Herts Valleys Starfish hospital for the near Future

HertsValleysHospital.co.uk is a community driven project whose main ambition is to get one of the country’s best NHS hospitals in West Herts by 2025.

Aiming to consensus across the whole of West Herts — that is Dacorum, Hertsmere, St Albans, Three Rivers and Watford. 

The project is looking for investment promising high standards and best practice yet removing the current establishment barriers they say is the way to get a top class hospital in the 21st century.

• A fresh approach to agreeing a site that suit Watford, St. Albans and everyone else
• Forward looking vision and plans
• Strictly following the key guidelines, high standards and best practices of NHS England and the Department of Health & Social Care

The Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, has made it clear that the largest hospital building programme in a generation will be a key part of the post-COVID infrastructure investment. The Government intends to invest £2.8 billion in the construction of six large new hospitals, to be delivered by 2025. 

The website has a strong push to campaign for this project and is direct in exposing some home truths. “It still depends upon the consent of staff, chiefly Consultants. They may have different motivation than following pure patient best interest.”

“Then the local NHS is overseen by NHS England & NHS Improvement who in turn report to the Dept of Health & Social care. They get their money from the Treasury. With all these organisations having a finger in the pie, you can see why the poor old public sometimes don’t get a look in ! “

The public are invited to ‘engagement meetings’, and can also choose to subscribe with an option let them know what help people are able to give in a co-ordinated and motivated mannor.

They say “being creative and building bridges are what will get us ALL a new hospital”

Sir Mike Penning said recently in the House of Commons that “Watford General is a Victorian hospital” but that isn’t quite right. Accuracy is important – otherwise people end up saying all sorts. With some of the buildings constructed in the early 1960s. and is no longer fit for purpose as a clinical building.

The article says  “Investment over the last five years has focused on keeping services delivered in the building ‘safe’. “Although new development continues as a multi-storey car park is near to completion.

Question: Is Watford Old and no good? Do people want a new building and location?

Watford MP Dean Russell says he “wholeheartedly” supports plans to rebuild Watford General Hospital.

Watford has been earmarked as one of the eight ‘Path Finder’ Trusts and is a priority under the government’s plans to build 40 new hospitals across the UK by 2030.