The Governing Body of South Reading CCG meets in public at 9.30-12,30 on Wednesday 6th September 2017 at the Museum of English Rural Life, Redlands Road, RG1 5EX. To book your attendance or to find out about asking questions at the end of the meeting please see here. 

GP practices throughout Berkshire West have voted for the 4 CCGs (Newbury and District, South Reading, North and West Reading and Wokingham) to merge to form a single CCG. The administrative leadership of the Berkshire West Federation has issued a proposal for the merger (see below) which has now been approved by voting by GP practices in the 4 Councils of Practices in Berkshire West. The proposal would maintain 4 local teams and 4 local Councils of Practices in the localities corresponding to the existing CCG areas to deal with local variation but there will also be an overall Council of Practices of the 50 or so GP practices in Berkshire West. The retention of local Councils of Practices is said to favour engagement with patients, but it is not clear how. Overall, there is little consideration of patient involvement, nor have patients and public been consulted. The next step will be to pass the proposal to NHS England for further consideration and action. The proposal also states that "the work associated with the CCG programme boards has grown significantly and these are now major transformation programmes supporting delivery of the Five Year Forward View and underpinning the ACS programme". Apart from the Primary Care Commissioning Committee, none of these boards meets in public and so very little is known to the public about these "major transformation programmes".

NHS England has changed its performance targets for ambulances in the light of a large scale trial. 

• National response target to apply to all 999 patients.
• Faster treatment for those needing it to save 250 lives a year.
• An end to "hidden waits" for millions of patients as the wrong vehicle is sent (the time to wait for the right vehicle was not previously recorded so motorbikes and cars were sometimes dispatched to meet the target but not the need).
• Up to 750,000 more calls a year to get an immediate response.
• New standards to drive improved care for stroke and heart attack.
• World's largest clinical ambulance trial informs new system.

The four Berkshire West CCGs have been rated OUTSTANDING in the annual ratings for 2016-17. Only 21 of Englands 209 CCGs have achieved this grade this year. The assessment is on:
 

• How they have improved the health of the local population e.g. reducing the number of people who smoke, reducing childhood obesity and reducing falls.
• How the have improved health care e.g. for pregnant women, people with cancer, people with dementia and people with mental health problems.
• Their leadership capability.
• Financial management and securing good value for patients and public

Local achievements have been: meeting the target for treatment within 18 weeks of referral, reducing waits for cancer patients for both diagnosis and treatment, developing cardiac and talking therapies services, improving A&E waiting times and maternity care, starting a home births service. In leadership the achievements in bringing together local authorities and health partners is recognised.

South Reading Patient Voice will be meeting at 6pm on Wednesday, 26th July at 94, London Street, Reading RG14SJ - Reading Community Learning Centre. We will hear a talk from Lynda McAdam GP Chair of Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, about the range of nursing services that are now being delivered in the community. We will also discuss news from local Patient Participation Groups and the local health economy.

Reading Healthwatch holds its AGM and bord meeting in public on Tuesday, 18th July 2017 at 10.30 am in the Conference Room on the 3rd floor of Reading Central Library. The AGM speaker will be Steve McManus, CEO of the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust. For further information please see: the Healthwatch Reading AGM page and follow through to the event website to register with Eventbrite there.

The Reading Borough Health and Wellbeing Board meets in the Council Chamber at the Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading at 2pm on Friday, 14th July 2017

The Annual General Meeting of the Royal Berkshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is on Wednesday, 12th July 2017 at 6pm in the RBH Education Centre on Craven Road, Reading. For futher information and to reserve your place, please email foundation.trust@royalberkshire.nhs.uk or phone 0118 322 7405.

South Reading Patient Voice will be meeting at 6pm on Wednesday, 28th June at 94, London Street, Reading RG14SJ - Reading Community Learning Centre. We will hear a talk from Dr Bu Thava, GP Chair of the South Reading CCG Governing Body, about the challenges facing the CCG and how it plans to deal with them. We will also discuss news from local Patient Participation Groups and the local health economy.

Western Berkshire federation, including South Reading CCG area, is to be included in the second wave of the NHS's diabetes prevention programme - "Healthier You" over the next year. "Healthier You" is a collaboration between NHS England, Public Health England and charity Diabetes UK. Those on the programme will get tailored, personalised help to reduce risk. This will include education on healthy eating and lifestyle choices, reducing weight through bespoke physical exercise programmes and portion control, which together have been proven to reduce the risk of developing the disease. In the first year about 1 person in 500 of the population covered was referred to the programme. Unfortunately for Reading this comes at a time when the Borough Council has closed Arthur Hill swimming pool in East Reading and is about to close Central Pool for structural reasons, reducing the convenient opportunities for one of the best forms of exercise for all ages. There will also be more money to ensure that people newly diagnosed with diabetes are equipped and enabled to control their condition and lead healthier lives.