Royal Berkshire Hospital is "losing the battle" against a constant need for repairs, the hospital's chief executive has admitted, as staff and patients report collapsing ceilings, cancelled operations, and a stretched maintenance budget. 

Speaking during The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust's Annual General Meeting, chief executive Steve McManus said the Trust is "not able to keep up" with the deterioration of the site, and its capital budget is “incrementally being overtaken" by urgent repairs. 

"We're losing ground - we're losing the battle," Mr McManus said. 

The Trust currently has around £5 million - out of a £25 million capital spending pot - to deal with maintenance and backlog works, according to the hospital chief.

Describing conditions on the frontline of the crisis, one doctor at RBH said that staff have to deal with operating theatres out of action due to repairs and corridors littered with buckets catching water from leaks, prompting concerns that a serious accident is just a matter of time. 

Last year in the hospital's maternity unit, staff were left terrified when a large light fixture and part of a ceiling suddenly fell on a midwife's desk, according to the doctor.

The staff member, who has worked at the hospital for several years and asked to remain anonymous, said: "The midwife wasn't at the desk at the time - it was one of those 'there by the grace of God goes I' moments. 

"It was terrifying - it was a huge industrial light unit, it took part of the ceiling down with it. If the midwife had been there, she would have been in A&E."

The doctor added: "The hospital is just not fit for use. 

"It's absolutely clear that this is a space that no longer services its use.

"Sometimes that's just an inconvenience, sometimes that can be dangerous - it's literally falling apart."

Attending the hospital's AGM last week, Martyn Cooper, a retired nurse and public governor at the Trust, said he had seen first hand the "awful" conditions facing staff. 

He said: "I was up at the chemo waiting area a few months ago -and there was water coming through the roof. 

"It was just awful."

He praised the hospital's estate team for fixing the issue, while Mr McManus said the team was "constantly" finding ways to spend its capital budget on much-needed maintenance works. 

But estate disrepair is still having an impact on patient care, according to research from a local MP's office, which found that 50 operations at the hospital have had to be cancelled over the last 18 months. 

These cancellations have been due to a range of estate issues, including power cuts, leaking roofs, and broken lifts, according to information provided from the Trust to Wokingham MP Clive Jones.

The MP had been left "hugely disappointed" by the government's decision last month to place the Royal Berks rebuild funding under review despite the urgent need to act on the crumbling site. 

The Wokingham MP said: "I understand that governments must make difficult decisions, but I know that rebuilding the Royal Berks is urgent and unavoidable.  

"I am encouraged that ministers have said they will work with me on this issue."

Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation trust continues to "work closely" with local MPs and the government to make the case the case for a new hospital on a new site, a spokesperson for the Trust said. 

Praising staff, the representative added: “Royal Berkshire Hospital is on the New Hospital Programme because of capacity limitations and the poor condition of some of the buildings.

"All this inevitably causes problems and it’s a real credit to our staff that they continue to provide safe and high quality patient care despite the daily challenges of working in an old building that is showing such signs of wear and tear."

Last year, the hospital faced a £2 million repair bill over issues in its North Block East Wing, which had to be closed due to dry rot and subsidence. 

The Trust spokesperson said: "The ‘make do and mend’ approach is not sustainable in the long term. It would cost us tens of millions of pounds a year to keep on top of maintenance work on old buildings.

"Because our capital budget doesn’t support this level of investment, our facilities are steadily deteriorating meaning maintenance costs are steadily rising."

Have you been affected by the state of the hospital site? You can email richard.lemmer@newsquest.co.uk.