Old Harlow councillor: “I believe the new Harlow hospital should be built at.. the preferred site next to Junction 7A”.
Health / Thu 18th Dec 2025 at 05:21pm
OLD Harlow councillor Joel Charles has set out his position on the New Harlow Hospital Programme Strategy.
Cllr Charles said: “Harlow needs a new state-of-the-art hospital to meet the growing demand for acute health services. Our local population is ageing and continued population growth is placing pressure on the existing hospital site.
“I think it is too early to make any substantive judgement about what Thom Lafferty, the Chief Executive of the Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust, is planning to do next. He has been honest about the options available to him, including the limitations of the current hospital site.
“Thom Lafferty must consult widely with the community about the future direction of the New Harlow Hospital Programme Strategy. As much detail as possible should be made public to build trust that a genuine attempt is being made to make the right decision.
“What must be avoided is another delay. I believe a new Harlow hospital should be built at what is currently the preferred site next to Junction 7A. That site can accommodate the development of a large acute facility that would dramatically improve local health outcomes.”
Vicky
2025-12-18 17:48:44
Doesn’t matter where it’s built, you’re not getting to it in an emergency. Roads are always busy and lack of public transport is not helpful. We also need a bigger hospital with more beds not the proposed one with more space but less beds.
Adam
2025-12-18 18:25:33
There is incompetence and then government incompetence, well civil service / public sector. The first time this was mentioned was 2019. That was 6 years ago to give some reference, we have been partners in a consortium, that designed developed, manufactured and tested a satellite costing 700M Euros in considerably less time. Perhaps because the team involved in the process were actually competent unlike it seems the public sector. Still it is not like many peoples lives depend on it. The UK cannot just achieve anything to many in the lanyard classes are blockers not producers, it is one of the reasons why the country is in the mess it is
Pat Lawn
2025-12-18 19:27:36
These new options will just lead to further hold ups while everyone discusses the options. I thought the present govt had earmarked 2030 as a start date. Can someone clarify what has gone “wrong” with the trust developing the J7a site……. I said in a post elsewhere that I believed we should have a proper purpose built hospital, not just a hotch potch based on altering present buildings. I remember when my husband (Martin Lawn) was chair of the hosp trust, there was talk of using the site at the older Harlow mway junction. He died 10 years ago and it was well before that. It just seems to be talk, talk, talk ….. With nothing happening - particularly under Joel’s party’s former government! And so it continues ……..
peter henegan
2025-12-18 19:53:45
I suspect the main benefit of building a Harlow hospital in Epping would be that the existing site can be sold off for housing thus reducing the net cost, notwithstanding the cost of acquiring land at 7a. It would be interesting to see financials on this. I also suspect that the nature of healthcare will change massively over coming years so it may be that a 7a facility will not meet the new ways. We saw with Covid how quickly vaccines can be developed. We regularly hear about other developments especially those benefitting from AI. The current hospital does get busy but the adjacent former Square is still a bombsite and would seem to offer a possibility. We also have the England health whatever it is caused going just down the road I like the idea of my hospital being in the middle of the town and I am sure it must benefit the town centre but whether that is the best solution for future healthcare I really do not have the detailed knowledge on which to base a decision.
David Forman
2025-12-18 20:35:22
Given that the hospital's staff side secretary, and unison branch officer, Daniella Pritchard commented on the CEO Thom Lafferty story in favour of redeveloping the existing site should ring alarm bells. Given that Daniella is also a Labour councillor for Passwords ward may suggest she has been primed by Eastern Region Labour office in Flex Meadow to lay the ground for backtracking on the commitment to build a new hospital at Junction 7A.
David Forman
2025-12-18 20:36:32
Here is what Labour councillor Daniella Pritchard said on 17 December at 20:48GMT: "Brilliant idea! Is also good for Harlow Town." See CEO Thom Lafferty story at https://www.yourharlow.com/2025/12/17/princess-alexandra-bosses-may-abandon-plans-for-new-hospital-and-opt-to-re-build-on-existing-sites/
gary roberts
2025-12-19 07:17:13
" I believe a new Harlow hospital should be built at what is currently the preferred site next to Junction 7A". Preferred site said who? Has it been consulted on with the town? A new Harlow hospital? When did Junction 7A arrive in Harlow?
Julie Bull
2025-12-19 08:00:03
The realisation one's plans are a lie can be described as a moment of profound disillusionment
Guy Flegman
2025-12-19 08:43:43
They should rebuild on the existing site while keeping the hospital open. This can be done as it has been done at St Bart’s in london. It will be cheaper and more expedient.
Vanda Mason
2025-12-19 21:25:45
Totally agree with Guy Flegman. If dealt with properly, this is achievable. Multi storey car park on site of Square (still derelict) then re-build each area effectively to include current car parking areas. Just needs someone without an agenda to look into it.
Mr George
2025-12-20 00:15:39
He can say to build it on the flipping moon for goodness sake, but stop talking about it, just get on with it. PAH is a hell hole of a hospital, it is dangerous to go there and has been for 15 odd years. No government has ever done a thing about it. Yet keep building thousands of new homes adding to the population who are dying or utterly miserable because they do not get proper care. Had enough of conservatives banging on about the NHS when they have destroyed it too.
Stuart J
2025-12-20 13:30:23
Of course Cllr Charles, wants the new hospital built off the M11 junction 7A, it’s just happens to be on and his constituents doorsteps. I don’t suppose those residents living in Katherine’s or Sunmers will have the same opinion.
Seamus
2025-12-20 15:30:37
The only reason why the site at Junction 7a was ever considered was in case an event at standard happened. Sir Frederick Gibberd knew the basic's and he performed them well with the Hospital at the centre of the town. The biggest problem of the current site is space. If you were to build a substantive multi storey car par on what is the current largest car park on the west of the hospital site, then you could use the current multiple parking sites to expand the hospital units and future expansion. At the momment we seem to be spending years and years spending millions on millions in just prattling on and with no forward achievements.
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