Residents have started an online campaign for a fully functioning hospital to be built to support all towns of West Hertfordshire due to there not being an A&E close by.
With towns like Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans becoming more popular and ever growing in resident numbers, the nearest hospital, situated in Hemel, is decreasing in departments and significantly underfunded and overstretched.
The Facebook campaign admin, Aaron Cooper said: “The nearest A&E to us is Watford General and the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) are trying to place an obscene amount of money into it, that will only patch their issues for a very short time.
“Spending all this money on one hospital will not help save lives around all the surrounding towns as Watford A&E will not get any closer to us.
“Not to mention the traffic and general infrastructure around Watford General will only worsen with time and make it hard for the paramedics in their ambulances to get there in emergencies.”
Richard Harrington, MP for Watford announced at the end of last month that £400million is to be granted to redevelop Watford General Hospital by building new emergency and specialist care facilities at the current site on Vicarage Road.
Speaking to MyNews, a resident said: “What about the problem of getting to hospital when Watford FC are playing at home?”
Another wrote: “Experts have already said it would be cheaper to build new hospital than patch up old one? We need a site that is accessible to everyone in all areas and where patients and visitors can park.”
Sir Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead, is an outspoken advocate for a new hospital to be built in West Hertfordshire.
He said: “A new site option is not only possible but by far the better option for all the people of west Hertfordshire.”
The campaign aims to go to law in support of a new hospital on a clear central site, instead of renovating an existing one.
For more information, visit the West Herts New Hospital Campaign on Facebook.
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