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The government announced in January 2025 that the building of a new Watford General Hospital would be fully funded under its New Hospital Programme – with construction due to begin in 2032.
Watford General was also given the green light to continue to progress its scheme, including enabling works and the retention of a specialist project team.
Work has begun this year on a £12m programme of building works to prepare the site for the new hospital.
Huge progress has been made on the site over the last few years. We have the land to build on, our plans are well developed, and we have the support of local and national stakeholders.
We want to be a position where we are ready to go if an earlier slot does become available – and continue to work in close partnership with the New Hospital Programme.
Our new building will embrace technology and put patients at the centre of joined up healthcare. Inpatient care will be provided in single rooms and our services will be arranged to make good clinical sense and minimise travel across the site for patients, visitors and staff.
The new emergency department will be more than twice the size of our present one and the maternity delivery suite is being designed to avoid women needing to be moved before, during or after labour.
The new hospital will incorporate landscaping and quiet spaces as well as purpose-built areas for our staff to take a break or to learn and develop their careers with us.
The multi-storey car park will be joined to the new hospital by a link bridge, and pick up and drop off spaces will be conveniently located at the front of the new building. Public transport routes will be co-ordinated to ensure easy access to the new site.