RBH rebuild gets pushed to 2035

The rebuild of a new Royal Berkshire Hospital has been delayed again.

The health secretary Wes Streeting said today (Monday) that it will now not start until 2035 at the earliest.

The Royal Berkshire Hospital is to be included in the third wave of building works, meaning construction would start between 2035 and 2039.

It was due to be rebuilt under the previous Government’s new hospitals programme, but did not receive funding.

RBH was previously told it could expect to start building in 2031, and estimated that rebuilding it on a new site would cost about £1.6bn.

That figure is expected to rise in the coming years.

The hospital, on Craven Road in Reading, could be relocated to either Thames Valley Park or Thames Valley Science Park.