Watford’s new hospital team has the promise of cash but the government is yet to sign a cheque, councillors have heard.

Alex White, chief redevelopment officer at Watford General Hospital, has said much of the groundwork for a rebuilt unit is complete and that any threat to the project “is political”.

The West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust site has the promise of funding, which the then-health secretary Steve Barclay made in a speech to Parliament last May.

Mr White told councillors he could not reveal the figure which he has seen, but confirmed Hertfordshire health bosses will not receive the sum until the Westminster government signs off on a business case.

The proposed rebuild is one of more than 40 due to take place throughout England as part of the New Hospital Programme.

At a Watford Borough Council meeting on Wednesday, November 15, Mr White said the project in Vicarage Road is “one of the few that has been allocated sufficient money to do everything we need to do within that envelope”.

He said Mr Barclay’s speech to Parliament on May 25 “unlocked a lot of progress” but added: “I don’t think you can say the cheque has been signed.”

New Hospital Programme chiefs have approved land acquisition and work on moving a pathology lab has started, Mr White said.

Watford Observer: Watford General Hospital.Watford General Hospital. (Image: Will Durrant/LDRS)“That’s a key part of clearing the site,” he explained.

“That will basically enable a single-phase development, which gives us a very good footing in terms of value for money.

“We don’t need a complex decanting programme like a lot of the other schemes do.”

NHS builders are due to start on site around 2025/26.

What’s the plan if ‘a whole lot of promises’ aren’t kept?

Watford Observer: Cllr Tom Osborn (LD, Nascot) pointed to previous attempts to replace Watford General Hospital with a new building.

Authorities received planning permission for a Health Campus in 2007, with construction due to cost £750million and final completion due in 2019, but it was never built.

Cllr Osborn said the government has made “a whole lot of promises” as part of the New Hospital Programme.

“There’s a political agreement and the will to do it,” he said.

“But what contingency is there for, yet again, a promise they keep?”

Mr White said: “Contingencies if promises are broken – we continue to maintain the existing estate to the best of our ability.

“It’s not an ideal scenario by any means.

“But we’re feeling confident [the new build is] going to happen.

“The best ‘contingency’ is to get our design and business case approved, ideally, before the next election.”

He added: “We’ve got to bear in mind that when … the cheque arrives, we still have a long period of time to wait for the construction of this substantial facility, so we have a contingency plan that we’re implementing because we have to keep the existing hospital operating for at least another five or so years.”

Mr White explained: “The key threats are probably political and any seismic changes we’ve got ahead of us.

“We’ve had Prime Minister Sunak come and visit us and speak to cameras for the BBC, and to make his commitment to the scheme.

“We’ve had several reassuring visits from major dignitaries.”

Watford Observer: How a new Watford General Hospital could look, according to approved outline plans.How a new Watford General Hospital could look, according to approved outline plans. (Image: BDP/West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust/Watford Borough Council.)Some of the trust’s existing estate could remain under NHS control after the build is complete for further service provision or use by the biosciences research sector, he said.

The New Hospital Programme, for more than 40 rebuilds or refurbishments across the country, is expected to cost more than £20billion.

Mr White said he could not reveal the funding promise for Watford which he had seen for commercial reasons.

The NHS Trust has previously revealed its preferred option – for a rebuild at Watford and refurbishments in Hemel Hempstead and St Albans – could cost around £1.2billion.

Cllr Asif Khan (Lab, Leggatts) asked how much the project could cost by the time 2030 rolls around.

Mr White explained the most up-to-date costing looks at the price around mid-2028.

“We have modelled inflation in,” he said.

The NHS boss added: “On behalf of the trust, I would like to extend our thanks for all the support that you continue to provide and have provided over many years.

“We know this has been a long journey.

“These huge developments never happen overnight, as you know, and so everyone is incredibly grateful for the support and collaboration you have shown over the years.”