Clive Jones calls for funding for the nation's hospitals

Wokingham MP calls for funding for the nation’s hospitals to be protected following the Chancellor’s statement in Parliament today.

New Liberal Democrat MP for Wokingham, Clive Jones has called for Royal Berkshire Hospital, as well as others around the country, to be protected following the Chancellor’s statement to the House of Commons on the dire financial situation affecting the country.

In the statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that a number of infrastructure projects were at risk of being cut in order to balance the books following years of Conservative economic mismanagement, as she announced a review into the funding of plans to deliver forty new hospitals.

Clive Jones said that Wokingham’s constituents “cannot wait another four and a half years” for clarity on the previously promised investment into Royal Berkshire Hospital. The facility has been in desperate need of a complete rejuvenation, with patients and staff forced to work in totally unacceptable conditions at times in part of the building that were built as long ago as 1839.

Clive Jones looks forward to taking up the Chancellor’s offer of a meeting with the Health Secretary for those MP’s whose constituencies are affected by the changes to the new hospital building program.

In that meeting, Clive Jones will tell the Secretary of State for Health of the concerns of Wokingham residents about any further delay for funding. He will also impress upon the Health Secretary the consequences that this will have on the hard-working dedicated staff who work at the hospital and on the people of Wokingham.

Clive Jones, Liberal Democrat MP for Wokingham, said: “These hospitals were promised four and a half years ago. Patients, and just as

importantly, staff at these hospitals, will have been waiting for a long, long time to know when they were going to get their new hospital.

“Our precious Royal Berkshire Hospital has suffered from years of economic mismanagement from the previous Conservative government.

“I was pleased to hear of the Chancellor’s offer of a meeting with the Health Secretary, where I can voice the concerns of the people of Wokingham directly to him and call on the new government to fully fund a new Royal Berkshire Hospital as soon as possible.”