Our Journey So Far | James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Construction of the James Paget Hospital began in 1976 and was completed in 1981, one of the last in a series of ‘best buy’ hospitals to be built in the UK.

In 2020, it was announced that the JPUH had received national seed funding to explore all options for the building of a new hospital – one of those which will be built across the country as part of the Government’s Health Infrastructure Plan. The James Paget was confirmed as a hospital prioritised for rebuilding in the re-named New Hospital Programme in 2021.

The new James Paget Hospital is being delivered through the national New Hospital Programme, with an allocated budget of £1-1.5 billion to complete the project. The James Paget is one of seven hospitals that require replacement due to being constructed primarily using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), and will be prioritised in the programme because of this.

The James Paget has welcomed delegates from the national New Hospital Programme to its site to talk through progress of the hospital’s plans for the future, and discuss key elements of the 'Future Paget' programme with clinicians.

James Paget University Hospital is one of the seven hospitals affected by the deterioration of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) materials, which have been confirmed to be prioritised within the Department of Health and Social Care’s implementation plan for the national New Hospital Programme.

Within the Government’s implementation plan, James Paget Hospital, alongside other RAAC hospitals including The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn and West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, form part of ‘Wave 1’ within the national rebuild programme, with construction to begin in 2027-28.

Jo Segasby, Chief Executive of the James Paget, said: “This is a significant moment for our hospital, and for the future of health and care services in our community. Our new hospital is an opportunity that may come once in a generation, and we are enthusiastic to continue our work with our staff, our patients, and our partners in developing our Future Paget Programme.

The James Paget has also been provided the indicative budget of £1-1.5bn with which to deliver a new hospital for the communities of Great Yarmouth and Waveney.

The hospital completed and submitted the Strategic Outline Case for its new hospital in November 2024, and is now working on the Outline Business Case to be submitted for approval in 2026.

On Friday 24 January, the James Paget welcomed delegates from the national New Hospital Programme to its site to talk through progress of the hospital’s plans, and discuss key elements of the programme with clinicians.

Mark Flynn, Director of Strategic Projects at James Paget Hospital, said: “We were delighted to welcome colleagues from the national team to update on our latest vision for Future Paget, and to demonstrate how some parts of our estate will be retained and included in our long term plan for our new hospital estate."

The James Paget opened its new Orthopaedic Centre on 10^th January, which includes two new additional operating theatres on the ground floor, and The Oulton Suite, a Community Diagnostic Centre providing a range of testing facilities for patients, upstairs.

This new Centre links to the 28-bed Concept Ward that opened in May 2023.

The buildings are a part of the long-term estates plan, and will be incorporated into the design of the new hospital.