved into our new unit. This modern, purpose‑built environment will make a real difference to our staff and the teams we support – and, ultimately, to our patients who rely on us every single day.”
Richard Parker, Chief Operating Officer at The QEH, said: “Sterile Services is fundamental to the safe, life‑saving care our clinicians provide. Relocating the department was essential to ensure we could continue delivering the full range of services our patients depend on. I’m incredibly proud of the teams who worked tirelessly to make sure the move happened smoothly and without disruption to patient care.”
Part of the journey toward a new hospital
As one of seven RAAC hospitals, The QEH has been prioritised for full replacement under the Government’s New Hospital Programme. The new modular Sterile Services building will remain part of the hospital infrastructure during the transition to the New QEH, ensuring long‑term resilience for this essential service.
Ends. Notes to editors; For media enquiries only, please contact Communications Team, media.enquiries@qehkl.nhs.uk or 01553 613216. For all other enquiries, please contact QEH Switchboard on 01553 613613.
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