Plans to secure the future of specialist cancer services for more than two million people in the East of England and beyond have moved a step closer, with agreement on how to fund the capital for a new cancer centre paving the way for a public consultation later this month.
Between 19 January 2026 and 29 March 2026, patients, staff, key stakeholders and the public will be invited to share their views on proposals to relocate the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre to a new, purpose-built facility next to Watford General Hospital.
With plans already approved for a new Watford General Hospital, this proposal, if approved after public consultation, would add world class cancer services to the site, creating a centre of excellence in Watford.
Modern cancer care increasingly relies on the support of a range of on-site medical and surgical services, including Accident and Emergency and critical care. Therefore the new, purpose-built cancer centre would provide all of that essential access in modern facilities, along with more space for innovation, research and training. It would continue to serve patients across Hertfordshire, north west London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and east Berkshire.
Proposals include expanding chemotherapy, diagnostics and follow-up care in local hospitals, increasing chemotherapy at home, and reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for routine appointments. There will also be an option to locate a second radiotherapy unit at either Luton and Dunstable Hospital or Lister Hospital in Stevenage. This would be in addition to radiotherapy at the main cancer centre and would improve access to radiotherapy for patients living in the north of the area currently served by Mount Vernon Cancer Centre.
The proposals for Mount Vernon Cancer Centre have been drawn up over the last few years with the help of patients and staff following an independent review that found specialised cancer services would not be able to continue at the existing site. This has limited the number of patients the centre can treat and has led to some trials and treatments no longer being offered to patients.
Clare Panniker, Regional Director of NHS England in the East of England, said: “Mount Vernon Cancer Centre has a proud history and an exceptional team, but the facilities no longer meet the needs of today’s complex cancer care.
“These proposals would enable us to bring together two brilliant services to create a world-class centre of excellence, serving local communities with high-quality healthcare delivered by the same compassionate staff, for decades to come.”
Extending the scope of the redevelopment of Watford General Hospital to include the cancer centre means efficiencies could be made through joint construction, project and other arrangements to reduce the individual cost of both hospitals and thereby deliver the extended scope without increasing the overall cost to taxpayers.
Subject to the outcome of consultation and satisfactory completion of the necessary due diligence, the management of the services provided by Mount Vernon Cancer Centre would transfer from East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust to University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH).
Work is already underway on a £12m programme of enabling works at Watford General Hospital to clear the site ahead of the main hospital building. The agreement that the cancer centre could be incorporated into the scheme to redevelop Watford General Hospital will enable rapid progress on detailed design work. The final timetable for delivery of the combined scheme will be considered after the consultation period.
Matthew Coats, chief executive of West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Expanding the Watford General scheme to include Mount Vernon Cancer Centre would be a major step forward in delivering both a world class cancer centre and a state-of-the-art hospital, which would benefit patients, our communities and our brilliant staff.
“We’re very grateful for the partnership with UCLH, a world-leading healthcare organisation, and other NHS partners who we are delighted to work with on what we believe to be a flagship opportunity to bring to life the ambitions in the 10-year plan.”
Adam Sewell-Jones, chief executive at East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, said: “Our staff at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre deliver outstanding care, and a new cancer centre would allow them to provide the most modern, innovative treatments. Continuity and quality of care for our patients and staff remains our highest priority. We will also ensure there will be plenty of opportunities for patients and staff to ask questions about the proposals and express their views.”
David Probert, chief executive at UCLH, said: “We are delighted that funding has now been agreed for the proposal to relocate Mount Vernon Cancer Centre to a new purpose-built facility in Watford. We look forward to working with West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and other partners following the outcome of the consultation, to deliver a long-awaited and sustainable future for this important centre.”
A Pre-Consultation Business Case and consultation materials have been finalised as part of NHS England’s assurance process. The public consultation will open on 19 January until 29 March 2026 with both online and in-person opportunities to take part.
Notes to editors
- Mount Vernon Cancer Centre is currently run by East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust from buildings owned by The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
- An independent review of Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in 2019 concluded that while clinical teams provide high-quality care, the site itself is no longer suitable for modern cancer treatment and there is no on-site access to vital services such as intensive care or emergency support.
- The review recommended creating a new cancer centre on an acute hospital site where these facilities are readily available.
- The review also recommended transfer of the management of the service to a specialist cancer provider, and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) was selected as the preferred provider in 2020. This transfer is subject to final decision making which requires a plan for a sustainable future for the service. UCLH has played a key role in developing these proposals for the future of Mount Vernon Cancer Centre.
- The move to a new cancer centre on the Watford site would include the services provided by the Paul Strickland Scanner Centre and in the Lynda Jackson Centre.
- The review also recommended improving the cancer centre buildings for the interim period during which the cancer centre still needs to operate, and a circa £10 million programme of building works is ongoing and scheduled for completion in 2026.
- The proposals for consultation include expanding chemotherapy capacity at Northwick Park and Hammersmith Hospitals, and creating a new chemotherapy unit at Hillingdon Hospital, improving access for London patients.
- The proposals also include the option of an additional local radiotherapy unit at either Luton and Dunstable Hospital or Lister Hospital in Stevenage, which could help to bring treatment closer to home for patients living in the north of the area.
