Watford Mayor, Peter Taylor, has called for the government to expedite investment in Watford General Hospital as part of the New Hospitals Programme review.
Taylor expressed frustration over the long wait for upgrades and raised concerns that further delays will result in increased costs and inadequate patient care.
In a recent update posted online, Mayor Taylor highlighted that Watford General will be part of the review, which will consider a “full range of options” and feed into the spending review process.
However, no clear timetable has been provided, raising concerns about further delays. Taylor stated, “Having waited years for investment in new facilities at Watford General, my view is that we should be getting on with these improvements not starting yet another review.”
In his letter to Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Taylor reiterated the urgency of moving forward with the project.
He pointed out that the hospital has a repair backlog valued at over £35 million and asked for clarity on the timeline, stating, “Are you able to give any more clarity on this matter? Is this review likely to last weeks, months or years? After years of waiting for this investment, local residents, patients and NHS staff are extremely concerned about further delays.”
The Mayor’s concerns reflect broader frustration among residents and NHS staff who feel that the delays have already caused significant hardship. Taylor concluded by stressing the importance of this issue to the community and requested a timely response from the government.
For further information on the terms of reference of the review, the Mayor provided a government link outlining the scope of the New Hospitals Programme review.
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