The popular, high-tech competition to encourage Reading residents to walk and cycle more is back in 2015 - from 29th April to 24th June. - that's 56 days to get more active. Reading Borough Council through its Public Health division and the NHS Commissioing Groups for South Reading (the bulk of the town south of the Thames) and North and West Reading are jointly funding the return of this popular public campaign. Read all about it here . Get your BeatTheStreet card from a borough library or from your GP surgery and start clocking up those points. There will be team prizes and a 4000 donation to the Royal Berks Cancer Charity if Reading achieves 300000 miles walked during the BeatTheStreet season.

Out Winter get-together for members and their guests has been moved to Tuesday, 10th February and will now take place at the RISC Cafe on London Street from 6.15pm. Food is available from Tutu's Ethiopian Table and there are drinks of the most varied kinds at the Cafe. A chance to meet in a quite different setting and get to know each other further. Bring your holiday snaps if you must!

We will be meeting between 6.15pm and 7:45pm on Wednesday, 25th February 2015 in the Reading Community Learning Centre, 94, London Street, RG1 4SJ (see Agenda for directions) . There will be a talk and discussion led by Karen Grannum, South Reading NHS CCG Manager on the planning for healthcare for South Reading for 2015/16. as well as further news and discussion about health care locally.

A free two-day 12-hour course on Mental Health First Aid is offered by Reading Community Learning Centre with support from Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, See the attached document for details.

The death rate for England and Wales has been about 3,700 above expected numbers since early December with 3,000 of the extra deaths among the over-75s according to the Office of National Statistics. Public Health England has suggested that flu could be the cause despite a successful flu vaccination campaign this winter. It will take more analysis to produce a definitive conclusion.

At a recent meeting of the Reading Health and Wellbeing Board we learned that expanded local treatment of lymphoedema was being considered. Lymphoedema is a painful and progressive condition in which the limbs (often the legs) become swollen after the body's lymphatic system is compromised. This condition is sometimes a consequence of treatment for cancer. Up to now only those patients whose conditions are associated with cancer have been offered treatment locally. Such treatment is offered at the Duchess of Kent Hospice in Liebenrood Road.. Some of the other sufferers have been referred further afield. After a sustained campaign led by Reading resident Sue Bicknell, it was announced at the Reading Health and Wellbeing Board on 30th January that the Berkshire West CCGs will look at the possibility of expanding treatment capacity locally so that treatment can be offered locally to non-cancer lymphoedema sufferers as well. We hope to report details in due course.

The NHS has a screening programme for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA). AAA is a condition found predominantly in older men where the wall of the main artery to the trunk and lower body is weakened and in extreme cases can fail. Under the NHS AAA screening programme men are offered screening in the year that they are 65 years old. Older men who have not been screened can self refer by calling 01865 572636. The screening is by ultrasound, takes only a few minutes and is painless. At the most recent meeting of Reading's Health and Wellbeing Board on 30th January 2015, it was reported that the takeup of screening across the two Reading CCGs for the 65-year-old cohort is above 71% with a small number of older persons also referring themselves. The target takeup is 80% for the Thames Valley. Reading's figures have increased and are expected to continue increasing. . Of those offered screening in South Reading only 65% were tested - well below the 80% target.

We will be meeting between 6.15pm and 7:45pm on Wednesday, 28th January 2015 in the Reading Community Learning Centre 10, Eaton Place, RG1 7LP (see Agenda for directions) . There will be a talk and discussion led by Karla Vickers of Reading Borough Council on the implementation of the Care Act 2014 in Reading, as well as news and discussion about health care locally.

We will be meeting between 6.15pm and 7:45pm on Wednesday, 28th January 2015 in the Reading Community Learning Centre 10, Eaton Place, RG1 7LP (see Agenda for directions) . There will be a talk and discussion led by Karla Vickers of Reading Borough Council on the implementation of the Care Act 2014 in Reading, as well as news and discussion about health care locally.

The Care Quality Commission, quality regulator for the NHS, has placed Priory Avenue surgery, a Caversham practice part of the North and West NHS CCG, in special measures after judging it inadequate on a number of counts. The practice has been given an inadequate rating and must produce and execute a plan to remedy its failings. GP services are under pressure nationally and especially in the Thames valley. Here, the high cost of living and accommodation, makes the area expensive for training or newly-qualified doctors. Traditional GP partnerships, where incoming partners have to buy their share of the practices assets are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit new partners able and willing to buy their share of the practice. When the existing partnership could no longer continue and the partners resigned, a tendering process resulted in the selection of Specialist Health Services Ltd., a company centred on Bracknell GP practices, to provide the service. An eight-year contract was awarded, of the type known as "Alternative Personal Medical Services", which allows freedom to adjust the contracted services. In this case extended hours were specified as part of the tender process. The practice continues and is formulating and executing its plan to remedy the defects found by the CQC .