THE ACTING chief executive of the Royal Berkshire Hospital is calling on residents to continue with their booked appointments.
Nicky Lloyd wants to reassure the public that they are “not a burden”.
“We’ve learned a lot from the first wave of Covid and this has helped us to carry on treating other very seriously ill people and keep services going,” she said. “It’s still really important that, if you have an appointment, you come in, because we want to see you.”
The hospital has infection control policies in place including deep cleans of clinical areas between patients, hand sanitizer stations, one-way systems and socially distanced waiting rooms.
Ms Lloyd added: “A concern we do have is the number of patients not attending their scheduled appointments which has the potential for serious consequences if diagnosis or ongoing treatment is delayed.
“If you have been asked to attend an appointment or you urgently need care, it’s vital that we see you in a timely way and ensure your condition is treated or monitored.
“We are a National Health Service and open for multiple diseases and conditions. You will not be a burden and we want you to be seen.”
Ms Lloyd said although the hospital has seen a rise in covid cases, it is “under control, calm and has comprehensive plans” to keep patients and staff safe.
She said the vaccine roll-out is good news, but residents must continue to follow social distancing, lockdown rules, and hands, face, space messaging to control the spread of the virus.
