Royal Berkshire Hospital to create separate A&E waiting areas

The hospital said it is expecting a 10% increase in A&E patients this winter

Plans to transform a hospital's A&E department to allow the separation of adults and children have been approved.

Reading's Royal Berkshire Hospital has predicted a 10% increase in patients visiting the department this winter.

So under the plans the lobby area will be more than doubled to 39.3 metres square to allow for access to two separate waiting areas.

Meanwhile a private hospital in the town is going to install four cabins in its car park for Covid-19 testing.

Spire Dunedin Hospital said it would mean patients with suspected coronavirus would not have to enter the hospital, helping to limit the spread of infection.

Reading Borough Council has granted temporary planning approval to install the structures for one year, after which they will be removed, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.