Councillors scrutinising the new Frimley Park Hospital were left 'extremely disappointed' as NHS bosses had 'nothing new to tell', according to a member of Bracknell Forest Council.

Councillor Tony Virgo, who sits on the Joint Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee (Frimley Park Hospital), said at a recent Bracknell Forest Council meeting that members 'vociferously voiced their frustrations'.

Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey was one of the 40 hospitals promised to be rebuilt under the conservative government’s New Hospitals Programme, as it is made up of 65 per cent crumbling concrete, known as Raac.

But progress was halted when the Labour government announced a review of the plan to address a £22bn ‘black hole’ in its finances. The review is expected to be completed by October’s Budget.

Since the announcement, Bracknell Forest Councillors have put forward a motion to push for the hospital to be built. It was supported unanimously by members at a full council meeting on Thursday, September 12, after being put forward by councillor Philip Thompson.

Councillor Thompson warned that ‘there is an unpleasant consequence to delay, more people will be in pain for a longer period, and more people will die’.

The Liberal Democrat member for Owlsmoor and College Town asked why the minutes and recording of the Joint committee had not been made available. He asked councillor Caroline Egglestone and Councillor Tony Virgo, who represent Bracknell for an update.

Speaking about the recent meeting, councillor Virgo said: “Members were expecting more information and possibly details of the proposed sites, therefore it was extremely disappointing as there was nothing new to tell us.

“We were both poised to take notes, but frankly members – there was nothing to write.”

Some information was given about work taking place on some potential sites, which remained confidential, but NHS representatives ‘could say no more’.

To this, councillor Virgo added that members from all councils ‘vociferously voiced their frustrations’.

Conservative Councillor Tony VirgoConservative Councillor Tony Virgo (Image: Bracknell Forest Council)Himself and councillor Egglestone had attended two meetings taking place in may and September, with one meeting scheduled to take place in August cancelled by NHS Frimley.

Despite this, NHS bosses assured that the new hospital ‘could and would’ be delivered by 2030.

But councillor Megan Wright, who leads the Health and Wellbeing Board at Bracknell, defended those working on the move as ‘doing the best they day’.

Councillor Wright said: “They are looking for a site. The issue is that it’s obviously a very commercially sensitive situation, and my concern is that we’re maybe feeding this in our anxiety of putting on pressure to identify a site.”

The next meeting of the joint committee will take place on October 18.