Government's £9.8m investment to rebuild crumbling James Paget Hospital is not 'just about bricks and mortar', Lowestoft MP Jess Asato says

The Government's £9.8 million investment into rebuilding a crumbling hospital is not 'just about bricks and mortar', a Suffolk MP has said.

In a letter to several Suffolk and Norfolk MPs, Karin Smyth, health and secondary care minister, announced the Government would pay £9.8 million to buy the land to eventually rebuild the James Paget Hospital, in Lowestoft Road, Great Yarmouth.

The hospital had been identified as one of seven most affected by faulty concrete in the Government's New Hospital Programme alongside West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds.

Mrs Smyth said: "Patients and staff can literally see the hospital crumbling in front of their eyes and held the very real worry that their local hospital would not be there for them in the near future."

Reacting to the news, Jess Asato, MP for Lowestoft, said the milestone was an important step for residents of the town, Beccles, and surrounding villages.

She said: "This isn't just about bricks and mortar — it's about ensuring our communities have safe, reliable healthcare facilities for generations to come.

"Our residents have been rightfully worried, seeing their hospital deteriorate before their eyes. After years of uncertainty and delays, this recent announcement is a massive step forward.

"A promise made, a promise kept."