Hemel Hempstead MP rows with health chiefs over future of Watford Hospital

West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust (WHHT) is close to securing a major investment to transform the facilities on offer.

The proposed shortlist does not include any ‘new’ or ‘greenfield’ sites, although the proposed preferred option for emergency care would see major new hospital facilities being developed next to the current hospital at Watford.

Following health chiefs’ announcement at the weekend that they are pushing ahead with rebuilding Watford General hospital rather than considering a new build option, Sir Mike said: "The Trust is continuing to ride roughshod over the views of local people.

"This is utterly ridiculous. It is clearly common sense that a new hospital on a new site and easily accessible to the people from all three major towns in the area is the best option.

"It would also be easy to build and could include a level car park and have space for expansion and a helipad.

“We are now at the stage where the Trust has told the Department for Health and Social Care that only the Watford site could possibly be built on by 2025 and the Department for Health and Social Care is telling the Trust that they must select a site that can be built on by 2025.

“We are literally going around in circles. The Trust is feeding misleading and manipulated information into the system to ensure they get their preferred answer out.

“The feasibility study makes assumptions that the local planning process will delay construction so that the only site available is the existing hospital site. This is nonsense. There is no evidence that this would be the case.”

Sir Mike has written a response and is following up on his letter to the Comptroller and Auditor General. He says the Trust has an obligation to make sure that all options are considered.

He added: “A new site option would be good value for money, good for the whole community and quicker to build.

“I believe that a new site option could meet the 2025 target date, but even if it did take a couple of years longer it is better in the long run to get the best site to serve the people of the area.

"We need to get this right for our children and grandchildren.”

An independent site feasibility study was carried out as part of the decision-making process for the location of new hospital buildings.

Helen Brown, deputy chief executive of the West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We are satisfied that all the sites that merited a review were considered in the recently published feasibility study and that the level of research into each site was appropriate for this stage of the process.

"The study concludes that the Watford site (either using the existing hospital footprint or adjacent land on the Riverwell site) can be successfully developed by 2025 or soon after.

"This is crucial for two equally important reasons; firstly, the expectation from the Government is that HIP One schemes are up and running in this timeframe (so we need to demonstrate that the proposed option can be achieved in order to secure funding); and secondly, we want to bring benefits to patients in the shortest time possible.

"Most of the buildings in Watford, where we see the highest number of our sickest patients from across west Hertfordshire, are in a poor condition and we owe it to them and to our staff to pursue a realistic option and one that can be delivered by 2025 or soon after.

"We absolutely agree with Sir Mike about the importance of grasping what is a time limited opportunity to provide the best possible hospital solution for our whole area now and for future generations.

"There has been a great deal of serious thought and planning over a long time about new buildings and new models of care and we are very keen to transform our buildings, enhance the patient experience and create great places to work.

"It is also worth reminding readers that our preferred option, if we can secure the required funding, is a complete transformation of the Watford site, with around 90 per cent of the buildings being new.

"There would also be investment in both Hemel Hempstead and St Albans Hospitals, including a new urgent treatment centre and diagnostic facilities at Hemel and in a new rapid access cancer diagnostics centre and upgrades to theatres at St Albans."