Matt Turmaine, MP for Watford, and Elected Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor have responded to the government’s £12million funding boost to rebuild Watford General Hospital (WGH).
In January this year, tensions rose as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting MP revealed that the reconstruction of WGH had been delayed to at least 2032.
However, this week, the government revealed that the New Hospital Programme (NHP) had committed £11.86million for the next phase of works for the WGH rebuild.
Matthew Coats, chief executive of the West Herts Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This marks a major step forward in our project and a sign of confidence from the government in our plans.
“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 agreeing the enabling works will help strengthen our case further. We’re working in close partnership with the NHP, and the relationship remains positive and constructive.”
Mr Turmaine MP said: “As hospital bosses rightly say, this is a major step forward and most welcome. Labour has a plan to deliver our new hospital… Everyone knows you can’t just magic up a hospital overnight.
“It is a major project and had the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government not torn up Labour’s plans in 2010, we’d already have a new hospital by now.
“Labour is getting on with the job, after 14 years of their failure. I’m getting stuck in for our town which is a far more effective and positive approach than others who are impotently shouting from the sidelines.”
Elected Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor said: “I am happy that this initial funding has been allocated to the hospital. We now need the government to commit to providing the full funding needed to rebuild Watford General. Our town shouldn’t have to wait until 2032 at the earliest for construction to begin.”
What’s the point of a shiny new hospital if you don’t fix what’s wrong on the inside! I’ve been in and out of Watford general for 2 weeks. Long waiting times for everything, not enough doctors. Miss diagnosed, is it’s not an emergency then they can’t help you. What is the point of a shiny new hospital if things do not improve inside????