Replacement for the current Royal Berkshire Hospital plus A&E

Where the replacement hospital is built will have a massive impact on who it can effectively serve in our community.

Rumours of it being placed at the Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield seem at a glance positive, but that location has issues of connectivity, as it's not easily accessed from the M4 for instance.

Although an A & E is expensive to staff and run, If emergency services are centralised, then, by default, the travel time in an Ambulance for many is increased. So, health impacts are certain to be worse.

It's around 15 miles from Upper Bucklebury to the proposed site. That’s 25-30 mins. If the hospital was at junction 12 instead, then it’s around ½ that time. Let’s remember this is on top of the Ambulance getting to you in the first place.

With heart attacks and strokes especially, time is critical and measured in minutes for the best outcomes for the patient. It is also critical for the cost associated with recovery afterwards which is borne by the NHS, Social care teams, and the patient.

Newbury has a very good community hospital but no A&E. Using Upper Bucklebury as an example the NHS website directs you to either Basingstoke and North Hampshire or the Royal Berkshire.

I’ve been a champion of DeFibs across West Berkshire since first becoming a Cllr, because of the time criticality involved when suffering cardiac arrest. But as we have an opportunity to plan for the future, I’d like to see the new Hospital moved very close to an existing motorway junction or at least have direct access from the M4, thus ensuring people in Berkshire can easily get there. I’d also like to see the Newbury community hospital services increased to provide a 24x7 A&E. These two things could reduce Ambulance travel time and we could all benefit from the resulting health outcomes.

It would be great to get your opinion on this as I continue to develop the list of things I would like to tackle if I’m lucky enough to become the MP for Reading West and Mid Berkshire.

Just use this link to take the 2-minute survey I have created https://adrianabbs.uk/hospitals-survey

As previously promised. Whether I win or not at the election, the feedback I am getting from voters, about what they want the MP to be doing and things they want sorted, will be passed to whoever wins. So your vote and feedback won’t be wasted.