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.

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.

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.

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.