Royal Berkshire Hospital extension given green light

The hospital's A&E lobby will be extended to create separate entrances for adults and children

Plans to expand the Royal Berkshire Hospital's A&E department have been approved.

The proposals were given the green light by Reading Borough Council and include creating separate entrances for adults and children

The extension will also create a new staff lounge and testing area.

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust said the hospital's A&E department was too small to meet the needs of patients and staff.

The improvements will provide more capacity, improve flow, reduce clutter and comply with Covid-19 social distancing, it added.

Plans had been approved to enlarge the size of the lobby in August, before it decided to seek planning permission for a bigger extension as the first proposal did not go far enough, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

Approving the plans, the council's case officer David Brett said: "The proposed development has been assessed and the proposed works are considered to be in accordance with the relevant policies and planning permission can be granted."

Part of the work has already begun and the full works now have permission to be completed.