QEH campaigners: 'The party's over Boris, stump up rebuild cash'

Campaigners for a Queen Elizabeth Hospital rebuild took a suitcase to Lynn's Tuesday Market Place with a very clear message to the Prime Minister.

They wanted to impress on Boris Johnson that the time for partying - including the infamous suitcase of booze - is over and the time for action with funding is overdue.

The support rally was the latest in a series of efforts by local campaigners to keep the QEH at the forefront of the Health Secretary's thinking.

About 300 letters signed at the event last Saturday were due to be sent to Health Secretary Savid Javid, urging him to "pull his finger out".

Borough councillors Jo Rust (Springwood) and Rob Colwell (Gaywood South) were among the people rustling up noise and a party atmosphere last Saturday to further raise awareness.

Mrs Rust, who is also secretary of King's Lynn and District Trades Council, said the event also marked the anniversary of the founding of the NHS.

She added: "Our hospital is being ignored and overlooked by the Government, which has been more intent on partying.

"So we thought we would have our own party to make ourselves heard, try and attract their attention and show them that out hospital is far more deserving."

Mr Colwell said: "Having the event outside our MP's office was a sign to him that local people find yet further delays unacceptable."

Organisers felt their message and sentiment was "really positively received" by passers-by.

However, they said some comments underlined that more needs to be done to raise awareness of the QEH's plight and highlight that funding has not yet been agreed for a rebuild.

Mrs Rust said if a decision on funding was not forthcoming by the time Parliament rises for the summer recess on Thursday, July 21, a campaign on Twitter would be held that day.

A Twitterstorm is planned - a flurry of tweets on the same subject designed to create a spike and draw attention to an issue.