Royal Berkshire Hospital - Labour accused of broken promises

The new hospital programme which the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading is part of has been put 'in review' by the Labour government.

Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, announced that the new hospital programme begun by the last Conservative government is in review during minister's question time in Parliament.

It comes as the government has a £22 billion 'black hole' in its finances, which Mrs Reeves addressed on Monday, July 29.

One of the cost-saving measures announced was to conduct a complete review of the new hospitals programme, which aimed to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030 when it was announced.

The news has put the project for a new Royal Berkshire Hospital into doubt, with the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust stating that it will seek clarification from the government about what the announcement means for the redevelopment of the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

But doubts over the delivery of a new hospital have led Conservatives to accuse the Labour government of 'breaking its promises' and lying to the voters. 

Councillor Pauline Jorgensen, the Conservative candidate for the Earley and Woodley constituency, accused Labour of 'reneging on their promise' to build a new hospital and 'letting residents down'.

READ MORE: Conservatives commit to building new Royal Berkshire Hospital if elected

Meanwhile, cllr Ross Mackinnon, the runner-up Conservative candidate for Reading West & Mid Berkshire accused Labour politicians of 'gaslighting' the electorate over the project.

The new hospital project became a hot-button issue during the general election, with Berkshire Labour candidates promising to deliver a new Royal Berkshire Hospital if elected. 

Labour MP candidates Olivia Bailey (Reading West and Mid Berkshire), Yuan Yang (Earley and Woodley), Jo Smith (Maidenhead) and Matt Rodda MP (Reading Central) on a visit to the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

In a joint statement, the three Labour MPs in Reading said: "Residents across Berkshire will be rightly angry at the state in which the Conservatives have left Britain’s finances.

"At every stage the Conservatives ducked the hard choices and swept problems under the carpet, leaving a £22 billion black hole in public finances.

"It is an outrage that the Conservatives promised new hospitals while covering up they had no money to pay for it.  

"This government will end the deceit and conduct a review of the New Hospitals Programme so that we can deliver a costed and realistic plan.

"We will fight hard to make the case for a new Royal Berkshire Hospital as part of this review and are confident in the strength of the case developed by the excellent team at the hospital.

"We will keep residents informed as the review progresses and encourage them to participate in the consultation currently being run by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust."

The statement was made by Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading Central, Olivia Bailey, the Labour MP for Reading West and Mid Berkshire, and Yuan Yang, the Labour MP for Earley and Woodley. 

Meanwhile, Clive Jones, the Liberal Democrat MP for Wokingham, argued that patients 'cannot wait another four and a half years' for a new hospital, and welcomed the offer of a meeting between him, Mrs Reeves and Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary to voice the concerns of constituents about the news. 

Cllr Jorgensen is the leader of the opposition on Wokingham Borough Council and Cllr Mackinnon (Conservative, Bradfield) is the shadow leader of West Berkshire Council. 

Councillor Dave McElroy, the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Reading Central who received 14 per cent of the vote, said: "We need investment in our crumbling NHS.

"Putting to one side whether the Royal Berks Hospital should be modernised on site or relocated surely everyone agrees that massive investment is needed.

"It is disappointing to hear Labour might be backtracking on commitments to invest in the NHS already.

"We need urgent clarification from our local Labour MP as to what is happening with modernising the Royal Berks Hospital. We need someone who will stand up for Reading not someone rolling over at the first opportunity."