READING MPs have hit back at accusations of “broken” promises regarding Labour’s commitment to building a new Royal Berkshire Hospital.
It comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that the new hospital programme put in place by the previous government is being put under review.
The new Labour government described a “black hole” in its finances, totalling around £22 billion, in its first weeks in office.
The government is seeking to address the shortfall through a number of cost-saving measures, throwing the status plans for a new hospital in Reading into doubt.
The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has said that it is seeking clarification following the announcement that the provision of 40 new hospitals goes under review.
Conservative councillors in Reading and Wokingham have expressed concerns that Labour is backtracking on promises for provision of new healthcare facilities.
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, leader of the Conservative opposition at Wokingham Borough Council, said that Labour had “let residents down” by “reneging” on healthcare promises.
NHS bosses have said that any delay to the programme could put patient safety at risk.
The Financial Times reported that an NHS chief executive, who wished to remain anonymous, said that if the public understood the impact of the delay, “they would be horrified.”
They explained that some of their own facilities, such as critical care and maternity were already out of date.
Deputy chief executive at NHS Providers Saffron Cordery said that any review of hospitals would need to be swift considering the scheme was already heavily delayed.
A joint statement by Reading’s Labour MPs Matt Rodda (Reading Central), Olivia Bailey (Reading West and Mid Berkshire), and Yuan Yang (Earley and Woodley), however, says that they will “fight hard” to make the case for a new Royal Berkshire Hospital.
It reads: “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 RBH.”
