West Suffolk Hospital replacement focus of MP Peter Prinsley

Dr Peter Prinsley, the new Labour MP who claimed the seat from the Conservatives with a majority of 1,452 following the general election on July 4, has said the improvement of the NHS in the area, including the West Suffolk Hospital site in Bury St Edmunds, is his 'key political focus'. 

An ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and the James Paget Hospital, Gorleston, Dr Prinsley said: "Because I come straight out of the hospitals my key political focus is going to be trying to get the health service working a whole lot better for local people.

"One of the early things we need to try and do is get the new government to commit to the replacement of the West Suffolk Hospital.

"Its not like it is a problem that can be put into the long grass, it is a real and present problem.

"The last MP, to her great credit I think, had advocated greatly for this to happen and there were some fairly advanced plans to do this but actually what I had been told by the chair of the hospital was that the thing had been a bit stuck because there was not a definite plan to make a capital commitment to this." 

In 2020, the then-government announced its New Hospital Programme (NHP) which pledged to build 40 hospitals by 2030, including the Bury St Edmunds facility. 

In May, Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said "delay, indecision and soaring costs" are impacting projects and called for clarity on funding.

At this time, a spokesperson for the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust confirmed progress for the project was on track. 

West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds (Image: Newsquest)

During the first meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party Dr Prinsley said he asked Rachel Reeves, chancellor of the exchequer, to "say what her plans were to commit to make this necessary capital commitment." 

He continued: "She said something like a lot of people are asking for capital commitments at the moment and they are busy working out quite what the financial situation is, but it is their firm intention to get on and sort out the infrastructure of the health service.

"I was pleased that the very first opportunity that I had to talk to her I was able to ask her this question about the capital fund for the new West Suffolk Hospital." 

He said he plans to raise the issue again in his maiden speech next week. 

Jude Chin, chair of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The trust welcomes Peter Prinsley’s support to ensure that the replacement of West Suffolk Hospital is a priority for the government.

"The pressing need for a replacement hospital has been nationally recognised and the team at WSFT have made great strides to develop plans.  

"Having developed a clear plan of action, we wait with anticipation for confirmation of our capital envelope."

Dr Prinsley, who was elected to Norwich City Council in May 2023, serving as a member for Bowthorpe, said he also hopes to tackle problems with transport. 

He noted issues with rail junctions at Haughley and Ely, where campaigners have previously called for upgrades, and calls for direct rail links between Bury St Edmunds and London. 

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could get direct rail links, certainly from Bury, so that is something certainly we would like to investigate, but I don't know how practical that is," he said.

"The other thing is the whole business with the rural bus services, which are inadequate. Lots of people spoke to me on the campaign about the difficulty of getting buses in and out of Bury and it would be good to think that something could be done about that. 

"I know that in the manifesto we had a whole lot of commitments to think about creating local franchises for buses run by the councils which would be run along the lines of services, rather than businesses. 

"Certainly there is a lot of thinking we can do about that. I'd certainly be an advocate for getting public transport improved." 

Of his historic win, Dr Prinsley said: "It was a seat which had never been anything other than conservative for 150 years and I don't think the conservatives really were expecting to lose it. 

"I was delighted that we'd won - people had worked so hard and the local activists really put their heart and soul into it so I was delighted for me and delighted for them. It was a moment of huge optimism when we won.

"What we've got to do now is deliver the best possible government we can and I think we've made a good start but there's obviously lots of work to do."