Wednesday, June 7: Health bosses are warning Hemel Hempstead Hospital must effectively close to have any chance of getting finance for new facilities in Watford.
The stark choice emerged after West Herts Hospitals Trust admitted its debts would run to more than £100 million by 2010 if services were not axed in both Hemel Hempstead and St Albans.
Under the proposals emergency care will be centralised in Wa
tford by the end of next year, leaving just the surgicentre in Hemel Hempstead with an outpatients department.
An 'urgent care centre' run by Dacorum Primary Care Trust is also suggested for Hemel Hempstead, though exactly what this is and who staffs it has not been spelled out.
Trust chief executive David Law says the cuts must take place or there will be no private money forthcoming to pay for the promised rebuild of Watford General Hospital.
"We're broke," he told a stormy public meeting in St Albans on Monday.
"To have a new hospital we need to be in a position to negotiate with the private sector for capital.
"If we are not in financial balance we will not have the prospect of a new hospital in West Herts.
"That is quite an incentive."
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YOUR VIEWS:Name: John Mercer
Address: Supplied
Views: As an ex resident of Hemel Hempstead I am appalled at the prospect of the hospital closing. In the 80's there was a massive campaign supported by the residents of the town, to develop Hemel Hempstead hospital services in order to make the facility fit to support the needs of the community. With this proposed closure, people will die in transit; people will suffer in long drawn out agony whilst being transported.
If the Buncefield disaster had been on any other day, or in the event of any other serious incident involving over 30 casualties, how could you expect to save people with serious injuries if you have to transport them over long distances, to an accident and emergency facility which has been sized only to support its own catchments. How will the elderly be expected to travel in discomfort and inconvenience. All of this because of the mis-management of the trusts funds. What will happen when we run out of oil? Well the answer lies in the provision of localised services, this proposed closure is madness. I appeal to the people of Hemel Hempstead to stop this from happening and campaign aggressively
Name: Yvonne Forecast
Address: Email supplied
Views: This is typical of this govenment - "REACTIVE ACTIONS". How has it got to the point of so much debt - surely the pen pushers and number crunchers who seem to out number the doctors in our hospitals knew this!! SACK THEM!! What I would like to know is why are we closing Hemel Hempstead; a reasonably new hospital to raise money to build a much older hospital at Watford?? It does not make sense - close Watford!! There is more to this than is being told. What will happen to the site?
Name: Robert Peake
Address: Malaga Spain
Views: Dear Sirs The closure of the Hemel Hospital and the StAlbans has been on the cards for years When the closure of the hospitals many years ago mant alternatives were suggested. The Late Councillor Bill Thomas and my self campaign for a new district hospital to be built on the Heliport site serving Hemel hempstead and St Albans but this was not accepted. Zenna Bulmore and her followers actively campaign for the retention of the ageing Victorian buildings they won a reprieve but to what cost? What is left nothing. Were Bill and I right I fear so Robert Peake Malaga Spain
a_Name: Supplied
Views: I think that closing down Hemel hospital to secure Watford is a disgrace! We all pay our council tax and each year it always goes up, but for what reason? We are havivg our local facilities taken away from us one by one. Do the goverment think that the public of Hemel Hempstaed aren't aware of that they are slowly causing more problems for the area and that even if they do invest more money into Watford hospital it was them and not the public that over spent at Hemel hospital and that they probably will do this again at Watford. What a waste of a NHS building which will probably stand empty, I am sure that if the goverment turned this hospital private (Which not all can afford) They would be rubbing their hands toghter.......
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