Watford hospital rebuild delayed
Watford General Hospital’s redevelopment has been delayed until the 2030s under a revised NHS building plan, unveiled today by the Minister for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting
Watford General Hospital, one of the sites earmarked for redevelopment in the previous Conservative government’s "40 new hospitals" pledge, faces further delays under the Labour government’s revised hospital building programme.
In a Commons statement, Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticised the former government’s handling of the programme, describing it as unrealistic and underfunded. “In 2019, the British people were told there would be 40 new hospitals over the coming decade,” said Streeting. “But there were never 40 schemes, and many were merely extensions or refurbishments—not new hospitals.”
Under the revised plan, Watford General Hospital’s redevelopment has been categorised as a Wave 2 project, meaning main construction is now scheduled to begin between 2030 and 2035.
The hospital had been promised redevelopment much sooner under the previous timeline, but Streeting revealed that insufficient funding and delays had left the original plan years behind schedule.
Long-term investment for sustainable delivery
The Labour government has pledged £15 billion over the next five years to put the hospital building programme on a “firm footing” with realistic goals. This funding includes money for repairs and upgrades across the NHS, alongside the construction of new facilities.
Streeting stated, “Patients in some parts of the country will be disappointed by this new timetable. They are right to be. They were led up the garden path by three Conservative prime ministers, all promising hospitals with no credible plan for funding to deliver them.”
For Watford General, this means a longer wait for modern facilities. However, Streeting assured the public that the revised plan is both funded and deliverable. “We will not treat the British people with the same contempt,” he said.
Watford General Hospital serves a large and growing population, making its redevelopment a high priority. Local concerns over the hospital’s ageing infrastructure and the impact of delays on patient care have been raised repeatedly in recent years.
Despite the extended timeline, Streeting said the revised plan would prioritise transparency and efficiency. He highlighted the introduction of standardised hospital designs and a new construction framework aimed at speeding up delivery and reducing costs.
“We will shortly launch a new framework for the construction of the new schemes,” he said. “This will be a different way of contracting, saving money through a standardised design approach and speeding up the process of opening new hospitals.”
While the delay is disappointing for residents and patients relying on Watford General Hospital, the government insists that this plan provides a credible path forward. Streeting concluded, “This is a serious, credible plan to build the hospitals our NHS needs. It is part of the biggest capital investment the NHS has seen since Labour was last in office.”
Further details about Watford General Hospital’s redevelopment and other projects are available on the Department of Health and Social Care’s website. MPs are also invited to meet with the Health Minister to discuss specific project timelines.