Watford’s Peace Memorial Hospital, built by public subscription to mark the end of World War One, may be sold. The site is earmarked on the borough’s district plan for possible residential development.

Its future, and that of all hospital buildings in the South-West Hertfordshire district is being considered by the health authorities.

Watford General Hospital needs another £4½m to build an extension to the Phase Three development to be completed on the Shrodells site this autumn, for services that will be left behind at the Peace, and between £1½m and £2m extra revenue annually to run the new hospital.

Mr David Kemsley, a spokesman for the South-West Hertfordshire Health Authority, said capital would be generated from site sales and reduction of sites and they also wanted to save revenue while providing the same standard and quality of care.

He said they were concerned about money. There had been no indication from the North-West Thames Regional Health Authority about funding for the new development.

A second possibility for the Peace was that geriatric patients could be moved in.

[From the Watford Observer of March 29, 1983]

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