Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring forward from 2032 the New Hospital Programme construction work to redevelop Watford General hospital should capacity become available.

Watford General Hospital is part of Wave 2 of the New Hospital Programme, as set out in the published Plan for Implementation. Pre-construction activity, which includes business case development and enabling works, is expected to commence from 2028, with main construction expected to begin between 2032 and 2034. There are no current plans to bring forward the construction timetable for the scheme.

As set out in the Plan for Implementation, delivery expectations may be subject to change depending on local and national factors and the programme reserves the right to adjust the delivery plan as schemes develop in the future.