Improved care and extra beds are being promised after a Norfolk hospital sealed a deal to snap up a private facility on the same site.

Eastern Daily Press: The QEH has purchased the BMI Sandringham Hospital. Picture: Ian BurtThe QEH has purchased the BMI Sandringham Hospital. Picture: Ian Burt (Image: Archant)

The Board of Directors and Governors’ Council at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in King’s Lynn, have approved buying BMI Sandringham Hospital.

The acquisition will see the hospital trust own the building and transfer 76 BMI staff to the QEH.

The site will be used to create additional capacity for planned NHS operations and procedures.

Professor Steve Barnett, QEH chairman, said: “The approval to complete our purchase of the BMI Sandringham Hospital from our Board and Governors’ Council is a big step forward and will allow our patients to access more timely care and treatments.”

The deal will see the trust increase the number of inpatient beds by 30 and gain an additional two theatres.

Caroline Shaw, chief executive at the QEH, said: “The extra capacity will initially support our response to the coming winter period, allowing us to continue with planned elective operations or procedures despite increased emergency admissions which in the past, has seen some elective procedures postponed at short notice.

“Then, as we move into the summer period, it will support the work we are doing to further reduce our waiting lists.

“This is a really exciting step forward for our Trust, our patients and the communities we serve and one which is in keeping with our five-year strategy.

“We look forward to welcoming NHS patients to the site over the coming weeks and months.”

It is hoped that in the future the trust will also be able to use the site to offer a small private practice which will generate additional income to be reinvested into NHS services.

The funding for the purchase of the hospital has been provided by NHS England and NHS Improvement.

The Trust will formally complete the purchase of the BMI Sandringham Hospital on September 30.