The former deputy chief of one of the region's main hospitals has reflected on her time at the crumbling site as she heads to a new role on a remote Scottish island.

Laura Skaife-Knight spent almost four years as deputy chief executive of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, during which time she oversaw vast improvements at the trust.

She is due to take over as chief executive at NHS Orkney next month, having left her post at the QEH.

Now, speaking on Newcross Healthcare's Voice of Care podcast, she reflected on her time at the trust, describing the work that went into shaking an unenviable reputation.

Eastern Daily Press: From left, North West Norfolk MP James Wild, health secretary Steve Barclay and deputy chief executive Laura Skaife-Knight at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital

She said: "If we turn the clock back three or four years, the hospital was quite literally the worst performing hospital in the country.

"It was considered a basket case and that's not a good place to be.

"We were bottom of the table on every indicator.

"At the heart of our challenge was working with an organisation and a workforce that was battered and bruised and, in some cases, had actually given up."

She said a key part of the approach to turning things around was "kindness, wellness and fairness" and "calling out poor behaviour".

When she arrived the hospital was rated as inadequate by the Care Quality Commission and was in special measures.

But it has since improved this rating to an overall 'requires improvement' with a number of areas rated as good.

She added: "I'm hugely excited, but sad to be leaving the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where I've had the most memorable three-plus years.

"I know the future is bright here, but equally I'm looking forward to my next challenge and at my first chief executive post at NHS Orkney."

Meanwhile, the hospital still waits to learn if it has been awarded funding to rebuild the site - which is currently held up by more than 3,000 props.