The dire state of facilities at Watford General Hospital has been revealed in a damning report compiled by the NHS trust which runs it.

The Strategic Outline Case document, which sets out plans for acute transformation at hospitals in West Hertfordshire, said the poor condition of the Watford site has resulted in a “significant risk” to the continuity of the business.

It points to a number of serious incidents occurring in the last year, including the closure of operating theatres due to ventilation failures, frequent sewage leaks into clinical areas, and the loss of beds because of water leaks after heavy rainfall.

READ MORE: NHS hospital trust put in special measures over serious care failings 

Another startling revelation is that the only link between the main clinical buildings is an underground service corridor dependent on a single lift, meaning patients being moved between the Women’s and Children’s Services building and the main operating theatres share the corridor with domestic and clinical waste, as well as catering services.

The trust estate, owned by West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, has suffered from historic underinvestment, with 68 per cent of the total estate and 80 per cent of the Watford site now considered to be in “poor” condition or worse, with a maintenance backlog cost estimated at more than £100m.

Watford Observer:

Many of the buildings at the hospital have apparently reached the end of their lifespan and are no longer fit for purpose. The report states that, even with major refurbishment, they could not be considered suitable for clinical services.

With a high occupancy rate of around 97% for inpatient beds, there is no capacity to absorb additional patients during periods of peak demand. During these times, corridors around the emergency department have to be re-designated as clinical areas, the report adds.

A&E and inpatient services only received a “modest investment” to move from Hemel Hempstead Hospital to Watford. The trust said it intended to invest further but this did not occur and now the investment is “urgently required”.

With the residential aspect of the Health Campus project progressing steadily, pressure is increasing on the trust to confirm its future plans for the area’s acute services.

The report establishes the need for investment and seeks approval to conduct a more detailed analysis of options going forward; it is believed that building a new hospital is not among them.

The report says: “The needs of the population are changing. Acute services in west Hertfordshire will need additional capacity over the next 20 years if they are to meet demand.

“The estate must now be improved to minimise these risks and allow best value for money to be gained from future investment, maintaining the estate to the required standard rather than simply patching it up.”

The suggested cost of the proposed acute transformation is around £534 million - £464 for redevelopment of Watford and £71m for St Albans City Hospital.

The trust is aiming to seek planning permission in January 2018, with construction work to begin in 2019/20 and take approximately ten years to complete.