The Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to discuss updates on the consultation for the reprovision of Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, including progress on the consultation and specific issues related to transport and access. The committee was also due to review the minutes from a previous meeting.

Mount Vernon Cancer Centre Reprovision Consultation Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the ongoing public consultation regarding proposals for Mount Vernon Cancer Centre. This consultation, which was live from 19 January to 29 March 2026, seeks views on relocating the centre from Northwood to a new purpose-built facility on the Watford General Hospital site. It also includes proposals for increasing care closer to home and options for radiotherapy services, such as the potential provision of an additional networked radiotherapy unit at a second site.

The report detailed how the consultation was being delivered and governed, adhering to legal duties for NHS bodies to involve the public in service planning and changes. The Gunning principles, a legal test for fair consultation, were being applied, ensuring proposals were genuinely under consideration, sufficient information was provided, adequate time was given for responses, and decision-makers would conscientiously consider the feedback.

The consultation employed a mixed engagement approach, including a public survey, public meetings, and targeted microgrant conversations with community groups. As of 23 February 2026, 1,163 public survey responses had been received. However, participation was not evenly distributed geographically, with under-representation noted in areas such as North West London, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West, and Frimley, including Slough. The demographic profile of respondents was also skewed towards women and white individuals, with targeted outreach and microgrants being used to address these gaps.

Early findings indicated polarised views on the relocation proposal, with travel and access being the dominant concerns for those opposed. Support for the relocation tended to be linked to the prospect of accessing acute services on-site and a modern facility. Interest in radiotherapy options was also noted, with different areas expressing varying preferences. The report highlighted that public meeting attendance was low, and efforts were being made to increase targeted promotion and vary formats. Clinical and professional engagement uptake was also noted as low, with additional communications planned.

The committee was asked to note the ongoing consultation period, compliance with legal requirements, participation levels, actions to address under-representation, and the early themes emerging from the consultation. They were also invited to comment on any local intelligence that could shape the remainder of the engagement programme.

Mount Vernon Cancer Centre Transport and Access Update

A separate report was scheduled to provide an overview of the work undertaken regarding transport and access in support of the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre consultation. This theme was proactively explored during the public consultation's online and in-person meetings, with specific question prompts designed to elicit detailed feedback on barriers to access, factors that would make travel manageable or difficult, and considerations for those who do not drive or are unwell.

Three dedicated focus groups on transport and access had been held, and while attendance was low, the conversations were considered useful. Early survey findings reinforced that travel and access were dominant concerns for those opposing the relocation. Key themes emerging from this perspective included the need for sufficient and affordable car parking at the proposed new centre, the emphasis on car travel for health reasons, concerns about road access to Watford, and the adequacy of public transport across Hertfordshire and from the South East. The potential extension of the Metropolitan line and parking at other sites that might receive additional services were also mentioned.

The report noted that many discussions on transport and access overlapped with the concept of care closer to home, exploring how services could be arranged to reduce the need for travel. This included local blood tests, chemotherapy at home, and better use of technology, with joined-up digital records identified as an essential enabler. Transport modelling had been conducted previously and was included in the Pre-Consultation Business Case. NHS England had commissioned a refresh of this work and a separate engagement exercise by Opinion Research Services (ORS) to further understand patient travel behaviours and barriers. Surveys and focus groups were planned to gather views from patients, the general public, support organisations, and providers of voluntary transport.

The committee was asked to note the ongoing work on travel and access and to consider, as part of their response to the consultation, writing to Local Authorities to urge them to partner with the NHS in improving access to the new cancer centre for patients across the affected regions.

Minutes of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting of 24 March 2025

The committee was also scheduled to review and agree the minutes from their previous meeting held on 24 March 2025.