Reading Trades Union Council has organised a meeting to "Help Save the NHS" on RISC, 35-39, London Street, RG1 4PS, on !6th January 2017, from 7pm to 9pm. There will be speakers from GMB, Unison and DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts).

Steve McManus started as the new CEO of Royal Berkshire Hospital on 3rd January 2017. Read more about hime here .

Steve McManus started as the new CEO of Royal Berkshire Hospital on 3rd January 2017. Read more about hime here .

South Reading Patient Voice meets to consider and plan activities for 2017 on 25th January 2017.

Different Time and Place: NHS 57-59, Bath Road, Reading RG30 2BA at 16.45pm - 18.45pm

Please foregather in the reception area. For those driving please park as available in the large car parks at the front and back of the building. For those travelling from East or Central Reading by bus the 16.05pm 1 jetblack bus from stop EP on Blagrave Street just north of the junction with Valpy Street (a short time later from stop FP on the South side of Friar Street and stop CB alongside St Mary's churchyard in St Mary's Butts) takes you to a stop a few yards beyond NHS Bath Road. Please get in touch if you would like a lift.

The Office of National Statistics has just issued its latest bulletin on life expectancy by local authority area. This shows life expectancy for for men and women, taken across Reading as a whole, continuing to rise, although slowly. Figures taken from the bulletin show life expectancy at birth and at age 65 for males and females at different times:

Of course, these figures cannot take account of future changes in medicine or society but they sum up where we are today. Comparing with other local authorities in Berkshire we see for life expectancy at brith for 2012-14:

 Secondary care treatments, such as hip or knee replacements, cosmetic surgery or the insertion of ear grommets may be either "Not Routinely Funded" or "Funded Subject to Audit" or "Require Prior Approval" or be classified as Specialist treatment funded separately. The CCG adopts policies on these treatments which can all be found here .

Reading Healthwatch has reported that the re-commissioning of the 111 telephone service for the Thames Valley has taken an unexpected turn with the preferred provider, Care UK, withdrawing from the tendering process. The existing provider, South Central NHS Ambulance Foundation Trust, in alliance with primary care providers, is now the reserve bidder will probably be awarded the contract for the service from 1st April 2017.

Brent Patient Voice , a sister organisation, has published a critique of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan of its area, North West London STP area. We might find that some of the criticisms put forward are applicable in our case, for example, excessive optimisim about possible savings and cost reductions, and double counting of savings at the STP and local authority level. However, our situation is very different from that in North West London. We don't have an excess of acute hospitals to close, although we know that our community hospitals will be subject to review. The Brent Patient Voice critique is an attached document below.

Reading Borough Council has taken the step of publishing the BOB/WeBOB/COBWeB STP five year plan (sustainability and transformation plan). They are seeking public responses to it via a survey found via the same link. A summary will appear here when available.

Simon Stevens, head of NHS England is inviting patients, carers and NHS staff to get involved in a national consultation on the proposed action to cut sales of sugary drinks on NHS premises as part of an effort to improve public health. Please use this link to get started.