Hands off our Hospital

1.13.00pm GMT Tue 10th Nov 2009

Sal Brinton, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Watford, and Mayor Dorothy Thornhill visited Watford General Hospital to discuss the Watford Health campus with West Herts Hospital Trust Chief Executive Jan Filochowski.

Sal and Dorothy reassured the Trust that the Liberal Democrats are totally committed to the Watford Health Campus project, and the development of the hospital in particular. Sal Brinton commented: "I am sorry that Mike Penning MP, the Conservative Shadow Health Minister proposes the Conservatives will put the development on hold should they win the next election. This would be disastrous for the Trust's aims to give residents in Watford and South Hertfordshire a 21st century state of the art hospital. It must not be stopped now, and we will fight to ensure that our new hospital goes ahead. Following lots of comments by local residents I've recently launched our 'Hands off our Hospital' petition".

Dorothy Thornhill said: "The decision to pursue the health campus project was itself the outcome of wide-ranging consultation and clearly the best solution. Considerable public investment, including from Watford Borough Council, as well as much energy and commitment has already gone into advancing the project which is now on the verge of achieving planning permission. To start from scratch in seeking a new, as yet unidentified, site for a new hospital, which may not actually exist would be a serious setback to the goal of improving healthcare for local people."