As a new kid on the block in Watford, Labour’s Chris Ostrowski is clearly not aware of the recent history about Watford General Hospital, as his letter shows (Hospital is underfunded, Letters, January 11).

READ MORE: Letter: Hospital is underfunded

There were no agreed plans under the last Labour government for a new hospital in Watford, merely general aspirations. Therefore, there were no plans scrapped by the coalition government. The claim is pure invention by Labour councillors, and when challenged on the point they are unable to produce a shred of evidence for their assertions. They are trying to rewrite history to deflect attention from their own shameful record on the hospital.

West Herts Hospitals Trust agreed to concentrate A&E and acute services at Watford rather than Hemel because Watford’s Liberal Democrat-run council was willing to improve road access and make land available for hospital expansion to secure its future here.

As a result, Thomas Sawyer Way now provides better and quicker ‘blue light’ access to the hospital. A planning application has been submitted for a new hospital car park on the Farm Terrace site, which in turn enables the current hospital car park to be used for the development of new and much-needed clinical facilities.

While these decisions were vital to securing our hospital’s future, Labour’s attitude to them varied from begrudgery to outright opposition.

We do indeed need improved hospital facilities to ensure a better deal for NHS patients and staff alike. It is essential that when the Hospitals Trust does decide on its detailed plans for improvement that these do get government funding.

But the approach adopted by local Labour councillors would have made such improvements impossible to deliver, leaving our hospital’s future bleak indeed.

Cllr Iain Sharpe

Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Development,

Watford Borough Council (Liberal Democrat)