NHS executive promises health campus within "six or seven years" at residents' meeting (From Watford Observer)

Jan Filochowski, chief executive of West Hertfordshire Hospital NHS Trust, talks about Watford Heath Campus at Chorleywood Residents' Association AGM

9:26pm Wednesday 19th May 2010 in News By Adam Binnie

The chief executive of West Hertfordshire Hospital NHS Trust delivered a glowing report at the Chorleywood Residents' Association annual general meeting.

Jan Filochowski spoke about the Watford Health Campus, stating that it would be built in stages, starting in three or four years, with the addition of a multi-storey car park and new road link from the M1 motorway.

“We will create the new hospital underneath the existing one, and hopefully finish in the next six or seven years.

“The buildings we then don't use will be knocked down and replaced with social housing for West Watford, and a hotel for Watford Football Club.

“We are also 70 percent certain that the metropolitan tube line will be extended to Watford Junction with a stop at the new Watford hospital.”

Mr Filochowski spoke to the audience about the changes which had taken place in the provision of hospitals in West Hertfordshire, over the past four years.

He said: “Two years before I started we lost £27million, the year after we lost £11.4million. Our organisation, like all organisations in Hertfordshire tends to lose money.

“This year, we made £5.7million, and to date have wiped out the historic loss. We are in the black for the first time I think in history.”

Mr Filochowski also explained the need to centralise the acute and emergency services at Watford General Hospital.

“Three years ago, 60 percent of patients waited four months for treatment. Last month, the figures said only six percent wait that long.

“At the end of November last year, we were voted the second best hospital trust in the country, and I know the best hospital trust, and we're better than them.”

He summed up with his intention to upgrade the current organisation to a “foundation trust” bringing with it greater autonomy, and the opportunity to keep any profit made, by the end of this calendar year

There will now be an open forum for residents to voice concerns to the Chorleywood Residents' Association committee.