Herts Health Strategy in tatters, but councillors forced to wring their hands

3.09.30am GMT Tue 15th Jan 2008

Nigel Quinton

Herts health trusts have succeeded in avoiding a referral to the Secretary of State over their inadequate consultation process, but only because councillors felt powerless to affect the outcome. At the county Health Scrutiny Committee last week, the committee agreed that "There was insufficient evidence within the DQHC detailing the reasons why the new Hatfield Hospital had been excluded" but decided that no purpose would be served by a referral. In essence the majority of the committee accepted that the health trusts had no alternative but to conclude thanks to the restrictions placed upon them by this Labour government, the Hatfield project was now unaffordable.

Cllr Allan Witherick, who represents St Albans City Hospital fumed:

"The way that the Labour Government has changed the rules makes it extremely frustrating. This has been made worse by the late presentation of new information which basically says that the numbers don't stack up and never stacked up for the promise made by Labour for a new Hatfield hospital."

Borough Councillor Nigel Quinton, representing Welwyn Hatfield, and who is LibDem Parliamentary Candidate for Hitchin & Harpenden, said "I would have voted to refer the issue, but because of the way scrutiny is now restricted when it came to the vote I was left powerless as only half of the districts can have a say."

Hatfield Hospital was the centrepiece of the Investing in Your Health strategy approved in 2003, which promised significant new investment in two major hospitals, Watford and Hatfield. Thanks in part to Watford Borough Council and some innovative thinking, Watford looks like going ahead, but Labour has strangled the Herts health economy and the Hatfield project is the biggest casualty to date. Falling standards, evidenced by the Healthcare Commission report last week which classed the West Herts NHS trust, and both PCT's as "Weak", are another symptom. Now the only solution left open, without extra