Healthwatch Reading, with its fellow branches in Wokingham and West Berkshire is conducting a study of access to GP practices. There will be a number of focus group meetings - according to which practice you attend: Thursday 16th Nov 10am - 11,39am Weller Centre, 110 Amersham Road, Reading RG4 5NA Join the discussion if you attend these doctors' surgeries: Balmore Park or Emmer Green Tuesday, 28th Nov 10am - 11.30am RISC 35-39 London Street RG1 4PS Join the discussion if you attend Reading-Walk-In, University Medical Group or Abbey Medical

The Reading VCS (Voluntary, Charitable and Social Exterpise) Assembly will meet from 10.00 - 12.30 on THursday, 12th October 2023 to discuss interaction with local institutions such as NHS, Borough Council, and local intiiatives. Tickets, free, may be obtained from EVenbrite .

Under the Lansley "reforms" in 2013, NHS commissioners were allowed and encouraged to award contracts for the provision of certain services to "any qualified provider". Audiology, the assessment of hearing and the provision of hearing aids, was one of those services and Specsavers was the provider most prominently known for providing that service. We understand that this arrangement has been brought to an end locally on medical grounds. Commissioners have decided that audiology will now be provided by the Royal Berkshire Hospital locally at 8 sites (to be specified). This arrangement will allow onward referral to the ENT department, or for an MRI scan of the inner ear, to balance and hearing therapy, provision of specialist hearing devices and the assurance of a clinical scientist level of expertise in the service. Existing patients needing further help will not need a referral from the GP, they can contact the RBH Audiology department directly. Please visit the web page www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/featured-services/audiology where contact details, arrangements for repairs and getting batteries are given (sometimes through further links). We are told that there was a consultation on this change but so far we have not been able to find out anything about it - please watch this space.

 We remind readers that they should no longer be asked to phone back another day or time when phoning to arrange a GP appointment. In March this year the government and NHS England imposed the GP contract after negotiations with the BMA broke down. The new contract specifies that practices must not ask callers to call back another day. Instead they must be offered an "assessment of need".

The Covid-19 and flu Autumn booster campaign will start on 11th September with vaccinations in care homes and through local bookings. The national NHS booking site will bcome available on 18th September. It is recommended that the flu and Covid-19 vaccinations be given together, though this is not mandatory. Those eligible for the Covid-19 booster are:

1. Residents in a care home for older adults
2. All adults aged 65 years and over
3. person aged 6 months to 64 yeats in a clinical risk group, as defined in tables 3 and 4 of the Covid-19 chapter of the Green Book
4. frontline health and social care workers
5. persons aged 12 to 64 years who are household contacts, as defibed in the Green Book, of people with immunosupression
6. persons aged 16 to 64 years who are carers, as defined in the Green Book, and staff working in care homes for older adults

The BOB Integrated Care Board will meet in public from 10am to 13.00 in the Gateway offices of Bucks Council in Aylesbury and online via Teams. To receive the Teams meeting link please register at this page. Questions may be put up to 9am on the Monday before the meeting by email to bobicb.enquiries@nhs.net. The collection of papers is attached below.

South Reading Patient Voice meets on Tuesday 19th September 2023 at 6pm in committee Room 4a, Civic Offices, Bridge Street. Our speaker will be Marta Fischer, digital lead for the Integrated Care Board, who will talk about, "BOB ICS Digital Projects update and NHS App Roadmap". We will also discuss local news, report on the Integrated Care Board meeting on the morning of 19th September, the results of the annual GP patient survey and the taking in-house of Audiology and hope to have news of local PPGs and the local NHS. Please click here to join the meeting via Teams.

The Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will hold its AGM at the Green Park Conference Centre, !00 Longwater, Avenue, Green Park, Reading from 5.30pm on Wednesday 20th September, in person and online. Doors open at 3.30pm. Free bookable mini health check from the PEET team, Send questions for the AGM or request a mini healthckeck by email to foundation.trust@royalberkshire.nhs.uk