Health secretary Andy Burnham backs Watford Health Campus plans (From Watford Observer)

Health secretary Andy Burnham backs Watford Health Campus plans

2:42pm Wednesday 10th February 2010 in News By Michael Pickard

HEALTH secretary Andy Burnham this week backed plans for the £300 million Watford Health Campus and said reopening the debate on local health services would be a “backward step”.

He said: “Saving lives comes above saving local services and that might be hard for some people to accept but for me that's absolutely non-negotiable. If you know you can save lives you should always take that course of action.”

Mr Burnham was speaking on Monday as he officially opened Watford General Hospital's new £12million acute admissions unit.

He said the Watford Health Campus would be a “priority for funding”.

The Health secretary also said he would “speed up” plans for a new road that would link the hospital to Dalton Way and the M1.

Mr Burnham said: “I remember when I came here years ago and stood on the roof of the building, I was impressed back then with the vision the trust have and I believe that remains the right vision and we'll help them try to realise that.

“The NHS has to keep moving forward. Investing in new buildings allows you to make them more efficient and use what resources you have to better effect. We are entering more constrained times but clearly there is a strong case for funds here.

“I know the shadow health minister has said we should go back and reverse the decision. I think if he spoke to the clinicians here and really questioned the safety data then I think I'd be surprised if he stuck to that view. I don't believe there is a safety case for moving the clock back.

“I would say anyone who does my job and anyone who aspires to do my job has to at all times by guided by patient safety and the evidence of what will save most lives. To be anything else would be to fail in the number one obligation of health minister.

“And I would say to them that if they have the misfortune to have a heart attck or a stroke or any other emergency health care situation, it's much better that they are seen by a specialist and that's more likely to happen when you can bring those teams together in one unit and that is what is happening here in this acute admissions unit.”