NHS leader Chris Hopson visits hospital in Thatcham his father helped open

An NHS leader has returned to Thatcham to visit the hospital his late father founded.

Chris Hopson, chief strategy officer for NHS England, visited West Berkshire Community Hospital on June 6, where his father David Hopson was one of four founding trustees.

He died just three years before the hospital officially opened in 2004.

Chris toured the Minor Injuries Unit, Radiology Department, several inpatient wards and the Therapy Garden, where a memorial plaque is installed in his father’s memory.

He was joined by his brother Jonathan Hopson, former chief executive of Newbury’s Camp Hopson department store.

Reflecting on the day, Chris said: “It’s fitting that my final visit as a senior NHS executive is to West Berkshire, where I was brought up and where my wider family still lives.

“I know from friends and relatives what a vital service this hospital provides.

“It was also a deeply personal moment to remember my father’s contribution to creating this hospital.

“I often recall him talking about the need for a local facility to serve Newbury, Thatcham and the surrounding rural communities.

“He would be proud to see how that vision has not only come to life but has flourished.”

READ MORE: A look through the archives at Newbury’s hospitals over the last 75 years of the NHS

Chris joined the NHS in 2012 and has served as NHS England’s chief strategy officer since June 2022.

He will be stepping down from this role at the end of the month to begin a new phase in his career.