After weeks of work, a project to upgrade staff changing and showering facilities across the Royal Berkshire Hospital has finished, with a suite of fresh new bathrooms now open and ready for use.
The need to refurbish the outdated amenities was highlighted during the peak of the pandemic. With more staff needing to shower and change before and after their shift, it became clear the old provision just wasn’t enough. Now, each changing room has brand new lockers for personal items, new showers, toilets and sinks; all of which provide essential support for staff wellbeing.
Rafael Fernandes, Matron on Dorrell Ward, said; “We are really excited to have the new showers and lockers. It makes colleagues feel assured that they have everything they need in a fresh new and safe setting. Thank you to NHS Charities Together and Royal Berks Charity for making this happen.”
Jo Warrior, Charity Director, said; “The grant from NHS Charities Together has meant that we have been able to address some of the immediate needs of our staff. We are delighted the project is completed and staff now have access to the new facilities. We are so grateful to NHS Charities Together and everyone who has supported them to enable this to happen.”
And, more work is underway, as the Trust’s Estates and Facilities team, along with contractors CBRE, continue enhancements around all of the Trust’s sites on projects with a focus on staff wellbeing; next on their list is a new secure bike storage facility.
Gary Barnett, Deputy Director of Estates & Facilities, said; “We’re in the design stages of developing a dedicated secure facility for the safe storage of bikes for those colleagues who cycle into work. The secure facility will have adjacent showers, changing areas and lockers to help with security. This will include some enhanced storage for people with electric bikes who need a power source to charge.”
If you would like to support the work of the Royal Berks Charity please give us a call on 0118 322 6969 or drop us an email at [email protected]