Chamber ramps up campaign for alternative to 'skyscraper' hospital plans in Hertfordshire

The Berkhamsted District Chamber of Commerce is ramping up its campaign for an alternative ‘future-proof’ hospital in place of current ‘skyscraper’ plans set for construction in Hertfordshire.

The district chamber is hoping its proposals for a centrally located hospital in West Hertfordshire can replace current plans to build a new facility by Watford Hospital.

The chamber argues the ‘sloped’ car park area of Watford General Hospital, would be a poor location for an A&E and Maternity Hospital and the proposed building, it describes as a ‘towering monstrosity’, would offer a poor environment for patients.

In its plan, entitled West Herts 21 Century Hospital Solution’, the chamber is campaigning for a hospital located between the three main towns of Watford, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans, for good access from all of West Hertfordshire.

And it has commissioned the services of a hospital design team to further illustrate the achievability of its alternative proposal, through an aerial visual, which it claims can be built on any 8-hectare site.

But West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has stated that extending Watford Hospital was the only area suitable for a new emergency care building.

It analysed 19 sites over a five-year period before settling on its current expansion plans. The need to refurbish and upgrade current facilities in the county was also a key reason why the trust has chosen to move forward with its current proposals.

A trust spokesperson told the Gazette they held the ‘strong view’ that redeveloping the current hospital sites was ‘the fastest route to new and better buildings’.

The chamber does suggest, as well as a centrally located hospital, the three existing town-centre hospital sites did have the potential to better serve the respective communities.

A chamber spokesperson said: “Part of the three existing town-centre hospital sites could be used to provide urgent care, common diagnostics and tests, plus community care step down beds – designed to immediately receive local patients who are medically fit to be discharged from the central acute hospital but require further care.

“The remaining land on these existing town-centre hospital sites, could be used to provide housing and so alleviate much of the house building pressure on our green belt, whilst also helping to fund the new central hospital.”

It claims the plan would be fully in line with the clinical care model already established for West Hertfordshire.

The trust has confirmed there will be further proposals to renovate the existing sites at Hemel Hempstead and St Albans City Hospital, including urgent treatment centres at both hospitals as well as a rapid access cancer diagnostic centre at St Albans.

The NHS trust is still preparing cost benefit analysis of its proposals. Once all assessments have taken place they will be submitted to the Government for approval.

In the meantime, residents are encouraged to write to: The Chief Executive Officer, NHS Hertfordshire and Essex Integrated Care Board, Charter House, Parkway, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, AL8 6JL, with their views.