Menu Picture of three small lines that users click on to reveal a list of links

More from news and media Picture of three small lines which when clicked on activate a menu with links to other pages

Potential funding for hospital redevelopment

Posted: 29 June 2020

Picture of the logos of West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS trust and Herts Valleys CCG

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (WHHT) has received formal approval from NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to progress their redevelopment Outline Business Case (OBC).

The regulators have also confirmed that an option with much more new build at Watford General Hospital, including replacing rather than refurbishing the main clinical block could be considered as an option. This would cost approximately £590m. However, there is no guarantee at this stage that this funding is available.

The news was announced at the stakeholder reference group meetings which were held online. Over 60 people took part to talk about hospital redevelopment and help inform the trust on the best solution that meets the criteria they are developing.

Deputy Chief Executive Helen Brown said: “We are aware that the mention of potential larger investment is of interest to those who want to see an all new hospital on a new site. This option will be part of our longlist and will be subject to the same rigorous process as the other possibilities we will be looking at. We have commissioned some expert support to review potential new site options. There is further information on our website about the scope of this review.

"DHSC have reiterated that overall capital availability to the NHS remains a constraint and that the trust needs to demonstrate the affordability and value for money of any option put forward. The DHSC were also clear that we should not consider any options that significantly increase the timescales for delivery of the scheme beyond 2025. This is a challenging timeline but given the very poor condition and suitability of the estate for the redevelopment it is essential that improvements are delivered in the fastest possible time."

Information is available on our website as we continue to make progress in this exciting project. We also continue to welcome new members to our stakeholder reference group. More information can be found here https://www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk/about/redevelopment

Notes

  1. For more information, please contact the communications team on: email: westherts.communications@nhs.net, For out of hours media enquiries please call the Watford General Hospital switchboard on 01923 244366 and ask for the on call communications manager.
  2. West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves people from across Hertfordshire, north London and further afield. It operates from three hospitals; Watford General, St Albans City and Hemel Hempstead. The trust sees around 600,000 patients a year and is one of the largest employers locally, with around 5,000 staff and volunteers.
  3. For more information about our hospitals, visit www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk.. You can also join our followers on Twitter (twitter.com/westhertsNHS) and find us on Facebook (facebook.com/westhertsNHS).