Campaigners cast doubt on future hospital for west Herts site study

Campaigners for a new hospital have raised serious doubts about a review of possible sites for hospital redevelopment in West Hertfordshire.

The review, called a Site Feasibility Study, has been commissioned by the West Herts Hospital Trust (WHHT) - which manages hospitals in Hemel Hempstead, Watford and St Albans. - and is being used in the selection of a shortlist of sites for the project, due to be decided on 1 October.

The New Hospital Campaign (NHC) believes that the study unfairly backs the views of WHHT, favouring sites at Watford General against alternatives on clear central sites.

A spokesperson for the campaign said: "Adoption of either of the Watford- based options would provide extremely poor value for money from the outset, facilities that would not reach the NHS recommended standards, and there would be serious risks of cost and time overruns with inevitable disruption to ongoing hospital healthcare services.

"The comparative costs for ‘Greenfield’ options, based upon the Trust’s own estimates, are more than 30% lower than the costs for redevelopment or overbuilding, and can provide much greater cost and time security.

"The study makes unrealistic assumptions about the time it would take to build a new hospital facility at Watford General, while claiming that it would take longer to plan and build a hospital on a central clear site.

"The assessments of the Watford General options have been ‘based upon a fast track high risk approach whereas the ‘Greenfield’ programmes have been arrived at through a much more conservative approach.’"

The Campaign’s analysis notes that RFLPS’s report contains many statements that the ‘Greenfield’ sites carry much greater risks and complexities than the WGH based options.

The spokesperson added: "It is clear that RFLPS have based this conclusion on advice provided by WHHT rather than any independent appraisal carried out by themselves.

"One site on the fringes of WGH, known as the Watford Riverwell, is assessed in the Study to have ‘anecdotal evidence [which] suggests that there may be hotspots of contamination to deal with. 'It is important to note that there is a large sewer which crosses the site.’

"Despite these serious drawbacks and the additional uncertainties posed by a sloping site and the likely presence nearby of a new primary school, the review gives the Riverwell 3 out of 4 for availability for completion in 2025, higher than any of the clear central sites reviewed in the Study, some of which have fewer obstacles to development."

The Campaign is also concerned that the Study does not provide the key information that RFLPS is wholly owned by the Royal Free Trust which has a close and increasing working relationship with West Herts Trust.

Jean Ritchie of the New Hospital Campaign said today: “Within the next month, decisions will be taken which will be vital to the future of our health service in West Herts.

"The sites shortlist for the redevelopment of hospital services needs to be fairly drawn up and based firmly on facts, not supposition.

"The assessments in the Site Study funded by the Trust favour sites at or around Watford General Hospital while making harsh assumptions about clear central sites.

"The Study relies far too much on anecdotal evidence. Neither is it comprehensive, because it only examines a limited range of central clear sites.

"Just as damagingly, its ‘scoring’ of the various sites is sometimes perverse.

“When such important decisions are taken, the public need to be given all the information that is relevant.

"It is very relevant that the Study’s main authors, RFLPS, are closely connected with the Royal Free, whose own partnership with West Herts appears to be burgeoning."

The site survey included sites at Kings Langley, East Hemel (land between South Hemel Hempstead and St Albans), Chiswell Green, Radlett Aerodrome, and the two sites based at or adjacent to Watford General Hospital.

The Trust has chosen the site adjacent to the existing hospital as their preferred option, using the scoring system that the NHC has branded perverse.

The new build elements of this redevelopment will be adjacent to a planned primary school and housing.

Jean Ritchie added: “Building around an existing hospital will mean huge disruption to clinical staff, patients and visitors. The construction works will generate dust, noise, traffic and even greater pressure on parking. None of this is part of the Trust’s calculations.

"Building on a clear site will provide a state-of-the-art hospital, with infection control up to and even above NHS standards (vital as we face the ongoing Covid pandemic) , with scope for expansion in the future if necessary, and with plenty of level parking.

“Yet the Trust has rejected all of these obvious advantages, citing the flawed and erroneous argument that the Riverwell option could be on stream faster.”

Helen Brown, deputy chief executive, said: “The site feasibility report is impartial and was carried out by Royal Free Property Services Ltd, Montagu Evans and Currie & Brown.

“West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust is proud of its partnership work to date between its clinicians and those at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. Proven benefits to patient care have resulted from working together on innovative projects.

“The fact that there are strong clinical ties on how we improve our services to patients has not had any influence on a technical piece of work conducted by property experts, some of whom work for Royal Free Property Services Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

“We are satisfied that all sites that merited a review were considered and that the level of research was appropriate for this stage of the process. Options that are shortlisted will be reviewed in more depth later this year.

“All the proposed options on the shortlist are based on our current three hospital sites and prioritise investment in emergency and specialist care services at Watford General Hospital.

"This is because these services see the highest number of patients and those with the most acute clinical need. It is also the site where, overall, the buildings are in the poorest condition.

“The trust understands that some local residents might find the idea of a totally new hospital in a different location appealing but we strongly believe it would be a huge risk to allow the opportunity to secure funding to pass us by whilst we wait for more money and more time to make another option work.

“Our proposed preferred option for emergency care would see major new hospital facilities being developed next to the current hospital at Watford including using some land currently owned by Watford Borough Council.

"The Watford site is big enough for our needs at just over 73,000 square metres (over 7 hectares) and construction and demolition would be sequential and planned very carefully to keep services operational and minimise disruption to existing services.

"Our proposed options also include improvements to urgent and planned care services at Hemel Hempstead and St Albans hospitals.

“We encourage all local patients and residents to share their views on the possible location for new hospital buildings in west Hertfordshire via our online survey, linked here.

"The deadline for responses is midnight on Tuesday 15 September.”