A New Hospital for Welwyn garden City by 2014?

NHS Hertfordshire has now approved the full business case for the replacement QEII Hospital in Welwyn Garden City. The planned 4-storey Local General Hospital will replace the existing buildings and is expected to be complete by August 2014.

It will provide a general outpatients department, a Local A&E Department and diagnostic facilities which include, CT, MRI X-ray and ultrasound. Since the outline business case was agreed in March design changes have taken place which will result in significant improvements. The outpatient department has been increased, more therapy rooms are now planned , lifts, stairs, lobbies and corridors are all to be wider and car parking has been increased to 345 spaces with the potential to go up to 405 spaces if necessary.

The plans next need to go to the Strategic Health Authority - in July - and the final hurdle will be to gain Treasury approval which will permit work to start. This final approval is expected at the end of the summer.