Agenda item

Purpose: To provide an update on plans for the redevelopment of the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

Alison Foster (Programme Director) provided the Building Berkshire Together Update (Agenda Item 10).

The following points were raised in the debate:

·       Site tours of the existing hospital helped Members to understand the issues and helped the Trust to learn how best to engage and link with local communities.

·       The Trust was keen to engage with local groups and attend events. Members were encouraged to email Alison Foster directly with details of any local community events (alison.foster@royalberkshire.nhs.uk).

·       Transport and parking issues were highlighted as key concerns. It was suggested that patients would use public transport if it was convenient (e.g., a direct service from Newbury Bus Station). The Trust welcomed all feedback and confirmed that as part of the impact assessment process, it was considering how to mitigate the impacts of relocating the acute hospital on local communities within its catchment. This included making better use of local facilities such as the West Berkshire Community Hospital.

·       Concern was expressed about the way in which the project was being approached, i.e., considering a replacement for the existing hospital rather than considering the sort of health system that would be needed in 30-40 years. It was noted that West Berkshire had an ageing population, which would lead to an increased demand for services. More people at end-of-life were choosing to die at home, and a better community health system would be needed to support this. The Trust was urged to consider multiple scenarios and be open to changes in working practices (e.g., consider what size hospital would be needed if there was significant investment in prevention; look at health spaces within communities; or consider the impact of a shift from surgical to medical interventions). The Trust confirmed that the hospital would come after a significant, multi-year transformation programme. The Trust had engaged with the wider health system in order to work out the right size of hospital for the future. They offered to provide a further update on this process to a future meeting. It was stressed that there would always be a need for an acute hospital, but there was a clear commitment to move to a more preventative model of care, as set out in the Primary Care Strategy. Much was dependent on the funding envelope. It was stressed that the bricks and mortar development was just one part of the set of system-wide solutions being considered.

·       It was noted that the Berkshire West Place was engaged in a major programme to move services closer to patients. The hospital redevelopment project aimed to secure funds to replace current infrastructure on the existing site, which was not fit for purpose. It was accepted that the Trust needed to do more to explain its clinical strategy.

·       Members welcomed the level of engagement experienced at Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council and expressed a desire to engage other communities across West Berkshire in a similar way.

·       The Trust confirmed that details of all engagement events were available on the Building Berkshire Together website and social media channels.

·       Members recognised the need to identify a site for a new hospital, even if the final design might change over time, and asked about the timescales for the project. It was confirmed that work to identify potential sites was ongoing. Construction was scheduled to start in 2031. It was hoped that the project could be completed faster than 14 years, and elements would be brought forward where possible, but progress was linked to funding rounds.

RESOLVED to note the report.