Daisy Cooper MP has pressed the Hospitals Minister again to move the highly specialised Mount Vernon Cancer Centre to the Watford General Hospital site and bring forward the start date for the hospital’s re-build, in a 1-2-1 meeting with the Minister today (7 January).
It’s the 11th time Daisy has asked Ministers about the funding and timing of the re-build and had previously asked three times for Ministers to visit the hospital to see its state of disrepair for themselves.
Following the meeting, Daisy said:
“People in St Albans and across West Hertfordshire are crying out for a new emergency hospital and are sick of this vital rebuild being pushed aside.
“Moving the Mount Vernon cancer centre to the Watford General Hospital site would reduce travel times and improve health outcomes for St Albans cancer patients. And as other hospital schemes across the country fail to get off the ground, I’m determined to keep making the case that our hospital re-build should be first in line to leapfrog them.
“Why? Because our local Hospital Trust owns the land, has the relevant planning permission, and has made the site shovel-ready.
“The Conservatives broke promise after promise on re-building our emergency hospital, and Labour has pushed it down into “wave two” of their re-build programme but I’m determined to make the case that ours should be brought forward.
“Even though the Minister told me that she could not provide any updates, I’m grateful that she met with me again and re-confirmed that it is still the government’s position that they will bring the Watford scheme forward if other schemes start to slip.
“The Minister knows from my years of campaigning on this issue that I won’t let up until we see spades in the ground.”
Daisy and the Minister of State for Health (Secondary Care), Karin Smyth MP, during their meeting.