One thing which became immediately apparently when looking at the most recent Health Campus plans was the distinct lack of anything ‘health’ related.

When residents were first introduced to the project many years ago, they were promised a shiny new hospital to help ease the strain on the health service caused by an ageing population.

READ MORE: Concerns grow over Watford Health Campus project prioritising homes over hospital improvements

A welcomed prospect indeed, and one that the town, and surrounding area, badly needed.

However, looking at the plans now, it seems focus has shifted to another crisis in our community: housing.

Nigh on 800 new homes are planned in the coming phases of the campus but without improved infrastructure, will the hospital be able to cope with thousands more potential patients.

Yes work has been done to improve access and egress for ambulances, and yes there are designs for a new multi-storey car park, which should scratch one itch.

However, having spoken to patients, it seems the new road has in fact created further problems for other hospital users, who can no longer drop off their loved ones and simply drive down into the car park.

And, as many of you will know, the hospital’s parking facilities were far from perfect before.

We cannot criticise the council for seeking a solution to a problem, we should be praising them. However we must try to tackle all of these problems holistically and realise that they are linked, rather than implementing a compartmentalised approach.