The new shape of health service commissioning introduced by the Health and Social Care Act is already in place and fully running since 1st April 2013. But the regulations governing commissioning are still the subject of debate. Regulations have already been issued twice by the Government, which maintains that they do no more than codify the existing position. But opponents, including the Royal College of General Practitioners, maintain that the regulations will force every procurement decision made by Clinical Commissiojning Groups to be advertised and go our to format tender, a costly and time-consuming process, which they claim could lead to a rapid shift to private provision of NHS services. The issue will be decided in the House of Lords on 24th April on a motion of Lord (Philip) Hunt, praying against the regulations.

You may have heard that the NHS Direct telephone service is to be replaced by the new 111 service. The 111 service will give advice on health problems and where to seek treatment and will give access to out-of-hours service or ambulance service where necessary. It will run alongside the 999 emergency service which will still give the emergency ambulance service as before. 

While NHS Direct was staffed by nurses and clinicians this is not true of the 111 service. But the service uses a national computer guidance and advice system and all its telephone operators benefit from a six-week training course. Translation to many languages will also be available. 
Some areas have experienced difficulties in operating the new service. But local residents should be reassured by the fact that our 111 service will be operated by the South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. The trust has been operating the service in Hampshire since January of this year. Introduction of the 111 service in Reading is likely to be in the last week of April - but this is not yet confirmed.

South Reading Patient Voice meetings on Wednesday 27th March at 6pm at the the University Health Centre. There will be an update on the CCG as it comes into full being on 1st April, a discussion on the next year's activities and elections for chair and other officers.

We will be meeting between 6pm and 7:30pm on Wednesday, 27th March 2013. There will be an update on the CCG as it is about to come into being, a discussion on the activities of the South Reading Patient Voice over the coming year and an election for char and officers.

A trial project to help primary school kids get active, control their weight and eat a healthy diet is being rolled out in Reading. The project "Let's Get Going" is for 7 to 12 year old children. It has run at Geoffrey Field school, at Whiltley Junior School and currently at Katesgrove Primary School. The project is run by NHS Berkshire Public Health with Berkshire Youth. It runs as an after-school club with 45 minutes of physical activity and 45 minutes of theory. Parents join in for the last 30 minutes of each session.
 
The course works towards the following goals:
 

• Relatively equal gender split
• 40 to 50% improving their weight and waist circumference
• 50 to 60% improving their BMI
• 50 to 60% improvement on cardiovascular fitness (step test)
• 50 to 60% improvement in activity (active play/ sports/ reduction in sedentary behaviours)
• 30 to 40% improvement in nutritional status (fruit and vegetables/ increase in wholemeal/ reduction in fizzy drinks, sweets and chocolate)

How will this programme be taken forward after the re-organisation of the Health Service. The public health function will go to Reading Borough Council under the Health and Well-Being Board. There is evidently a big opportunity to roll out this programme to many more primary schools. Let's hope that the ball isn't dropped during the re-organisation!

The Government is to withdraw and redraft proposed regulations which appeared to require Clinical Commissioning Groups to put ALL service contracts out to tender. A storm of opposition from patients and medical profession in Parliament and outside has caused the Government to withdraw these regulations, which might otherwise have passed Parliamentary approval on the nod. They would have caused major expense, delay and loss of control by commissioning groups as every service contract would have had to have been openly advertised and tendered. Opponents cited assurances made by Ministers during the passage of the Health and Social Care Act through Parliament, which appeared to give commissioning clinicians the choice of when to put services out to tender, according to the best interests of patients.

Royal Berkshire Hospital Consultant Carl Waldman has brought in a new technique to avoid the danger of a blood clot reaching the lungs in a patient recovering from an operation. 80 year old Doreen Carter of Wokinham, had a temporary "tiTanuim wire filter" inserted near her heart after a major operation as a less risky alternative to the administration of anti-clot drugs. Six UK hospitals will be trialling the new technique. To read the full BBC report click here .

South Reading CCG, with the support of South Reading Patient Voice, will be holding a conference on best practice and local plans for Dementia and Elderly care on 14th May 2013 at the Shenai Rooms, London Street, Reading. The aim of the conference is to inform patients, professionals and the voluntary sector about the range of services available to people living with dementia and their carers across health and social care. It will also aim to identify where there are gaps in services and discuss how to close them. There will be presentations on best practice from other areas and opportunity to share ideas and discuss what proposals are in the pipeline. There will also be the opportunity for stakeholders to showcase their services. The conference is open to anyone who can contribute to, or learn from, the days events. Agenda and booking forms will be circulated in March. If you would like more details contact: Carol Munt - SRPV chair or telephone Berkshire NHS on 01189 822 709

A Sivlerstar charity modible diabetes testing van is visiting the Alexandra Road Mosque on Friday, 1st March. The visit, in association with South Readng NHS GPs and NHS Berkshire public health authorities, offers a speedy diabetes check and body type analysis. The Silverstar charity concentrates on diabetes awareness and testing in people of South Asian origin in Britain, who have a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes. It also operates in South Asia. Hopefully there will be more visits in the future to extend awareness and testing of this serious condition to all those of South Asian origin in our community.

Three local bids have passed Stage 1 in applications for 50 million funding for dementia environments .
 
Reading Council is bidding for funding to create a dementia friendly garden at the "The Willows"
 
Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust is bidding for funding to Improve the caring environment and provide cohesion between wards
 
Royal Berks Hospital Foundation Trust is bidding for funding to make wards dementia-friendly.