Have you visited Watford General Hospital recently? I meet people all the time who tell me the same story – wonderful staff doing their best for patients in terrible conditions. NHS figures suggest that there is a repairs backlog at the hospital that would cost £60million to fix.
It was therefore devastating to learn that the Government has decided that there should be a delay of seven to nine years before the rebuilding of the hospital even begins.
This delay means that a child born today at Watford General Hospital will be in secondary school before any new facilities open. Labour ministers have decided that 23 of the ‘40 new hospital’ projects should receive funding before we do.
The lack of commitment from this government to this vital investment is bitterly disappointing. Labour politicians promised us that they would deliver this vital investment during the General Election.
The Government must explain how they reached this decision. I have written to the Minister for Health asking why Watford General hasn’t been prioritised and placed so far down the list of projects that will receive funding. We have also launched a petition urging the Government to reconsider, which you can sign here: https://www.watfordlibdems.org/our-campaigns/rebuild-watford-general
We all know that the rebuilding of Watford General is urgently needed. There is land available to build new facilities, outline planning permission has been granted and detailed plans agreed. It’s time to get on and deliver these improvements, not pause the project for a decade.
Patients, staff and visitors should not have to put up with inadequate health facilities any longer.
- Peter Taylor is the elected mayor of Watford
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