Plans to move specialist cancer services from north-west London to a hospital in Watford would be feasible, an NHS trust says.

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust said it was “confident” services currently offered at Northwood’s Mount Vernon Hospital could be incorporated by Watford General Hospital.

It comes after independent advisors found the current set-up was unsuitable and NHS bosses said changes were required if services were to continue.

The proposed move to Watford was suggested on the basis it would satisfy key criteria when assessing a new site – it possesses an on-site critical care unit, offers specialist services, and would not significantly increase travel times for users.

The trust agreed this could be managed, even with additional significant redevelopment plans at Watford General Hospital in the offing.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “We welcome the news that Mount Vernon cancer services could move to the Watford General Hospital site.

“We understand that proposed changes to the services currently provided at Mount Vernon are likely to be subject to public consultation and that more detailed work will be needed before any move is finalised.

“Our preliminary assessment has shown that the needs of the Mount Vernon cancer services could be accommodated on the Watford General Hospital site where we are planning a major transformation.

“There are enormous clinical benefits of having this specialist, regional service on our redeveloped site and our clinical staff are very supportive of this proposal.”

It added delays or difficulties attached to any transfer would be unlikely, even given the separate construction plans at Watford, due to the different timescales involved.

The issues at Mount Vernon, described as “complex” by Jessamy Kinghorn, head of partnerships and engagement at NHS England, include poor quality facilities, which mean staff cannot always carry out the care and treatment they would like.

Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas has petitioned for services to be retained in some capacity and said it would be a “national scandal” if they were lost completely.