Serious doubts remain over whether there will ever be a new hospital in Berkshire as the government has warned of ‘painful’ decisions ahead.
For years, there have been promises of a new hospital, with the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust being selected as a beneficiary of the previous Conservative government’s new hospital programme.
However, the new Labour government has put the programme ‘in review’ after chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in a mini-budget in July that the government has to close a £22 billion gap in government finances.
Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister, has warned the public that ‘painful’ decisions need to be made to tackle the shortfall.
The doubt over the new hospital project has been seized on by Pauline Jorgensen, the former Conservative candidate for Earley and Woodley, to criticise the government.
In an open letter to Yuan Yang, the Labour MP for Earley and Woodley, she said: “Your number one pledge at the election – the first thing on your election literature, and the issue which you and your teams raised on the doorsteps on every day of the election – was to secure a new Royal Berks Hospital for the constituency.
“You will have been as shocked, then, as I to see the Chancellor of the Exchequer lay out in her mini-budget, her intention to review the new hospitals programme, effectively cancelling plans for the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
“I imagine you are as appalled as I am, given your promises to us all.
“Will you stand up for the people of Earley and Woodley, and stand up to your Party, against the policies which they have announced around the Royal Berkshire Hospital?”
Mrs Jorgensen also raised the issue of government-mandated housing targets, which the Conservatives scrapped in 2022.
She wrote: “These matters are pertinent to all of the voters and population within the Earley and Woodley constituency, and considering that these policies have been launched so soon after the election, you will also appreciate the need for you – as the MP for the constituency – to make your position on them clear.
“I trust that you will stand up to your Party, and stand up for the people of Earley and Woodley, as their elected representative in Parliament.”
A representative from Ms Yang’s team argued that Ms Yang, and her colleagues Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading Central and Olivia Bailey, the Labour MP for Reading West and Mid Berkshire are committed to the delivery of a new hospital in Berkshire.
Addressing claims made by Mrs Jorgensen in the letter, the representative said: “She claims the Royal Berkshire Hospital project has been ‘cancelled’. That is untrue.
“The review is of the plans so far. It does not cancel plans for the Royal Berkshire Hospital, which are still under consideration.
“The Conservatives and Pauline also pledged to deliver a new hospital while knowing the funding was not there.
“One of Yuan’s missions as a constituency MP is rebuilding trust, and you do that by being honest about the decisions being made.”
Since she was defeated by Ms Yang during the general election in July,
Mrs Jorgensen retained her place as a Wokingham Borough councillor for Hillside, and as the leader of the opposition on the council.
