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  • Who we are and what we do

Who we are and what we do

How we fit into the NHS structure

This section provides planning documents outlining how we fit into the NHS structure.

The local NHS structure

Created by the Government in 2002 to manage the local NHS on behalf of the Secretary of State, there were originally 28 strategic health authorities (SHAs). On 1 July 2006 this number was reduced to 10. Fewer, more strategic organisations should deliver stronger commissioning functions, leading to improved services for patients and better value for money for the taxpayer. A map of the old and new SHAs is available from the Department of Health.

Strategic health authorities are responsible for:

• developing plans for improving health services in their local area
• making sure local health services are of a high quality and are performing well
• increasing the capacity of local health services - so they can provide more services
• making sure national priorities - for example, programmes for improving cancer services - are integrated into local health service plans
• strategic health authorities manage the NHS locally and are a key link between the Department of Health and the NHS.

Note: Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Berkshire East, NHS Berkshire West and South Central Ambulance Service are other NHS bodies within the local SHA that we work with on a regular basis.

Who we are

This section provides details of the Trust organisational structures and key personnel.

"Working together to provide excellent healthcare for the local community and beyond."

The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust provides acute hospital services to the people of West Berkshire and specialist services to a wider population. We were a three star trust before becoming a Foundation Trust in June 2006.

The hospital has a long and proud history of providing excellence in healthcare and we strive continuously to improve patient care by developing our services and listening better to our patients.

TheTrust provides a wide range of services, including a large maternity department where around 5,500 babies are born each year and one of the busiest Accident and Emergency Departments in the country.

We have an eight-bedded intensive care unit and our services for children, heart patients and the elderly are all being developed in line with new national frameworks for patient services.

On an average day in our hospitals, 1,250 patients are seen in our outpatient departments and around 100 more are admitted for routine surgery. We have a dedicated day surgery unit, opened in 2001, which contributes to our treating more than 70 patients a day as 'day cases', one of the highest day case rates in England.

Around 70 emergencies are admitted on a daily basis, either through Accident and Emergency, through our assessment wards, or directly onto wards. A dedicated bed management team helps to keep waits for admission to a minimum.

We have one of the best equipped x-ray departments in the country, with two of the latest magnetic resonance imaging scanners, plus a new paperless picture archiving and communication system. This allows digital images of x-rays and scans to be seen simultaneously by clinicians in various parts of the Royal Berkshire at any time.

Electronic links with GPs are increasing, and 'direct booking' is now common in many specialities, allowing referrals by e-mail for much of our day case surgery.

We work very closely with our colleagues in health and social care to make the most of extra funding now arriving in the health service for the benefit of local people, in line with the NHS Plan and local priorities.

Organisational structure

Please see section below on senior staff and management board members.

 Lists of, and information relating to, organisations with which the authority works in partnership

Senior staff and management board members

For detailed information relating to Board and Executive team please see Board and Executive team section.

Location and contact details for all public-facing departments

For more information including contact details please see  Wards and Departments and Our Locations.