Royal Berkshire Hospital have been told to halve the number of so called ‘bed-blockers’ – those medically fit to be released discharged – by February.

NHS England set the targets as they prepare for the peak of the Omicron wave.

It is up to Reading Borough Council and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to carry out ‘Operation Re-Set’.

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"Right through the pandemic, and since its outset, we have been working proactively with local care providers, the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and community hospitals to ensure that when patients are medically optimised for discharge, they are safely discharged back home or to a safe setting which meets their individual ongoing care needs,” said a spokesperson for Reading Borough Council.

The Council received NHS England’s ‘Operation Re-Set’ letter on January 6.

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“We are continuing to develop further capacity in the community to lessen pressures on the system locally and will do whatever we can to support our NHS colleagues at this challenging time.”

Wexham Park Hospital, West Berkshire Community Hospital in Thatcham, Prospect Park Hospital in Reading, Wokingham Hospital, Upton Hospital in Slough and St Marks Hospital in Maidenhead are also expected to free up the same proportion of beds.