| Royal Berkshire Hospital | |
|---|---|
| Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust | |
 The hospital in 2007 | |
  Location within Reading | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Reading, Berkshire, England |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | National Health Service |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Yes |
| Beds | 813 |
| History | |
| Opened | 1839 |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
TheRoyal Berkshire Hospital (RBH) is anNHS hospital in the town ofReading in the English county ofBerkshire. It provides acute hospital services to the residents of the western and central portions ofBerkshire, and is managed by theRoyal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.
The hospital provides approximately 813 inpatient beds (627acute, 66paediatric and 120maternity), together with 204 day-beds and spaces. In doing so, it employs over 7,500 staff.[1]
The Royal Berkshire Hospital was opened in 1839 on the London Road on land donated byHenry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, a local resident and formerPrime Minister. The hospital was built by local architect and builder Henry Briant, who won the design competition.King William IV took a keen interest in the hospital before it was built; and as a consequence, his arms appear on the central pediment, although he died before the hospital opened. The first patron of the hospital was William's niece and successor,Queen Victoria.[2][3]
In the 1860s, the original building was extended with east and west wings designed byJoseph Morris. In the 1880s, a new chapel was added to the rear of the main block, together with long side wings. Both chapel and side wings were also designed by Morris.[2][3]
In 1993, theRoyal Berkshire and Battle Hospitals NHS Trust was formed, to manage both the Royal Berkshire Hospital andBattle Hospital, the town's other general hospital. On 24 February 2006,Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied byThe Duke of Edinburgh, opened the new buildings of the Royal Berkshire Hospital. This was to celebrate the completion of an eight-year project to move the Battle Hospital services onto the Royal Berkshire Hospital site. In August of the same year, the trust became anNHS Foundation Trust under the name ofRoyal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, reflecting both its new status and the closure of Battle Hospital.[3][4]
In 2008, the hospital was awarded 'Excellent' for its use of resources and 'Good' for the quality of its services in theHealthcare Commission's annual health check of all the hospitals within theNational Health Service. Theaccident and emergency department is consistently one of the most efficient in the country, with more than 99% of patients being seen and treated, admitted or discharged within four hours.[5][6]
In August 2010, it was reported that the number of jobs in the hospital would be reduced by 600, out of a total of around 4,000, to achieve a saving of £60 million. In October 2013, as part of a screening process by theCare Quality Commission, based on existing data and intended for use in prioritising inspections, the Trust was put into the highest risk category.[7][8][9]
A patient at the Royal Berkshire Hospital on 5 March 2020 was the first confirmed fatality in the UK from theCOVID-19 pandemic.[10] In August 2020, Reading’s Royal Berkshire Hospital piloted an Emergency Department for elderly and frail people.[11]
In November 2021, the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading began consulting the local community about major redevelopment of the current hospital or alternatively a completely new development in a different location, to ensure that future planning and developments would cover everyone's needs.[12]
West Berkshire Council member Biyi Oloko underwent an MRI scan in February 2024, during which hospital administration requested proof of citizenship to ascertain potential payment requirements, ultimately resulting in hospital officials apologizing for their handling of the situation.[13]
The hospital occupies a long thin site, running gently uphill from London Road to Addington Road, and flanked by Craven Road and Redlands Road. The buildings that house the hospital are of various ages, from the original building of 1839 to the latest ward block completed in 2015. Despite the various ages and styles of building, almost all of the hospital's departments are accessible from a single indoor pedestrian route that runs the length of the site. The original entrance on London Road still exists, but the main entrance is now situated in Craven Road, roughly at the midpoint of this route.[14]
The original building of 1839, together with the wings added in the 1860s, are nowlisted grade II* byEnglish Heritage. They are built ofBath Stone withslate roofs, and the main building comprises 2 storeys and a basement. The frontage has 11 bays, with the central 7 bays forming a projectingpedimentedhexastyle portico withIonic columns.[2]
Amongst the buildings within the hospital complex is the old laundry, built in 1881. This now houses the museum of theBerkshire Medical Heritage Centre, which contains 3,000 artefacts relating to medicine, surgery,nursing,midwifery,pharmacy anddentistry. Some of the exhibits date back to the 17th century.[15]
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| National | |