Health bosses to discuss next steps for West Herts at public meeting

Last month, it was decided that a West Herts hospital would be too expensive to build with health bosses instead pushing forward with a scheme to re-develop St Albans and Watford hospitals.

Emergency and specialised care would be carried out at Watford while planned care and diagnostic work would take place at St Albans.

Facilities at both hospital sites, owned by the West Herts Hospital Trust (WHHT), would be modernised.

Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is leading the review with WHHT and they will present their plans to the public on November 30.

Patients group chairman John Wigley, said: “This meeting will focus on some of the biggest developments ever to be made in health services in the area.

“I am hoping it will be very well attended because I am sure many local people will want to hear what is being proposed and hold our health leaders to account.”

NHS Improvement, NHS England and the Treasury will then review the plans, submitted as part of a Sustainability and Transformation Plan for Hertfordshire and West Essex.

The strategic review of west Hertfordshire health services has been called Your Care, Your Future. It features a number of underlying aims which include reducing the number of hospital visits by 40 per cent by 2024. Patients will instead be cared for closer to their homes.

Another guiding principle is integrating services with new health and wellbeing hubs serving local communities.

The meeting will be held in Committee Room One at the Civic Centre, St Peter’s Street, St Albans, from 7pm.