West Herts Trust refuse to say how much they've wasted on Watford General project
West Herts Trust have refused to make public how much has been wasted on developing the Watford General rebuild scheme - now stalled for 7 to 9 years
Health Service Journal has published estimates for money wasted on other schemes in the 40 New Hospitals programme
But West Herts have apparently blocked HSJ's freedom of info request on how much Wasteful Watford has cost up to now
- Here is the article from Health Service Journal
- HSJ wasted on NHP
Survey suggests little current public support for Hemel Health Campus
- An opinion survey suggests there is little public support for a Hemel Health Campus - at least at the moment
- Of the 1025 people who took part in a survey of public opinion from 8 to 31 March, an overwhelming majority (91%) would like to see development of the current Hemel Hempstead Hospital site for a community hospital.
- Just 9% of respondents said they preferred the Hemel Health Campus proposed for the Market Square in Hemel
- The survey, via the Survey Monkey portal, does not provide a scientific cross-section of the population, and respondents are self-selected, but the result gives some indication of public opinion
- Although there have been many general statements from the NHS and Dacorum Borough Council about what the Health Campus might offer, they have lacked detail. There has been no commitment from the NHS to provide any specific service in Dacorum in the future
- The result of this survey is concerning. The NHS and Dacorum Borough Council strongly favour the Campus idea, but have not provided the information that residents need to make an informed decision about the hospital services they require, and where they should be sited
- The NHS should urgently draw up firm proposals for the future of hospital care in Dacorum - and the public must be consulted about them without further delay.
- The survey results are here: Summary of March 2025 survey
Exploring new hospital sites - the NHS sets out the to-do list
West Herts NHS Trust explained how, in 18 months or less, a new site could become the 'preferred option' for the area's emergency care hospital.
The work towards a new preferred option, set out in a paper for the Trust Board in May 2022, would include:
- an updated site search to identify suitable potential sites
- an appraisal of these sites to identify any viable options / a shortlist of
potential sites - more detailed appraisal of the shortlist to identify one or more preferred
options - initial review of site infrastructure requirements
- preliminary commercial negotiations
- exploratory discussions with relevant planning authorities
- detailed feasibility studies and 1:500 designs for the identified site/s to produce robust and comparable capital costs for the shortlist appraisal
- The paper says 'Once all the above had been completed the detailed option appraisal could be updated and a new preferred option recommendation ascertained. It is anticipated that it would take c.12 to 18 months to complete the above work and cost in excess of £2m.'
- There would then be more detailed work on the new preferred option, including getting planning permission. That could take between 9 and 18 months.
- Even if this preliminary work on a new option took the maximum time calculated by the Trust, the project would be well on the way by 2028.
- The Watford General project does not have full planning permission and no final design has been determined
The papers are here - see Tab 5.2 - shortlist review May_2022_board_papers2
Watford General patients could face years of disruption from two huge building schemes
Councils consider plan which could mean many years of disruption for Watford General patients, as two major building projects happen at the same time.
- Joint scrutiny committee is looking at proposals to bring relocated new Mount Vernon Cancer Centre together with Watford General rebuild.
- Cancer Centre needs to be near a general hospital for safer and better patient care
- Plans could mean £1.4bn 260-foot towering infirmary being built at same time as £465m cancer centre to replace Mount Vernon centre - on virtually same site
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Current main building could be facing noise and pollution nuisance from two sides for many years.
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Plans being considered by joint local authority committee would also mean Watford site being run by two separate Trusts - with risk of management chaos
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Houses, flats and hotels also likely to be built at same time within a few metres of new buildings
- NHS unlikely to consider the best option - a clear new site for both new buildings away from cramped Vicarage Road which would provide better access and environment - and better value for money
The papers for the joint committee are below - see Agenda Pack page 20.
Public reports pack 16122024 1000 Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee
WEAK COUNCIL PLAN COULD MEAN DOWNGRADE FOR HOSPITAL SERVICES
- Inadequate Dacorum Council plans risk a poorer future for Hemel's health services
- Dacorum Borough Council's local plan needs to be strengthened to prevent the NHS downgrading the Borough's hospital facilities
- NHS services must be expanded to meet the needs of Borough's growing and ageing population (numbers of over-65s will rise 35% in the next 20 years)
- But the Council's draft plan gives no guarantee even that all inadequate existing services will be maintained in the planned Health Hub which could take the place of Hemel Hospital. It says only the Hub 'will likely replace much of the remaining facilities on the existing hospital site.'
- The NHS refuses to guarantee that the Hemel Urgent Care Centre (40000 cases a year) will be maintained or replaced
- The Council needs to stand up for our local hospital services - and not let the NHS downgrade them further
The Dacorum Local Plan is below - see especially paragraph 2.44
Appendix A_Local Plan to 2041 for SPAE
WATFORD GENERAL ISN'T THE BEST FOR MANY - IN WATFORD
FOR MANY WATFORD PEOPLE, WATFORD GENERAL WOULD NOT BE THE BEST OPTION FOR A NEW HOSPITAL - LOOK AT THIS MAP
- Watford General is not easy to get to from much of Watford - close to the southern edge of the Borough
- Possible new hospital sites in Wayside Farm, south of Kings Langley and Bricket Wood/Chiswell Green (near the M1/M25 junction) would be closer than Watford General for many thousands of Watford people
- People in Garston, Leavesden and other parts of Watford would find it easier to get to alternative sites - to say nothing of the hundreds of thousands who live outside the Borough
- Other sites could emerge if the NHS encouraged them
There is now NO funded plan for Watford General, with the Government reviewing the project - Time for a major rethink of the stalled Watford General project - let's go for a new West Herts Hospital
HEMEL'S NEW MP FACES DAUNTING HEALTH IN-TRAY
Congratulations to David Taylor MP.
Hemel Hempstead elected a new MP yesterday as part of the Labour landslide that sees Keir Starmer take over in Downing Street.
David Taylor will have to tackle a wide variety of health and hospital issues. His last leaflet before the election was all about health, so he realises how important it is.
Here are just some of the issues he faces:
- Hemel people don't want Watford General. David must now be aware, from the doorstep and from reports of our public meeting, that people in Hemel don't want Watford General to be rebuilt in a hugely disruptive and unaffordable 7-year project. Will he follow the cross-party tradition of Hemel MPs opposing the Watford rebuild? His majority is under 5000, making it a marginal. He will surely have to take into account the views of his constituents. But in Watford, David's colleague Matt Turmaine has promised people that Watford General will be rebuilt. How will Labour square this circle?
- Financial woes at the West Herts Trust. The West Herts Trust is facing an £18.5m deficit this year - the poorest financial performance in the Herts and West Essex region. Cuts of £27m are being applied - how will David be monitoring the impact of the cuts on patient services? There may be no money for David's idea of a Community Hospital for Hemel.
- Mount Vernon crisis. Vital new premises for the crumbling Mount Vernon Cancer Centre are seemingly being held up by disgraceful NHS dithering. The problem is that a crucial move for MVCC cannot happen until the Watford General rebuild is finished - meaning a ten-year wait for a new MVCC. The obvious solution - a clear joint site for a new West Herts Hospital and a new MVCC - is apparently ruled out by West Herts' obsession with building at Watford. This is a story that reflects very badly on the NHS.
- Trust Board does not reflect Dacorum views. Key decisions on hospitals for the 155000 people of Dacorum are made by the unelected Board of the West Herts Trust, which has NOT ONE independent member from the Borough. David has expressed his concern in the past and should now demand urgent action to correct a situation which is totally unacceptable. How was this ever allowed to happen?
- GP and dental access problems. GP access is hard for everybody now, but some Hemel practices are worse than others. How can the worst learn from the best? Dental deserts are rife all over the country - how can the NHS tackle that problem in Hemel and other parts of West Herts?
HEALTH ACTION GROUP SEND TOUGH QUESTIONS TO WEST HERTS TRUST
Dacorum Health Action Group (DHAG) has demanded answers from West Herts Hospitals Trust to a series of tough questions from the general public about the way the Trust is running our services.
Issues raised in the questions, submitted at last week's pre-election public meeting organised by DHAG, included:
- Why is the Trust refusing to own up to the likely cost of the Watford General rebuild?
- How will the deficit-ridden Trust pay for the Watford General rebuild?
- How will the impact on patients and staff of the Trust's £27m annual cuts be monitored?
- How will the Trust keep services running at Watford General during the disruptive seven-year rebuild?
The questions are at the link below:
Questions West Herts for Candidates meeting 24.6.24
WATFORD GENERAL PLANS GET THUMBS DOWN AT HEMEL ELECTION MEETING
A pre-election meeting of more than 150 people in Hemel Hempstead earlier this week saw overwhelming rejection of the plans to rebuild Watford General Hospital.
Many people called on the NHS to look at options for a clear new site with better access than the cramped and crumbling Vicarage Road facility.
Four general election candidates taking part in the meeting, organised by Dacorum Health Action Group at Hemel Methodist Church, also expressed concern about the £1.4bn, 7-year Watford project.
The Labour Party did not provide a representative.
There was widespread support from candidates and the audience for much better hospital services in Hemel Hempstead.
Public feedback after the meeting showed the depth of feeling about our hospitals and the undemocratic way the West Herts Hospitals Trust decides on investment.
Photo credit: Gary Norman
NEW GOVERNMENT TO GAMBLE YOUR MONEY ON WASTEFUL WATFORD GENERAL
The new government is now certain to risk at least £1.4bn on rebuilding at Watford General.
Labour yesterday committed itself to the towering infirmary project at Watford General. The Tories have said they would do the same.
BUT A DEVASTATING AND DETAILED NEW ANALYSIS BY DACORUM HEALTH ACTION GROUP AND THE NEW HOSPITAL CAMPAIGN SHOWS THAT THIS WILL BE A BIG FINANCIAL GAMBLE - AS WELL AS A BAD DEAL FOR PATIENTS ACROSS WEST HERTS
The report, 'Unaffordable and Unfair - the Wasteful Watford Hospital Project' reveals that the plans for Watford General:
• Will cause years of disruption that will affect patients and staff
• Are unaffordable and unfair
• Will not meet the needs of people across West Herts
• Are likely to place the West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals Trust in a very difficult financial position, which would have worrying repercussions for patient care.
The link to the report is below: