Mayor Dorothy Thornhill has welcomed the statement by West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust reaffirming its commitment to providing new hospital facilities at Watford General Hospital, rather than on a greenfield site.
In a message to its staff, the Trust highlighted the benefits of the Watford site in terms of both time and cost, pointing out that new facilities could be built in Watford before there was even ' a spade in the ground' at the alternative site near Kings Langley. It suggested that work at Watford could start in 2020.
Mayor Thornhill said it was good news that the Trust are aiming for 'a radical redevelopment and not a minor refurbishment' and recognised that the land at the health campus would provide 'room to spread'.
She said: '"I have always believed that high quality new hospital facilities at the Watford General site were the best option. That has been one of the key aims of the health campus project and why we have built the new road to improve access to the hospital. I will continue working with the Trust to enable them to make their plans a reality for the benefit of local NHS patients".
"Just last week I attended the opening of the new West Herts Cardiac Unit which can see up to 600 patients a week. This new facility is already making a huge difference to patients in Watford and West Herts and I am looking forward to seeing the Trust’s redevelopment and expansion plans come together – a redeveloped Watford General will be a huge step forward for our town".
West Herts Hospital Trust have noted that the next stage is to secure support from Herts Valleys CCG, NHS Improvement and gain approval from the Department of Health. This process is underway and will continue over the summer. It will be followed by the next stage – the outline business case – which will have more clarity over the amount of new build and the split of services between sites. The business case process is expected to take up to four years following approval of their plans, and new facilities should be available around eight years after that.
(Source: Watford Borough Council)
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