Many with a medical condition are facing an agonising wait to be seen by a doctor at Lynn\u2019s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.<\/p>\n
This will not be news for those who have visited their GP and been informed about a lengthy hospital waiting list in certain departments.<\/p>\n
Weeks and weeks pass until a letter comes through the door to say that you finally have an appointment, but it may be even longer to wait to have the procedure you have been waiting for.<\/p>\n
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Lynn has seen complaints submitted rise in the past year\u2026<\/p>\n
Data discovered by the Lynn News reveals that in 92 of 100 cases at the QEH, a patient has been waiting less than 42 weeks to be seen.<\/p>\n
The proportion of patients seen within 18 weeks is 55.3%.<\/p>\n
This means that patients at the QEH – ranked the worst hospital in the country – could be waiting for up to nine months to be seen.<\/p>\n
The QEH is set to be rebuilt by 2032. Picture: QEH<\/p>\n
As well as this, we have also discovered via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request that the hospital has received 370 complaints in the past year.<\/p>\n
This is 69 more complaints than the previous year.<\/p>\n
In this feature, we take a look at the QEH\u2019s wages, waiting times, complaints and rebuild costs in the past year\u2026 <\/p>\n
Waiting times: <\/p>\n
The average nurse in the UK earns a starting wage \u00a331,000. Picture: iStock<\/p>\n
Compared to the national average, the QEH performs slightly lower in terms of getting patients seen.<\/p>\n
Across the UK at the end of October, 92 out of 100 patients had been waiting less than 41 weeks to start treatment. This is a week shorter than the QEH.<\/p>\n
In October, 1,836 people were waiting for a gynaecology appointment at the QEH.<\/p>\n
Chris Bown<\/p>\n
Nationally, struggles over getting seen by an NHS gynaecologist have been reported, with patients waiting months or even a year for non-urgent care.<\/p>\n
For non-urgent, consultant-led care, the NHS aims to start treatment within 18 weeks of referral.<\/p>\n
Data shows that just under half of all patients at the QEH are not seen within the 18 weeks.<\/p>\n
Ambulances outside the QEH at Kings Lynn.<\/p>\n
This is something that the interim executive managing director at the QEH, Chris Bown, admits needs improving.<\/p>\n
“While most patients are seen within 42 weeks, we recognise our performance against the 18-week standard, including in gynaecology, is not where it needs to be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cReducing waiting times is a clear priority for the trust and nationally. We continue to work closely with NHS partners to increase capacity, improve flow in our hospital and deliver sustained improvements for patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
Complaints: <\/p>\n
The QEH in Lynn has had 370 complaints in the past year<\/p>\n
Our FOI results revealed that 370 complaints were submitted to the QEH from September 1 last year to September 30 this year.<\/p>\n
From October 2023 to October last year, the hospital received 301 complaints.<\/p>\n
The hospital\u2019s head of legal services, Sheena Johnson-Banks, confirmed that two people are employed to handle those complaints.<\/p>\n
The QEH is set to be rebuilt by 2032. Picture: QEH<\/p>\n
The QEH currently does not have an FOI officer in post. We were informed that our request \u201crequired inputs from multiple departments\u201d.<\/p>\n
In response to the increase, Mr Bown said that this has happened nationally across the NHS.<\/p>\n
The hospital has a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), which can help resolve issues. Patients are advised to make a complaint within 12 months of the incident.<\/p>\n
Rob Colwell (left) with David Sayers previously campaigning for a new QEH<\/p>\n
A response to the FOI request revealed that the QEH has a 30-day timeframe to respond to complaints, and that this is achieved in 90% of cases.<\/p>\n
Mr Bown said: \u201cComplaint numbers have risen nationally across the NHS. We take all patient feedback seriously and welcome complaints as a vital way to learn and improve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Gaywood councillor for West Norfolk and Norfolk County Council, Rob Colwell, advised patients disappointed with their care at the QEH to try and find a way of dealing with it while avoiding submitting an official complaint.<\/p>\n
He cited doctors and nurses working in an environment which is in \u201ccritical care with props and failsafes\u201d for the reason that complaint numbers have rocketed.<\/p>\n
Rob Colwell (left) and Jo Rust (right) are pictured during a Save the QEH campaign back in 2023<\/p>\n
\u201cSadly, with tight NHS budgets and significant workloads, it can often feel like there are not enough staff on duty to meet care, and mistakes can be made,\u201d Cllr Colwell said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoctors and nurses are under huge pressure every day, and we are so grateful for the care they provide, especially in a hospital that itself is in critical care with props and failsafes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhilst the complaint numbers are higher than we would wish at the QEH and appear to have increased on the previous year, my advice to residents would be to try and deal with the matter before requiring a formal complaint.<\/p>\n
Cllr Rob Colwell outside the QEH<\/p>\n
\u201cSpeak to the ward manager to express concern. Do not be afraid to seek a second opinion on a matter under \u2018Martha\u2019s Law\u2019 if the matter is urgent.<\/p>\n
\u201cUse PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service), as the hospital will welcome the feedback and want to improve the patient experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe complaints process is long, and as a solicitor, I know that even if a clinical negligence claim is considered, not all claims can be progressed.\u201d<\/p>\n
An illustration of the new hospital, which will have a central communication spine giving access to all parts of the building. Picture: QEH<\/p>\n
Bed blocking? <\/p>\n
The crumbling QEH has 509 beds.<\/p>\n
At the time we submitted our request back in October, 499 of these beds were occupied.<\/p>\n
The hospital also had 1,485 outpatients. These are people who receive medical care at a hospital or clinic but don’t need to stay overnight.<\/p>\n
Jo Rust, organiser of the Save the QEH group<\/p>\n
At the end of last year, it was reported that the QEH had taken 11% of its beds out of use, saying it did not have the funding to pay for them.<\/p>\n
This resulted in 60 beds and two wards closing down<\/a>, but the patients that were in them were fit to go home.<\/p>\n In 2022, it was reported that one-fifth of patients were blocking beds when they were fit to go home.<\/p>\n Fast forward to now, the hospital says that discharge wait times are reducing thanks to a new programme put in place.<\/p>\n Staff are working in partnership with the Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, Norfolk County Council, Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board, and private care provider Athena Care Homes to rehabilitate patients.<\/p>\n Through the new service, people can relearn how to do daily activities such as cooking meals and getting dressed, to regain their independence faster.<\/p>\n Cllr Colwell, who has been part of the Save the QEH campaign group, said he was concerned about the number of beds taken up at the QEH at present.<\/p>\n Before the hospital rebuild was announced, the group held regular protests<\/a>, waving placards and chanting rhymes to gain the attention of the Government.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the current bed occupancy rate running at 99%, I can understand why residents are worried about continued house building in the area and public services at the limit, a concern I share,\u201d Cllr Colwell said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn previous years, we have heard of bed closures at the hospital to save money.<\/p>\n \u201cI would be interested to know if all wards are or could be opened before patients have to start being transferred to alternative providers. The importance of local care for the patient and to see loved ones through recovery is important.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018\u00a33.7m is a difficult pill to swallow\u2019: <\/p>\n FOI data showed that in the past year, millions have been spent on consultancy in the build of the new QEH, which now has a completion deadline of 2032.<\/p>\n The rebuild is scheduled to begin between 2027 and 2028, but no specifics have been confirmed – meaning this could refer to any time from January 2027 to December 2028, nearly two years later.<\/p>\nMP Terry Jermy during a visit to the QEH<\/p>\n
Campaigner Jo Rust is pictured at a previous Save the QEH protest. Picture: Michael Fysh<\/p>\n
Cllr Jo Rust (left) and former QEH chief executive Caroline Shaw during a campaign for new hospital funding in 2023<\/p>\n