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.

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: 
 

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.