Frimley Park gets rebuilding cash, but RBH awaits news of its future

By PHIL CREIGHTON news@wokingham.today

WORK to develop a new Royal Berkshire Hospital will continue, despite not being named as one of five sites to be rebuilt by 2030.

However, a Camberley-based hospital used by some borough residents was.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay announced the plans in the House of Commons on Thursday, May 25, saying the government is committed to its 2019 general election promise of building 40 new hospitals by 2030.

The government concedes that eight schemes will be finished after this deadline, but by working on three mental health hospitals they will still reach the target.

It says that by the end of next year, more than 20 schemes will be either underway or completed. More than £20 billion is expected to be spent on the new infrastructure.

The five hospitals announced are Airedale in West Yorkshire, Queen Elizabeth King’s Lynn in Norfolk, Hinchingbrooke in Cambridgeshire, Mid Cheshire Leighton in Cheshire and Frimley Park in Surrey.

They have been chosen due to being constructed from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a lightweight type of concrete used to construct parts of the NHS estate in the past but has a limited lifespan, after which it deteriorates significantly. Health and social care secretary Steve Barclay said: “These five hospitals are in pressing need of repair and are being prioritised so patients and staff can benefit from major new hospital buildings, equipped with the latest technology.”

Bracknell MP James Sunderland had teamed up with parliamentary colleagues

Michael Gove and Leo Docherty to campaign for the redevelopment of Frimley Park, which was built in the 1970s. Infrastructure issues were discovered in 2020, and it is thought that two-thirds of the site comprises the RAAC.

The trust submitted its bid to the Department of Health in December 2021, saying it would cost £1.26 billion to create the new site.

In March, Surrey Heath council’s planning committee granted permission.

Frimley Park’s planned redevelopment is not a new proposal. Planning permission had previously been granted in 2019, but this expired last year as the build had stalled due to Covid-19.

Mr Sunderland was pleased with the announcement.

“I very much welcome news that Frimley Park Hospital is one of five reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete hospitals being given priority in today’s hospital funding announcement,” he said.

“This is fantastic news.”

Work on Reading’s Royal Berkshire Hospital will continue despite not been announced in parliament. Wokingham Today exclusively revealed the proposal in October 2020.

The Building Berkshire Together team, which is devising the plans on behalf of the NHS Trust, say the Victorian site in Reading town centre is ageing, which makes it hard to deliver modern healthcare for an increasing number of people.

They argue that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to address the issues and create a 21st century healthcare centre.

Proposals include revamping the existing site but keeping the Victorian façade on London Road or creating a new site on land in Green Park or Shinfield’s science park.

To help gauge interest, it has been running workshops and consultations, as well as running regular online updates.

The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust said it is still very much looking to the future.

“As the Secretary of State for Health Steve Barclay announced in the Commons, the redevelopment of the Royal Berkshire Hospital is still part of the rolling new hospital programme and we are in ‘active discussions’ about the work and the complexities of the site,” a spokesperson said.

“As these talks continue, we are progressing our Outline Business Case and pushing ahead with enabling works to ensure we are in a strong position to proceed with the redevelopment as soon as practicable.

“Our priority is to deliver safe and outstanding care to our patients, and we are committed to ensuring they continue to receive the best possible treatment as this work progresses.

“We will continue to work closely with our system partners and will involve and engage with our staff, patients, key stakeholders and local people to ensure that when the time comes, we will deliver next generation care from the best possible healthcare facilities.”