Health secretary praises the Queen Elizabeth Hospital at King’s Lynn.

A West Norfolk hospital placed in special measures 18 months ago is making great progress and residents should be encouraged by the commitment of its staff and management, according to health secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Mr Hunt paid a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn following concerns raised by watchdogs about inadequate staffing levels, long waiting times and its unsatisfactory financial performance.

Mr Hunt, who was accompanied by North-West Norfolk MP Henry Bellingham, met senior management, and then toured the A&E department.

He said he was really impressed with the hospital’s progress since it was placed in special measures.

He said: “I think this hospital has a great future. I’m absolutely delighted they have turned things around. The management is new and the staff are committed and motivated.

“It’s not my decision, but I hope it will come out of special measures before too long. I think the people of King’s Lynn should be really encouraged by the motivation and commitment being shown by staff and management.”

His visit came on the same day staff at the hospital and across the region were set to join colleagues in a nationwide strike. But the 12-hour strike over pay was called off and union leaders said a new pay offer of one per cent for all NHS health workers would now be voted on.

Mr Hunt added: “The unions have been very responsible in the approach they have taken. They understand that with three quarters of a hospital’s pay bill being salaries, too big a pay award would have been counterproductive.”

Dorothy Hosein, the hospital’s chief executive, said this month they had taken on 60 nurses from the Philippines. Darren Barber, Unison branch secretary said: “I told Mr Hunt that I felt we were not now a hospital in special measures, but a recovering hospital.”