Today (Tuesday 21 July), a groundbreaking ceremony celebrated the official start of the project, which will enable the New QEH to be built on the site of the current main car park.
The £39 million multi-storey car park is one of the first major enabling projects for the New QEH and represents a visible step forward in a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform healthcare for communities across West Norfolk.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from across health, local government and the community, including Mrs Kathryn Buscall, HM Deputy Lieutenant for Norfolk, Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Mayor, Councillor Steve Bearshaw, Terry Jermy MP and other invited guests. Charlotte Taylor, Joint Senior Responsible Owner for the New Hospital Programme, also joined guests and provided an update on progress of the national programme.
Jo Segasby, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Delivery Officer for the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group, gave the official address at the event.
As part of her role providing executive leadership at The QEH, Jo also leads the Group’s New Hospital Programme, bringing together the delivery of two new hospitals in Norfolk – the New QEH in King’s Lynn and a new hospital for The James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston.
Jo said: “This is a landmark day for The QEH and our local community. While this project will deliver immediate benefits for patients, visitors and staff, its importance goes far beyond parking.
“The multi-storey car park is a vital enabling project that brings us one step closer to delivering the New QEH – a modern, digitally enabled hospital designed to provide outstanding care for generations to come.
“Today’s groundbreaking is an important reminder that the New QEH is no longer just a vision for the future. It is becoming a reality, and every milestone we reach brings us closer to transforming healthcare for our communities.”
The first spades were put in the ground by Mrs Kathryn Buscall, HM Deputy Lieutenant for Norfolk and Sarah Harvey who is a volunteer and former patient at The QEH. Sarah is a breast cancer survivor who volunteers as buggy driver and on a busy ward as a way of giving back for the treatment she received during her illness. Sarah also won the ‘John Voaden’ Volunteer of the Year Award at the 2025 Team QEH Awards.
At the event Sarah said: “This hospital has been part of my life in so many ways, first through my breast cancer treatment and now as a volunteer. To be invited to break the ground for its future is a truly humbling honour and a privilege to help mark the start of an exciting new chapter.”
The new car park will be built alongside the main access road into The QEH site off Gayton Road, on land next to the current main car park, and will provide 1,335 spaces across six levels.
Designed to improve the experience for patients, visitors and staff, the facility will include pay-on-exit technology, smart signage showing available spaces, larger parking bays, and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to improve traffic flow.
The New QEH will provide modern facilities designed around the needs of patients, staff and future healthcare services, helping ensure local communities continue to receive high-quality care for generations to come.
Charlotte Taylor, Joint Senior Responsible Owner, New Hospital Programme, said: “I was delighted to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the new multi-storey car park. This is an important milestone for the Trust and demonstrates the continued commitment to delivering the replacement of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital through the New Hospital Programme. I would like to thank everyone involved in helping to bring this vital enabling project to site.”
In addition to the multi-storey facility, parking will continue to be available elsewhere on the site while the new hospital is under construction and after it is completed. Security features will include AI-enabled CCTV, motion-sensor lighting and 24-hour security monitoring.
The new car park is expected to be operational by December 2027.
Contractors for the new facility are Norfolk-based company RG Carter. Alex Mackay, Director and General Manager at RG Carter, said: “We are extremely proud to be continuing our long-standing relationship with The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and to be celebrating this important milestone as construction begins on the new multi-storey car park.
“As a key enabler for the hospital’s future redevelopment, this project represents a significant step forward and we are excited to be delivering a facility that will benefit patients, visitors and staff for many years to come.”
The QEH is one of the hospitals most affected by Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and has been prioritised for replacement through the Government’s New Hospital Programme. The James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston is also part of the programme.
For updates on progress of the new multi-storey car park visit www.newqeh.org.uk.
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