Watford General Hospital announcement 'positive news' for cancer centre relocation project

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The announcement that Watford General Hospital WILL be redeveloped as part of the New Hospital Programme is “positive news” for the progress of plans to relocate the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has been told.

Mount Vernon, in Northwood, currently offers cancer services to patients from across Hertfordshire and beyond.

But without access to intensive care facilities and other hospital specialities, proposals have been drawn-up to relocate the centre to a new site, alongside Watford General.

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Plans to relocate Mount Vernon have not yet received funding – and were never being considered as part of the New Hospital Programme.

Watford Hospital site. Photo from Will Durrant/Local Democracy Reporting ServiceWatford Hospital site. Photo from Will Durrant/Local Democracy Reporting Service
Watford Hospital site. Photo from Will Durrant/Local Democracy Reporting Service

But the government’s announcement that the redevelopment of Watford General was now not expected to start until 2032, had prompted some concerns that this would impact on the plans for Mount Vernon.

Nevertheless NHS head of partnerships and engagement Jessamy Kinghorn told the LDRS that the government’s confirmation of the plans for Watford General is “positive news” for Mount Vernon.

She says it means public consultation on the Mount Vernon plans will be able to start this year.

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And she also highlights imminent improvements – such as the integrated acute oncology service – that would be operational at Watford General later this year.

“Confirmation that the redevelopment of Watford General Hospital is going ahead as part of the New Hospital Programme is positive news for patients, staff, and for the redevelopment of the nearby Mount Vernon Cancer Centre,” she said.

“This certainty means we can begin our public consultation this year on proposals to relocate Mount Vernon Cancer Centre onto the Watford General Hospital site in the future.

“We are working closely with the teams at Watford General and University College London Hospital (UCLH) to progress the redevelopment plans.

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“Alongside that, we are also working in a number of areas to improve services in the short term, measures that will support better care for our cancer patients before the redevelopment happens.

“The first of these improvements is an integrated acute oncology service at Watford, providing rapid care for patients with acute cancer related problems or treatment related emergencies, which will be operational this year.”

Ms Kinghorn also stressed that Mount Vernon had never been considered as part of the New Hospital Programme – and that the NHS was continuing to explore “viable funding options” for the redevelopment.

“The funding for the proposed relocation of Mount Vernon Cancer Centre was never part of the New Hospital Programme and was not expected to be included in this review,” she said.

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“NHSE are continuing to explore viable funding options for the redevelopment with our partners at pace and our decision to progress to a public consultation is a strong indication of the commitment to providing safe, high quality and accessible specialised cancer care for the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre population.”

The proposals to move the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre to the Watford site were put forward in 2020.

Watford is the closest acute hospital to Mount Vernon’s current site. And it was chosen as the ‘preferred ‘ alternative site because it offered access to critical care and a range of acute services, such as cardiac or respiratory services – as well as meeting transport criteria.

In addition to the relocation to the Watford site, the Mount Vernon proposals also include an additional networked radiotherapy unit at either the Luton and Dunstable Hospital or at the Lister Hospital, in Stevenage.

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A new joint health overview and scrutiny committee – including representatives from 10 councils whose residents use services at Mount Vernon – has already been set up to ensure residents’ views are considered as part of the NHS consultation on the Mount Vernon proposals.

In addition to Hertfordshire County Council, the committee includes representatives from the London boroughs of Hillingdon and Harrow, Buckinghamshire, Brent, Ealing, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Slough.

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