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 | | Welcome to Blueprint | Thank you to those of you who joined us at our update session on 10 March. We had more than 40 attendees and questions on a range of subjects from cancer treatment to finances and transport.
Our deputy chief executive Helen Brown gave an update on the process we must follow in order to arrive at our preferred option and to complete our outline business case (OBC). We hope to submit our OBC to the New Hospital Programme later this year.
During the session we also shared our cost estimates and explained the reasons why they have risen.
Helen outlined the current expected timeline for securing funding, and for construction and other building improvements. We are moving as quickly as we can but are not completely ‘masters of our own destiny’ as far as timings are concerned and so some milestones may shift, depending on the position of the national New Hospital Programme.
You can view a recording of the presentation here and find the slides here.
Our next general update session will be on 28 April, 12-1pm. | | |
 | | An update on our timeline to new and better buildings | The next key step towards funding for our redevelopment is a formal decision on our preferred option for each of our sites, based on a detailed economic appraisal of the shortlist of options. This will take place at our June board meeting on 31 May (brought forward due to the Jubilee bank holiday). These preferred options will form part of our outline business case to be submitted to the New Hospital Programme later this year.
At the June meeting our board will also be taking a ‘fresh eyes approach’ to the decision made in October 2020 to rule out a new site option. Members will consider this in light of; the impact of Covid-19; the latest activity and demand forecasts; new design requirements; advances in digital healthcare; the increased urgency and concern about our buildings (given the slower than anticipated progress at a national level); and higher cost estimates.
There will be a discussion to establish if, with the knowledge of what has changed since 2020, the decision to rule out a new site option is still valid. This meeting will be in public (via Zoom).
There will be an engagement session to discuss these papers and an opportunity to submit your views (in writing) so that the board can consider them as part of its discussion. The papers will be published in early May.
‘Fresh eyes’ is a term used by our clinical leadership teams when new approaches are used, for example, to reduce the number of beds occupied by patients who no longer need to be in hospital. We'll be explaining more about our 'fresh eyes' approach at our next redevelopment update session, which will take place on Zoom on 28 April at 12-1pm. Make a note of the following link to join: https://westherts-nhs-net.zoom.us/j/97298997381. | | |
| Why are our costs on the rise? | | Our latest estimated costs are £1.2bn (with inflation), which is higher than costs quoted earlier in this process, especially if they were quoted without inflation which has risen by circa £50m a year in recent years.
What has changed to make them so much higher?
Our new multi-storey car park, office accommodation and new technology weren’t originally within our costs but national changes to the way hospitals can fund improvements such as these mean that these costs must now be included in our estimates. Also, the NHS’s aspiration to reach net zero carbon and new building standards, along with innovation in digital technology have led to higher predicted costs. And then there is inflation linked to a later than planned start date and increasing costs for building materials. These factors also affect all the other hospital trusts at the same stage as us in the New Hospital Programme and would also apply to options put forward by those campaigning for a new site elsewhere.
| | | Are you interested in the future of healthcare in our hospitals? | Delivering the best possible hospital care is about more than just buildings.
If you’re interested in learning more about how the trust is transforming its services and sharing your thoughts on our plans, we have interactive sessions planned throughout April.
Same day emergency care – Wednesday 6 April at 6pm
Have you ever wondered why patients aren’t always taken to their nearest emergency hospital? Join us on 6 April to find out how decisions are made about which hospital a patient is taken to in an emergency. The session will also explain more about what same day emergency care is, and how emergency care is provided from a network of different hospitals in our area. We will be joined by divisional director of emergency medicine, Dr Rachel Hoey.
Virtual healthcare - Friday 8 April at 12pm
Virtual healthcare can be the very best of hospital care – but delivered from the comfort of your own home, allowing you to be safely treated and monitored in a home setting.
Join our virtual healthcare session for an insight into how patients are being treated in innovative ways using virtual technology. We’ll be joined by consultant cardiologist Dominique Auger, one of our clinicians leading on our virtual hospital model.
If you have recently received hospital care online or via the phone, the session will include plenty of opportunities to share your views.
We will also be running topic sessions on hospital design principles and travel and access to and around our hospital sites in the coming months. To find out more visit our redevelopment meetings page or email westherts.redevelopment@nhs.net to sign up.
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County councillors show support for hospital redevelopment scheme
At a recent health scrutiny committee meeting, a motion was carried for the leader of Hertfordshire County Council to write to the prime minister, in a show of support for our redevelopment plans. Watch a recording of the meeting.
Members of the scrutiny committee recognised the now urgent need for residents in west Hertfordshire to have access to new and better hospital buildings and facilities.
Deputy chief executive Helen Brown said: “Many of Hertfordshire’s county councillors have shared our hopes and disappointments over the many years we have been trying to secure significant investment for our hospitals.
“The cross party support from county councillors is a great example of patients and not politics taking centre stage.”
You can read more about this on our website and in the local press.
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Our new cardiac cath lab
We now have a state-of-the-art cardiac suite at Watford General, thanks to a £2.3m refurbishment of our cardiac catheter laboratory (cath lab). The cath lab boasts new equipment which provides highly detailed 3D images of the heart’s electrical systems. There is also new kit to test for, diagnose and treat abnormal heart rhythms. The cath lab refurbishment includes a technology-enabled meeting space which is used for training and education sessions and to discuss patient’s treatment plans.
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Home at last!
Raise, our hospital charity, will soon have a new home at Watford General. After working from temporary spaces including Watford Town Hall for the last two years, Raise will soon be based in Sycamore House in the space previously occupied by the League of Friends coffee shop.
It’s great to have the team on-site, especially as it is all systems go on its ‘super scanner’ appeal to support a boost to the interventional radiology service at Watford General. For more information on our hospital charity, visit raisewestherts.org.uk.
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| Catch up with redevelopment news | Blueprint - You can read past editions of the Blueprint newsletter on our website under ‘newsletters’. Share the news and get your colleagues and friends to subscribe by emailing westherts.redevelopment@nhs.net
A-Z information sheet - This document addresses frequently asked questions and the main themes from our engagement and redevelopment programme. It will be updated regularly and we will provide details of where information has been added or amended. | |
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