On 9 March 2026, the West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust announced a new partnership with broadcaster Angela Rippon CBE to use dance and movement to help patients recover at Watford General Hospital in Hertfordshire. The project aims to help people get back on their feet faster by making physical activity a regular part of their care while they are staying on the wards.
The initiative is part of a national campaign called Let’s Dance!, which promotes the health benefits of staying active through dancing. Patients at the hospital will take part in supervised movemen to help improve their ability to move before and after surgery, as well as to support their mental health.
Hospital staff are also using the programme to help people manage long-term conditions like Parkinson’s disease. Chief Nurse Kelly McGovern is leading the project, which focuses on helping older patients stay active and independent so they can return home sooner.
During a visit to the hospital’s oxhey ward, Rippon was joined by Clare Connor, Clare Connor, the Chief Executive of The Place and London Contemporary Dance School. They spoke with clinical teams about how simple movements can bridge the gap between being in a hospital bed and returning to life in the local community.
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