A Watford prospective parliamentary candidate has called for an immediate cash bail out for Watford General Hospital.

Labour's Matt Turmaine said West Hertfordshire Hospitals Trust's four-hour A&E waiting times are up 27 per cent year on year, and trolley waiting times have increased year on year too.

He said: "We recently announced that we will provide an extra £2.5 billion to make sure the NHS survives.

"But I question how these proposals are going to help the trust out of its current difficulties, reflected in an ever increasing demand and a funding crisis.

"Put frankly, our local hospital is at risk of going bust and its failure to meet targets, together with year on year increases in A&E waiting times and trolley waiting times clearly shows what the Conservative/Liberal Democrat government’s re-organisation of our NHS has done to health services in our country."

The trust's board heard last month that its planned £14 million deficit for the year 2014/15 had already been hit after just five months and that it would need to borrow £24 million to pay the bills.

In addition the trust has allocated £6 million for the new link road for the Watford hospital.

Turmaine continued: "The complacency of our Mayor and MP in ignoring this crisis is simply breathtaking. Watford hospital needs a bail out now to keep it afloat and new investment in community care and health promotion to deliver the healthcare services that we have the right to expect in Hertfordshire, only Labour will deliver this."

Lynn Hill, deputy chief executive, said the A&E team had been extremely busy treating 1,000 more patients between July to September compared to the same period last year.

She said the trust had also recorded a 10 per cent increase in the number of sick patients needing to be admitted to wards during that time.

She said: "Our doctors, nurses and other staff are working very hard under difficult circumstances to ensure our patients are seen as quickly as possible.

"Between July and September, 95.2 per cent of patients using our A&E services were treated, admitted or discharged within a maximum of four hours, which is better than the government standard of 95 per cent. 

"We have been very public about the financial challenge we face and our teams are working hard to ensure we do not exceed our plan of a £14 million deficit agreed with the Department of Health at the start of the year.

"We have also been transparent about our need for short term financial support, which helps to meet the cash flow linked to our deficit as well as the important investments in hospital buildings and new equipment.  

"I am disappointed that Mr Turmaine didn’t speak to us about his concerns over the funding of the new road. If he had, I would have been able to reassure him that the money will be available when it is needed."  

Watford MP Richard Harrington said: "Since I became MP I have secured several millions of pounds worth of investment for Watford General, funding for improved access, a new maternity unit, and an upgrade to the building's infrastructure to name just a few - as well as working towards a proper long term plan. 

"I meet regularly with the NHS Trust, the CCG, doctors and others, to improve how healthcare is delivered in our area."

Elected Mayor Dorothy Thornhill questioned what Mr Turmaine had done to resolve the hospitals' deficit and said he needed to learn the system if he aspires to be the town's MP.

The Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate said: "He should know better. If he aspires to be Watford's MP he should lean how the system works. This is just political opportunism.

"I meet regularly with the trust's chief executive and when I have to swing into action I do, and I do so effectively."