The government has refused to wade into a debate on plans for health facilities in west Hertfordshire, saying the decision ultimately lies with the local NHS. 

The board at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust recently put forward two options to bring health services in the area up to scratch: either a new facility on the Watford General Hospital site and a redevelopment of St Albans City Hospital or a redevelopment of both hospitals.

However an online petition calling for a new facility attracted more than 10,000 signatures, meaning it would elicit an official response from the government.

A site near the M25 at Kings Langley has been raised as a potential location for the new hospital. 

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Major figures including the MP for Hemel Hempstead and the leader of Dacorum Borough Council also backed the calls.

But today the Department of Health stated that the restructuring of health services was a matter for local NHS trusts.

The trust ruled out building a new hospital on the grounds of affordability and timescale, arguing that the required investment would be much more than the £641m it estimates the redevelopment of the two hospitals would cost.  

It added that the complex planning and infrastructure work required for a new build meant construction would take much longer.

However campaigners have disputed the trust’s calculations, saying that a new hospital would in fact cost around £200m less than a large redevelopment project.