The Labour Party has pledged to build a new hospital for Reading if they gain power in the forthcoming general election.
In 2019, the trust that runs the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading was selected as one of 40 which would receive funding for new hospitals by the Conservative government.
There were hopes that a new hospital would be established by 2030, but priority is being given to replacing existing hospitals which were built with crumbling RAAC concrete.
Now Labour politicians have pledged that the Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s new hospital project will be completed if the party enters government following the next general election.
At a recent visit, Labour MP candidates Olivia Bailey for Reading West & Mid Berkshire, Yuan Yang for Earley and Woodley, Jo Smith for Maidenhead and Matt Rodda MP (Reading Central) received a briefing on the challenges facing staff.
The candidates were told about the growing pressure on Accident and Emergency and other services provided at the current site in Craven Road.
Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading East said: “I want to thank NHS staff at the Royal Berkshire Hospital for their hard work and commitment.
“It is clear that our much-loved hospital is under increasing pressure because of Government policies and investment is urgently needed.”
In a joint statement, Olivia Bailey and Yuan Yang said: “People in Berkshire are still waiting for a new hospital that was promised years ago.
“We’ve been campaigning for the government to stop dragging its feet, because we know how crucial it is for staff and patients to have better facilities.
“The Labour Party has committed to delivering a new Royal Berkshire Hospital.
“For all of us in Berkshire, the general election can’t come soon enough, so that a new Labour government can get our NHS back on its feet.”
The next general election will be held no later than January.
Options for the new hospital include a rebuild at the current site in Craven Road, or a fresh build at Thames Valley Park in Earley or Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield.
Both proposed sites are in the Earley and Woodley constituency in Wokingham Borough.
Reading Borough Council’s Labour administration expressed a preference for the hospital to be rebuilt at its current site.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats prefer the hospital to be built elsewhere.
Clive Jones the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Wokingham said: “I think it’s better on a brand-new site.
“Obviously, the hospital trust have to negotiate with landowners to see where the most viable site is.
“I think that is better than redeveloping the current site. A newbuild would take about five years, so if a project begins in 2031, we should have a new hospital by 2036.
“If we are going to redevelop the current site it would not take five years, it would take at least 10.”
Mr Jones blasted the Conservatives for not defining how much funding the Royal Berkshire Hospital project would obtain, making the Trust’s planning difficult.
He added: “It’s not acceptable for staff and it’s not acceptable for patients.”
Labour have a survey calling on the government to ‘stop failing’ in its promises for the new hospital programme. It can be completed by logging on to: https://survey.labour.org.uk/berkshire-hospital
