Royal Berkshire Hospital: Opposition politicians slam government decision to delay construction of a new hospital

Newbury’s Liberal Democrat MP, Lee Dillon, has slammed the Government following the announcement that the start of construction of the new Royal Berkshire Hospital has been pushed back to the 2035-2039 timeframe.

Mr Dillon has been campaigning to secure funding for a new hospital to replace the current crumbling facility in Reading, which he argues is failing to meet the needs of the community.

But in a joint statement with Reading’s two Labour MPs, Reading West and Mid Berkshire MP Olivia Bailey said the Government had been “elected to fix our broken NHS and we are getting on with the job”.

The new hospital was first promised by Boris Johnson and the Conservatives as part of the then Government’s ‘40 new hospitals’ pledge, with completion expected by 2028.

However, the Government’s recent review has now placed the Royal Berkshire Hospital in the Wave 3 schemes, meaning construction will not begin until at least 2035.

Mr Dillon criticised the decision, describing it as a betrayal of his constituents and calling for urgent transparency.

He urged the Government to publish its impact assessment detailing what the delays will mean for patients in Newbury and how the existing hospital’s deteriorating state will affect their safety and care.

He added: “Patient safety here in Newbury is at risk and we have been desperately let down.

“We simply can’t wait until 2035 or beyond for the Royal Berkshire Hospital to be rescued.

“The Conservatives broke their word to our community, and now this Government has kicked the issue into the long grass.

“I was born in the Royal Berkshire Hospital and will shortly be turning 42. By the time this new hospital is rebuilt, I’ll most likely be 60.

“That’s how long we’ve been made to wait, and it’s unacceptable.

“The health secretary must immediately publish the impact assessment of what these delays will mean for people here in Newbury and how much longer we will have to endure substandard local health services.

“I will continue fighting for our community day in and day out until we get the commitments we need.”

Ms Bailey said: “We are pleased we now have a definitive commitment and a realistic plan to deliver the world-class hospital our community deserves, but we are disappointed by the delay to its construction.

“We will continue to fight tirelessly to make the case for our promised hospital to be built as soon as possible.

“This delay is a direct consequence of the Conservative Party promising a new hospital when they knew they had no money to pay for it, and leaving a huge black hole in the public finances.

“Today [Monday] the Government has set out the realistic, costed plan that the Conservatives should have delivered.

“This Government was elected to fix our broken NHS and we are getting on with the job.

“Alongside our plan for new hospitals, we are delivering millions more appointments to bring down waiting times, investing in new diagnostic scanners and surgical hubs, improving choice and convenience and ensuring everyone in Berkshire can access a family doctor.”

And the Conservative Party has also blasted the Labour government after the announcement.

In May last year, Reading Labour candidates pledged to deliver a new hospital for constituents if they took power.

All three Labour candidates were elected: Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading Central, Olivia Bailey, the Labour MP for Reading West and Mid Berkshire and Yuan Yang, the Labour MP for Earley and Woodley.

These MPs have now been accused of breaking their promises to the electorate.

Leader of the opposition on West Berkshire Council, Ross Mackinnon (Conservative, Bradfield), the runner-up for the Reading West and Mid Berkshire constituency, highlighted a video of Ms Bailey at a campaign hustings stating that she had a “commitment” from Chancellor Rachel Reeves that funding would be provided for a new hospital.

Defending the Labour MPs, health secretary Mr Streeting said that they “used every opportunity” to remind him how important the new hospital project is.