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During the visit, Chris toured the hospital’s facilities, including the Minor Injuries Unit, Radiology Department, several inpatient wards, and the hospital’s impressive Therapy Garden.

The visit held personal significance for Chris, whose late father, David Hopson, was a well-known local businessman and one of the four founding trustees of West Berkshire Community Hospital. David was instrumental in securing the community support and funding that made the hospital a reality. He passed away in 2001, three years before the hospital officially opened in 2004. A commemorative plaque in his honour is located in the Therapy Garden.

Chris concluded his visit by meeting his brother, Jonathan Hopson, former Chief Executive of Newbury’s Camp Hopson department store, to visit their father’s memorial.

Reflecting on the day, Chris said:

“It’s fitting that my final visit as a senior NHS executive is to West Berkshire, where I was brought up and where my wider family still lives. I know from friends and relatives what a vital service this hospital provides, and it was a privilege to see that first-hand.

“The breadth and quality of care now offered here is truly impressive. It was also a deeply personal moment to remember my father’s contribution to creating this hospital. I often recall him talking about the need for a local facility to serve Newbury, Thatcham, and the surrounding rural communities. He would be proud to see how that vision has not only come to life but has flourished.”

Chris Hopson joined the NHS in 2012 and has served as NHS England’s Chief Strategy Officer since June 2022. In this role, he has led on strategy, policy, communications, stakeholder engagement, reducing health inequalities, and the Greener NHS programme, while also managing formal relationships with government. He will step down at the end of this month to begin a new phase in his career.