A new ward and office block could be built at a Norfolk hospital.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn has applied for planning permission to redevelop parts of its site off the Gayton Road.

Its application says it wants to convert part of an administrative area to create a ground floor "decant ward".

While the planning statement accompanying the proposal has not yet been uploaded onto the council's planning website, decant wards at other hospitals are used to accommodate patients whilst their wards are being cleaned.

Another trust's websiote explains: "One at a time, each ward is moved into the trust's designated decant ward - an empty ward area set up for staff and patients to move straight into while their area is given a deep clean and any refurbishments take place."

It adds the process is "a huge logistical operation" but "vitally important" to enable high standards of cleanliness to be maintained.

A site plan shows the new ward would take up around half of the area currently used as offices by the hospital trust's board.

A new two storey office building is also included in the application.

When asked the trust, which finished the year £36m in the red, would not reveal how much the alterations are expected to cost.

Roy Jackson, director of finance and resources at the hospital, said: "As a trust we are looking for ways to make the most of the space we have available within the main hospital building for our clinical services and the benefit our patients.

"This application would provide us with a level of flexibility in our site planning in support of a developing estates strategy.

"As we are awaiting to hear if this application is going to be approved in its current form it would be too early to attach a final costing to it at this time."

West Norfolk council's planning committee is expected to discuss the application when it meets next month.