Today the government has announced that we are all systems go with our new hospital for the people of West Hertfordshire at Watford General. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has confirmed this will be fully funded. This is one of the schemes being prioritised for a national multi-billion-pound rolling investment, as part of the New Hospital Programme. This is great news for the trust’s staff and patients.

The proposed new Watford General Hospital already has outline planning permission. We can now continue the work with our clinical teams and partners in the local health and care system to take the design of the building to the next stage. However, this is about more than new buildings; this is an opportunity for us to work locally, regionally, and nationally with our partners to truly transform the way NHS care is delivered.

The new hospital will be built on land between the current site and Thomas Sawyer Way. The design is driven by a model of care which will extend beyond our hospital walls and into the community, draw on the latest developments in technology, provide a state of the art care environment for our patients and create the working conditions our staff deserve.

Matthew Coats, the trust’s Chief Executive, said: “This is fantastic news. Our patients and staff can look forward to a complete transformation in terms of our buildings and the way our services work together. Our staff work so hard in buildings that add challenge to already demanding jobs. I am so pleased that we will be able to offer a far better working environment and one they can be proud of. Local people can be assured that the new hospital has been designed with the sole priority of delivering our vision; the very best care for every patient, every day.”

Phil Townsend, the trust’s Chair, said: “This announcement marks a significant milestone in our quest to build the much-needed new hospital for the people of Watford and West Hertfordshire. This is the culmination of many years of unrelenting hard work, led by the trust board. It has been a long road to this point, and I am incredibly grateful to colleagues for their continued engagement and particularly for their detailed work on the plans.”

The proposals for Watford General Hospital are part of a larger plan across all our sites, including Hemel Hempstead Hospital and St Albans City Hospital. A wider and more specialised range of care for patients with long term conditions will be based in Hemel Hempstead, where plans are under development for new diagnostic facilities. St Albans City Hospital will grow its planned surgery services, with new operating theatres and diagnostic suites set to open next year.

The trust has worked closely with colleagues in the New Hospital Programme at every stage of the process and looks forward to continuing this collaboration as it turns its exciting plans for the new hospital into reality.