On 1st February, the local branch of the national 38 degrees campaign presented a petition to the South Reading NHS Clinical Commissioning Group as part of their national campaign. The petition was presented by a small group of supporters and received by Dr Elizabeth Johnston on behalf of the CCG. The text read "Our NHS is precious, and we're relying on you to protect it. Please do all you can to stop local health services being broken up or taken over by irresponsible private companies.
At the meeting of 30th January the national AQP (any qualified provider) programme was discussed. Each commissioning trust had been obliged to choose three areas to open up to multiple suppliers. In Berkshire the areas are Adult Hearing (tests and provision of hearing aids with follow up), Non-Obstetric Ultrasound (scanning but not of the unborn child) and Podiatry (Foot care). Where there are multiple suppliers the patient chooses with the help and advice of their GP. who provides the referral.
From April 2013, NICE will develop a library of quality standards and guidance to improve the quality of care and support, in consultation with the care and support sector, care users, their families and carers. The Department for Health is issuing a consultation document on social care standard - responses to be in by 20th April 2013. Locally Healthwatch, the successor to LiNK, will take on the role of consumer champion for Social Care as well as for Health.
The South Reading Patient Voice will meet at the University Health Centre on Northcourt Avenue at 6pm-7:30pm on Wednesday, 30th January 2013. The Agenda will include presentation and discussions on AQP (any qualified provider - the Government's choice of supplier approach), the progress of the CCG and the commissioning plan for South Reading. This is a chance to get an understanding of the coming shape of our health services as the new arrangements finally take shape.