Secretary of State Victoria Atkins (right) with Chief Nurse Kelly McGovern and Dr Rachel Hoey
Secretary of State Victoria Atkins (right) with Chief Nurse Kelly
McGovern and Dr Rachel Hoey

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust welcomed Victoria Atkins, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to Watford General Hospital on Thursday 11 January 2024.

During the visit, the Secretary of State toured our control room, emergency department and virtual hospital; and reviewed our plans for building a new Watford General Hospital.

Commenting on the visit, Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins said:

"I was delighted to meet staff at Watford General Hospital working in high tech control rooms monitoring every aspect of the care provided, as well as nurses working on virtual wards which deliver the highest quality care to people, digitally from the comfort of their own home.

"The town will also benefit from a new hospital – so far backed by over £50 million in government funding – which will also help thousands of patients across the region.

Secretary of state Victoria Atkins views a model of the new Watford General Hospital"It is wonderful news for the local community that early work is already underway to prepare the site ahead of construction due to start at the end of 2026, and that doors will open to patients at the end of the decade."

Chief Redevelopment Officer, Alex White, said: "A new Watford General Hospital is a priority to allow us to give patients the best possible care. We’ve seen some excellent progress in recent weeks and have a clear plan to progress site preparation throughout 2024 and 2025. It was great to share our plans with the Secretary of State and hear her enthusiasm for the project moving to construction of the new building in 2026."