Hatfield hospital gets top-level support

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 19th Jul 2007

County councillor for Handside and Peartree Malcolm Cowan was delighted with the support for Hatfield hospital that he has got from the leader of the county council, David Beatty.

At a meeting of the full council on Tuesday, Malcolm asked 'now that there is a welcome change to the Secretary of State for Health, will you launch a new attempt to ensure Hertfordshire receives the investment needed to provide the reconfiguration of health that was envisaged in Investing in Your Health and Investing in Your Mental Health? In particular, the need for the new hospital in Hatfield to which you have given welcome support in the past.

He replied 'We call on the government to make good its promise to invest the £425 million for a new hospital at Hatfield in the interests of the future health of the population of Hertfordshire'

Malcolm also revealed the ratings given to the various alternatives that were given by the N & E Herts Hospital Trust's own staff to the trust's own questionnaire - they are Lister 1822 points, Hatfield 2410 points. 'This is a clear vindication of Hatfield as the right solution, on medical access and environmental grounds he pointed out'.

On the question of costs, the projected deficit of the trust with Hatfield, even using the discredited Private Finance Initiative, is just £5m on a turnover of over £500m, a gap that would be eliminated if another way of financing the hospital was used. 'David Beatty agreed that PFI is not the only way of financing the hospital.'

'I am really pleased to have got top-level support. We can go forward to make the case to get us what is acknowledged as the right solution for our health. We will be asking all Herts MPs to back Hatfield. The only disappointing aspect was that while I was asking for this support, I was jeered by some of the Labour councillors. I do wonder why' he concluded.

For further information, contact Malcolm Cowan on 010707-324723.