Local MPs react to hospital review

Constituency MP Josh Dean and neighbouring Harlow MP Chris Vince have issued a statement following the announcement that redevelopment of the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow has been put on hold.

The redevelopment hospital was announced in 2019 with an opening date of 2024, but this later slipped to 2032. 

The new Labour government has now put the project on hold due to financial pressures.

In a statement, the MPs said: "There is no clearer sign of the damage the Conservatives have done to our NHS than the crumbling hospital that patients in Harlow and Hertford and Stortford are being treated in.

"Now it has become clear that the Tories have left a black hole in Britain's finances. They covered up the true state of the public finances and then ran away, and it is now up to the Labour government to fix the foundations of the economy, restore economic stability and never stand by to let something like this happen again. 

"The rebuild of Princess Alexandra Hospital is long overdue, but this means a review of the work is unavoidable. We will work constructively with a Labour government to ensure the best possible healthcare for residents in Harlow and Hertford and  Stortford with a plan that is achievable and affordable for the country."

The Government will now develop a costed and realistic new timescale to deliver the project.