Will private developers be involved in the Hub?
- Dacorum Health Action Group is calling for transparency on any involvement of private sector developers in the building of the Market Square Health Hub
- A Freedom of Information bid seeks information from Dacorum Council about contacts between the Council and private companies about the Square
- One possibility is that the new Dacorum Investment Partnership (DIP), which involves the Council and housebuilders The Hill Group, could invest in the project
- DIP is 'aimed at increasing the number of affordable homes and delivering major regeneration projects across the borough.' It is 'an equal investment and decision-making collaboration' between the Council and Hill.
- Companies House information reveals that Hill Investment Partnerships and the Council are 'persons with significant control' in DIP, with each having 'More than 25% but not more than 50%' of voting rights and ' More than 25% but not more than 50%' of rights to 'surplus assets'.
- In August 2024, the Council said that it was exploring 'whether other development, such as new housing, retail and café uses could be possible as well' on the Market Square
- Here is more about the Dacorum Investment Partnership:
- https://www.dacorum.gov.uk/home/all-news/2025/08/11/investment-partnership-to-deliver-affordable-new-homes-and-regeneration
Action Group demands the facts on Hemel Hospital demolition plan
- Dacorum Health Action Group (DHAG) members are calling on the NHS and Dacorum Council to come clean about their plan to demolish Hemel Hospital and move services to a Hub on the town's Market Square
- In a series of Freedom of Information bids, DHAG is demanding to know:
- 1. WHY the Market Square site was rated Hemel's WORST place to locate hospital services the last time the NHS looked at the options;
- 2. HOW the NHS now justifies giving the Market Square the TOP rating for a hospital site, and
- 3. WHAT negotiations - if any - have taken place with profit-seeking private developers about the future of the Market Square. The Council have admitted that the Hub might end up having to share the Market Square with 'new housing, retail and café uses'.
- DHAG will take the Council and the NHS to the Information Commissioner if they block public access to this key information
Do Dacorum's disappearing MPs really care about our healthcare?
- NONE of Dacorum's three MPs were apparently interested enough in the future of local hospital services to turn up at recent public meetings about them
- There were four short NHS meetings in Dacorum about the NHS plan to demolish Hemel Hospital and replace it with a Hub on the small Market Square
- David Taylor (Hemel), Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) and Gagan Mohindra (South West Herts) all have constituents in the Borough, which could be about to lose its last hospital.
- Not one of those elected representatives was seen at any of the meetings
- Dacorum Health Action Group has offered to bring the MPs up to date
Dacorum councillors consult us on dog control - but not on Hospital closure
- Twisted priorities from our local politicians
- Dacorum councillors have formally consulted the public on DOG CONTROL ORDERS in Hemel town centre
- But they don't consider us worth consulting on the future of the town's HOSPITAL
- A formal public consultation for dog control orders in the town centre was carried out earlier this year
- BUT councillors and NHS bosses have REFUSED to consult the public on the Council's plan to close Hemel Hempstead Hospital and replace it with a Hub in the Market Square
What's up Doc? NHS split over Hemel Hospital closure?
- West Herts Trust clinicians don't seem convinced that closing Hemel Hospital and opening Hemel Hub will improve health outcomes
- NOT ONE HOSPITAL DOCTOR FROM THE TRUST APPEARED AT RECENT 'ENGAGEMENT' MEETINGS TO BACK THE HUB
- Trust's Chief Nurse Kelly McGovern appeared at a meeting. She backed the idea of bringing more services together, but was non-committal about where that should happen
- Two local GPs presented at the meetings, but neither made a convincing case that the switch to the Hub was needed to improve our services
- The Hub is mainly backed by NHS managers and some councillors.
- It's driven by finance and regeneration motives, not clinical need
Threat to Dacorum democracy as Watford takeover looms
- Dacorum Council to be abolished under Government plans
- We could end up overwhelmed by Watford Council - unscrupulous lobbyists for the woeful Watford General rebuild
- Nightmare scenario could see ONE SINGLE 'UNITARY' COUNCIL FOR DACORUM, WATFORD AND ST ALBANS
- THAT WOULD MEAN DACORUM BEING OUTVOTED ON ISSUES RELATED TO OUR HOSPITAL BY THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED TO TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM OUR SERVICES
- The only decent option is 'Four unitaries', which would link Dacorum to just St Albans - we can outvote them!!!
- Take a look at this page and HAVE YOUR SAY.
- WE NEED FOUR UNITARIES TO SAVE DACORUM'S DEMOCRACY - AND OUR HOSPITAL SERVICES
- https://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/proposed-options
Claim for Market Square Hub is just incredible!
- NHS claim that the Market Square Hub is the right option makes NO SENSE
- This table of assessments of site options claims a five-storey £30m building on a busy street is more 'deliverable' than extensions to a modern building in its own grounds
- Claims made during meetings this week - with NO EVIDENCE to back them up - try to shore up bid to close Hemel Hospital and replace it with the Hub
- DHAG will be demanding the evidence
THE OPTIONS FOR FUTURE OF OUR LOCAL HOSPITAL SERVICES -TAKE THE SURVEY
- Options for future of Dacorum's local hospital services have been sent to some County Councillors
- This survey is your chance to have your say - Hub or Hospital?
- https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MXBYBGF
Next week's campus/hub meetings - the details
- Online meeting on future hospital facilities for Dacorum. Monday 15 September at 6.30 pm:
To join the event please use the following link on Monday 15 September: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/
- Public meeting Wednesday 17 September, 630 pm, South Hill Centre, Hemel. Contact Heather Aylward to register - heather.aylward@nhs.net.
Will Health Hub improve access? Perhaps not ...
- Claims that Hemel Health Hub will improve access to hospital services don't really add up
- Hemel Hospital has 430 car spaces
- Closing the Hospital and moving services to the Market Square would put major pressure on th 600-space Water Gardens car park
- Most cars for the Hub patients could end up on the TOP DECK of the Water Gardens - IF there was enough room
- Steep exposed steps could make the walk to the Hub risky - unless a costly lift is built
- AND It could easily take longer to walk from the spread-out Water Gardens car park to a new Market Square building than it takes to get from Asda to X-Ray and blood clinic.