A multi-storey car park could be built at a Norfolk hospital to make way for its hoped-for rebuild.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn hopes the government will agree to fund an £862m replacement for its crumbling building, where the roof is being held up by 1,500 props.
If it gets the go-ahead, the new main hospital building will be built on what is currently the QEH's main car park.
Plans to build a multi-storey car park near the junction of Gayton Road and the main A149 to replace the existing car park are now being drawn up.
QEH chief executive Caroline Shaw said: "Our preferred scheme - subject to funding - is to build a full, new hospital on our current main car park area. To free up the space to do this, our plan is to create a multi-story car park on the site.
"We are looking at a short-term solution for our immediate parking needs, as well as a longer-term solution if we are successful in securing funding for a new hospital.
"Importantly, both during and after any work, our patients, visitors and staff will still be able to park on site at QEH."
The multi-storey was first mooted more than 10 years ago to ease congestion and lack of parking around the hospital, but the plans were never progressed.
The QEH was left off the list of 40 new hospitals announced by the government two years ago. It hopes to become one of eight further schemes which are due to be announced imminently.
The appointment of North East Cambridgeshire MP Steve Barclay as health secretary, following the resignation of Sajid Javid earlier this week has raised campaigners' hopes that the Lynn hospital will be among the chosen eight.
Mr Barclay, whose son was born at the QEH, has previously spoken in support of a new hospital.
Ms Shaw has invited him to visit the hospital. She said: "We continue to push for funding on all fronts and have written to Steve Barclay to invite him to the QEH to see first-hand why our patients, staff and local community so desperately need a new hospital.”
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