Health Minister reviews plans for new Watford General Hospital

Plans for building a new Watford General Hospital were reviewed during a visit by Victoria Atkins, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

The hospital visit last Thursday was hosted by West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and included a tour of the control room, emergency department and virtual hospital. (11/1)

Commenting afterwards, Victoria Atkins said: “I was delighted to meet staff at Watford General Hospital working in high-tech control rooms monitoring every aspect of the care provided, as well as nurses working on virtual wards which deliver the highest quality care to people, digitally from the comfort of their own home.

“The town will also benefit from a new hospital – so far backed by over £50 million in government funding – which will also help thousands of patients across the region.

“It is wonderful news for the local community that early work is already under way to prepare the site ahead of construction due to start at the end of 2026, and that doors will open to patients at the end of the decade.”

Chief Redevelopment Officer, Alex White, said: “A new Watford General Hospital is a priority to allow us to give patients the best possible care. We’ve seen some excellent progress in recent weeks and have a clear plan to progress site preparation throughout 2024 and 2025. It was great to share our plans with the Secretary of State and hear her enthusiasm for the project moving to construction of the new building in 2026.”