Smaller hospitals, more care closer to home.

What does it mean for you?

Plans for the future of NHS buildings could see hospitals becoming smaller and more specialised, with more care delivered in local communities instead.

A senior official from the Department of Health and Social Care recently outlined how new hospitals should be designed to provide only the services that truly need to happen in a hospital setting, with everything else moving closer to where people live.

This approach sits within the government’s wider ambitions to:

• Shift care from hospital to community

• Move from analogue to digital services

• Focus more on prevention rather than treatment

What’s changing?

The New Hospital Programme, originally launched to build new hospitals across England, is now also about rethinking how care is delivered — not just where.

The key idea is:

👉 Hospitals should focus on specialist and urgent care👉 Everyday services should be available closer to home

This could mean:

• More tests, scans and check-ups in local community settings

• Increased use of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) and local hubs

• Hospitals designed with digital systems built in from the start

• Greater emphasis on infection control and prevention

What could “care closer to home” look like?

Instead of travelling to a hospital for every appointment, you might:

• Visit a local diagnostic centre for scans or blood tests

• Have follow-up appointments online or by phone

• Access some treatments in community clinics or hubs

For many people, this could mean:

• Shorter journeys

• Faster access to care

• Less pressure on busy hospital sites

What are the challenges?

Much of this work is still in the planning stage.

There are some important questions to work through:

• How do we ensure local services are available and accessible to everyone?

• Will smaller hospitals still feel safe and reassuring for patients?

• How do we make sure services are joined up across different areas, especially when people travel across boundaries for care?

• What support is needed for those who may struggle with digital-first services?

Why this matters in West Berkshire

For residents in West Berkshire, this shift could change how and where you access care.

It could bring services closer — but it may also mean:

• Some hospital-based services are no longer available in one place

• You may be directed to different locations depending on your needs

That’s why it’s important to understand what people value most about their care.

We want to hear from you

As plans develop, your experiences and preferences matter.

👉 Would you prefer more care closer to home?

👉 What services do you think should always be hospital-based?

👉 How do you feel about more digital appointments and systems?

Your feedback helps shape how services evolve in the future.

Tell us at contact@healthwatchwestberks.org.uk

Call Us: 01635 886210

Online: Have Your Say | Healthwatch West Berkshire