In reply to Ian Kirkham’s letter in your paper (‘Pie in the sky scheme’, September 7), I would like to make the following points:

READ MORE: Letter: New hospital is 'pie in the sky'

Contrary to his assertion that the government has come to a decision to rebuild and renovate Watford General Hospital, it remains only a proposal, not a done deal.

He says that “an ostensibly apolitical group” is holding public meetings at which Watford Hospital is described as “the worst hospital in western Europe”. The truth is that the campaign for a new, 21st century hospital built near, but not in, Watford is completely apolitical, to the extent that I have no idea of the political affiliations of the majority of people involved in the campaign.

As to describing the hospital as the worst in western Europe, this is not an assertion that has been made in a general context. It is an unarguable fact that Watford General Hospital has half the number of NHS beds available per thousand head of population as the average hospital in the UK, has grossly inadequate major medical equipment and is consistently failing the NHS quality inspections with rankings of ‘inadequate’ and ‘requires improvement’.

Redeveloping is estimated to cost £640 million and take thirteen years, during which the day-to-day running of the hospital would be severely disrupted for staff and patients, when a new, purpose-built hospital could be erected for £550 million, leaving Watford to function normally during the (much shorter) build time.

Mr Kirkham asserts that criticism of Watford General Hospital is “a slur… and insulting to the hard-working doctors, nurses and ancillary staff”. Nobody associated with the campaign for a new hospital has anything but the highest praise for the medical and ancillary staff, and this is a refrain that has been repeated long and often at the public meetings we have held. We simply want to give the staff the buildings and equipment they deserve.

It is wrong to say that the only viable alternative site is the Hemel Hempstead Hospital site. This would defeat the purpose of creating a new hospital accessible to everyone in West Herts, including all the residents of Watford: a site with easy access, large free car parking provision, and away from the problems we all have with a hospital site adjacent to a premiership football ground. There are several sites available.

The Watford General Hospital site would still be in use for intermediate care, outpatients appointments, and 24/7 Urgent treatment, as would the St Albans and Hemel Hempstead hospitals.

Everyone in Watford and across the rest of west Herts would be infinitely better off with a brand new hospital.

Jean Ritchie

Herts Valleys Hospital Solution