An alliance of West Norfolk leaders has fired off a letter to health secretary Matt Hancock, demanding the replacement of the crumbling Queen Elizabeth Hospital at King's Lynn.
The West Norfolk Partnership (WNP) has urged Matt Hancock to "prioritise" a new hospital for the area - or risk it being "left behind".
The QEH remains in a state of disrepair, with 194 props supporting the roof in more than 40 parts of the hospital.
Forty of the props are in the critical care unit and last week it was revealed less than half of the roof has been checked for defects.
The newly-penned letter has been signed by members of the WNP's strategy group, an alliance of public sector leaders and other providers in the district.
It highlights the "unacceptable" safety risks in the current building and the cancellation of several operations due to the disruption.
Lorraine Gore, chief executive of King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council and one of the signatories, said: "We want to understand why the people of west Norfolk are being left behind.
"They deserve the improved clinical outcomes that can be delivered in 21st-century facilities.
"King's Lynn was not on the original list of 40 hospitals included in the 2020 spending review. We implore the government to make sure it is on the list that is likely to be announced this autumn.
"A modern, efficient hospital for west Norfolk is vital and must be prioritised."
The WNP's letter goes on to detail the benefits of a new hospital, including the potential to cut costs by integrating services.
Also highlighted is the need for a "future-proofed" facility which meets the requirements of a growing west Norfolk population.
Already more than 6,000 people have signed an EDP petition to build a new hospital.
Another signatory, David Pomfret, principal of the College of West Anglia, added: "Pre-existing problems have been compounded by the impact of the pandemic, which has further stressed the severity of the situation.
"We have a strong partnership with the QEH, with a new School of Nursing Studies set to take on the first cohort of QEH staff in 2022.
"This, combined with a successful bid for a new hospital, would mean the very best of talent can stay local, improve the QEH workforce and support the community."
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