Health bosses have warned that the failure to rebuild King's Lynn crumbling hospital soon will have a serious impact on healthcare across the county.

Plans have already been drawn up for the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital to start receiving patients from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, if the west Norfolk site is forced to reduce services.

The building is held up by more than 1,500 props to stop its roof falling in, and officials have warned that if a rebuild is not approved soon, it may have to close down some departments for safety reasons.

The move would put further pressure on the Colney site, which is already operating at capacity, and would likely lead to an increase in waiting times across the county for treatment.

It comes amid growing fears that the turmoil at Westminster caused by Boris Johnson's decision to stand down as prime minister could hold up the decision on whether the QEH rebuild can go ahead.

Sam Higginson, chief executive of the N&N, said that the go-ahead for the multi-million pound project vital not just for the people of west Norfolk, but the county's healthcare system as a whole.

"As a health system we have contingency plans and one of these relates to what happens if there are further structural failings at the Queen Elizabeth," he said.

"In that situation, the Norfolk and Norwich will have to support patients in West Norfolk too - and we are already full and there is a real pressure on us.

"Therefore we want to support our colleagues at the QEH to be successful with their bid."

There are currently 19,000 patients who have been waiting more than 18 months for treatment and the N&N, while its emergency department sees more than 20,000 people in some months.

Officials expect these figures to increase significantly if the site has to start dealing with more people who would otherwise be treated at the QEH.

It is not clear what impact it would have on the county's other hospital, the James Paget, but the Gorleston site is also suffering with structural problems and is waiting to find out if a repair project there will be approved.

The JPH was one of the original 40 listed when the project was revealed, with the QEH hoping to be including in the next longlist.

Staff at the QEH have warned that the £90m currently being spent to 'failsafe' the building for the next three years will not increase its shelflife.

They are waiting to find out if the site is one of the 48 new hospitals, promised by Boris Johnson at the last election.

His resignation has cast further doubt on the projects.