Public Health departments of Berkshire local authorities are preparing a Suicide Prevention Strategy for Berkshire West CCGs and Local Authorities. A report on suicide can be read on the Reading Healthwatch web site. After stakeholder consultation in July/August 2014, the strategy will be presented to CCGs for approval in August/September 2014, and to Health and Wellbeing Boards of local authorities in December 2014. Comments could be forwarded to Karen Grannum, Manager at South Reading CCG.

At the SRPV meeting on 30th July 2014 members heard John Taylor, Acting Commercial Director of the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Foundation Trust describe how the Trust's new five-year plan differs from its plans a year ago. Slide 3 of the attached document shows that the plan agreed with the 4 Berkshire West CCGs proposes increases in A&E activity of 7% over 5 years (as opposed to 20-33% in last year's plan) and births at RBH would rise to 6000 a year by 2019 (as opposed to 8000 a year as proposed last year). The CCGs are hoping to manage the demand for A&E and RBH maternity services to meet the new plan which they have pressed for. The CCGs do have plans to move care into the community - but it remains to be seen whether these figures can be achieved. Even with the revised plan the Trust is likely to move into deficit beyond 2017. The future of the Trust will be in the hands of local and national government and it will be up to the people of Berkshire West, served by the Trust, ultimately to decide its future.

South Reading CCG's Governing Body will hold its next meeting on Wednesday 3rd September 2014 at 9.30am - 12.30am at the Museum of English Rural Life in Redlands Road, RG1 5EX. Please see the South Reading CCG website. The agenda and papers should be available at the South Reading CCG website a week before the meeting. There is a chance to put questions to the Governing Body about health care services in South Reading.

We will be meeting between 6pm and 7:30pm on Wednesday, 30th July 2014 at 6pm at the lower meering room (down steps from car park) behind Wycliffe Baptist Church, Cemetery Junction. Our main topic will be a presentation and diiscussion on the Royal Berkshire Hospital Foundation Trust's development plan, led by John Taylor, Acting Commercial Director. We will collect comments on the CCG's Plan On A Page for 2014-15. There will also be an opportunity to raise matters relating to practice participation groups and patient experience.

Have you got a health experience to tell the NHS? Or want to read other people's stories about the NHS? Just go to the Patient Opinion website. To see a video about this web site click here

We will be meeting between 6pm and 7:30pm on Wednesday, 30th July 2014 at 6pm at the lower meeting room (down steps from car park) behind Wycliffe Baptist Church, Cemetery Junction. Our main topic will be a presentation and diiscussion on the Royal Berkshire Hospital Foundation Trust's development plan, led by John Taylor, Acting Commercial Director. We will collect comments on the CCG's Plan On A Page for 2014-15. There will also be an opportunity to raise matters relating to practice participation groups and patient experience.

A study by the Royal College of Surgeons shows that in 2010-11 some CCGs provided no surgery to over-75 year old patients for a number of prevalent conditions. This finding raises the concern that an informal, and since last year, illegal curb has been placed on such surgery. For example, in 2010-11 Bradford City CCG commissioned no surgery for breast cancer excision, for gall bladder removal or for knee replacement. While there is always a balance of risk and benefit with surgery the study shows wide variation between CCG areas. For further information read the report in the Daily Telegraph or the original Royal College of Surgeons report.

The CQC has issued its report on its inspection of the Royal Berkshire Hospital Their overall rating was "requires improvement". A&E, End of Life care and services for children and young people were rated as good while medical, surgical, maternity and critical care were rated with "requires improvement". Areas found to be of outstanding practice were: 
 

1. Caring interventions and support for families in the Intensive Care Unit
2. The childrens' A&E department
3. Consultant geriatricians worked in the A&E department from 8am to 8pm seven days a week.

The venerable Washington-based Commonwealth Fund has given the National Health Service high rankings in a study comparing the health-care systems of eleven developed nations, including USA, NZ, Canada, France, Sweden and Germany. The NHS came top overall and top for effective care, safe care, coordinated care, patient-centred care, access despite cost and efficiency. Furthermore, out of 11 only Sweden and New Zealand were cheaper in cost per head. That said the UK came 10th out of 11 on the "Healthy Lives" measure. France was top, with Sweden second and USA last. The three measures that were combined to measure "Healthy Lives" were rate of preventable deaths, infant mortality and healthy life expectancy at age 60. It is thought that the social determinants of health, deprivation and lack of autonomy could be the cause of the UK's poor ranking for "Healthy Lives".

Public Health Reading in conjunction with Berkshire Youth will be running 5 "Let's Get Going" courses in Reading primary schools in the academic year 2014-15 as part of its action on childhood obesity. The courses are suitable for kids of ages 7 to 11 and can involve parents as well as children in learning about healthy food and activity.. The schools will be chosen on the basis of the Public Health childhood measurement programme. This is an advance on a previous year when 3 courses were given and should be welcomed. But given that Reading has nearly 40 primary schools it may be that more will be needed to get to grips with childhood obesity. You can find out more about "Let's Get Going" on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/letsget.going.56 We described last year's trial roll-out to 3 schools here ,