West Herts Hospitals Trust and Herts Valleys CCG say campaign group's report contains nothing to change decision over shortlist options

The West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Herts Valleys CCG say a report commissioned by a group campaigning for a new hospital contains nothing that causes them to reconsider October's decision on the hospital redevelopment project.

In December, New Hospital Campaign - who are campaigning for a new hospital in west Herts - claimed that an independent report showed that plans for a rebuild of the existing hospital would take longer than planned.

The West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Herts Valleys CCG have now thoroughly reviewed the report commissioned by the group.

A spokesperson said: "We have thoroughly reviewed the report commissioned by the New Hospital Campaign and we asked our professional advisors - Royal Free London Property Services Limited – to do the same.

"Our conclusion is that it contains nothing that causes us to reconsider the decision in October 2020 to remove any new site options from our shortlist.

"The decision by our boards was strongly influenced by the faster and more straightforward path towards delivery offered by the Watford option.

"We believe that the transformation of the site and buildings at Watford and the redevelopment of the hospitals in Hemel Hempstead and St Albans provides the best opportunity to significantly improve our hospital facilities by 2025, or soon after.

"Our decision was based on good information and was driven by a determination to provide the best facilities for our patients.

"The report has been useful to help us test our thinking but it does not raise anything we had not previously considered.

"Some of the matters it covers will be addressed when we assess results from more detailed surveys.

"In terms of progression from the strategic outline case to the outline business case, we followed the process as set out by the Treasury.

"Our approach is in line with guidance and the expectations of the national Health Infrastructure Plan which requires NHS trusts to move forward as expediently as possible.

"We accept that there is a small element of risk (as there often is with construction projects of this size) in proceeding before all the necessary approval processes have been fully concluded.

"However, it is becoming a matter of urgency to replace or upgrade buildings and infrastructure at all three sites and therefore there is a greater risk in allowing the status quo to remain.

"We continue to work at pace to deliver better buildings and we are excited at the prospect of being able to provide these within the next five years.

"The three site locations will remain the same but each of the hospitals will look and feel very different.

"They will all have a unique purpose and will work more effectively and efficiently together. Our staff are keen to start planning new ways of delivering care from modern surroundings with the latest technology and we are looking forward to providing them and our patients with first class facilities.

"We expect to confirm our preferred option in spring 2021 and complete our outline business case later this year. Once this is approved by regulators we can confirm our detailed plans.

"More information on our plans will be shared through our engagement programme, details of which can be found here.

"The views of our staff, patients and local communities will continue to play a part in shaping many aspects of our sites and services."

The planned transformation of the Watford site includes a new hospital building that will replace nearly all the clinical facilities on the site at present – excluding the current acute admissions unit.

The new hospital building will sit within a major regeneration project – Watford Riverwell – which will offer green spaces and shops. There will also be a new multi-storey car park.

At Hemel Hempstead there are plans to provide a new urgent treatment and diagnostics centre and to further develop the range of medical care such as specialist diabetes and dermatology. The hospital will continue to provide diagnostic and outpatient services, with a focus on medical specialties and long term conditions.

St Albans City Hospital will continue to provide planned surgery and there are plans to overhaul its theatres, create a rapid access cancer diagnostic centre and expand the range of diagnostics available by providing MRI and CT scanners.

A spokesperson for the New Hospital Campaign said: "This is no surprise as we expected that kind of reply. The Naxton report was more independent than the Trust's own study.

"Mr. Naxton, who is a highly experienced construction planner, showed that a brand new hospital on a clear site could be built up to three years more quickly than simply redeveloping the Watford General site and making minor improvements at St. Albans and Hemel.

"This conclusion completely negated their sole argument for removing any new site options from the short list.

"The Trust's reply fails to challenge anything in Mr Naxton's expert and independent report, which provides convincing evidence of the shortcomings of the decision taken last October to reject any new site out of hand.

"Building on the existing site will involve years of disruption just when we are trying to recover from the pandemic, and it won't be finished until the end of the 2020s. It's crazy."