Hospital receives £3m services boost
Support will help to improve staffing levels and health testing
WEST Berkshire Community Hospital is to receive £3m from the Government for enhancements to health testing services.
The Government support will not only aid the testing facilities, but will go towards staffing, opening up new jobs which support an expansion of its diagnostic services.
Earlier this week, the Government announced 40 diagnostic community centres would come on stream across the country.
Director of strategy transformation and partnerships for Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust Andrew Statham said the investment would “create new jobs” and strengthen “working relationships” with health and social care partners.
He said: “We welcome this investment in the diagnostic services already running at West Berkshire Community Hospital.”
The establishment of these centres was first recommended by Prof Sir Michael Richards, the first NHS national cancer director.
Prof Richards identified a need to create diagnostic centres to bring together many health tests in one site.
According to the NHS, this is aligned with its long-term plan to provide more services closer to people’s homes and tackle health inequalities.
Diagnostic community centres provide a one-stop-shop service offering checks, scans and tests.
Some of the specific aims of these centres are to provide earlier diagnoses and reduce hospital visits which will ultimately reduce waiting times.
It will also contribute to the NHS’s net zero ambitions as multiple tests can be provided in one visit.
Mr Statham said that it will also allow the hospital to bring forward the replacement of diagnostic equipment and provide “easier and greater access” to higher levels of testing and treatment.
He added: “This investment will help us progress our work on tackling waiting lists and also help ease pressure on our acute hospital site at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.
“The enhancement of facilities at West Berkshire Community Hospital, including extended opening hours, will help improve access to diagnostic services.
“We know that the number of people currently waiting for elective surgery is, in part, linked to health inequalities so this increase in diagnostic capacity will really help with our work to address issues of inequality in access and outcomes.”