Community rehabilitation beds at Oakwood Ward, Prospect Park Hospital, are being cut from 35 to 24. Oakwood Ward, at Prospect Park Hospital, is a 35 single-roomed self-contained rehabilitation unit of the PFI funded site. The single room nature is not ideal for the predominantly frail elderly patients and requires a large nursing staff to ensure safety and quality. Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, has been unable to staff the ward without using an excessive number of agency staff.

At the September meeting of the South Reading CCG Governing Body it was decided that Vasectomy would no longer be available as a normal NHS treatment in the South Reading CCG area. .This measure is being applied across Western Berkshire and is thought to save about 75.000. However, there could be consequential costs which could easily reduce or eliminate the saving. To the public present this measure had rather the feeling of being a softening-up exercise for harsher cuts to come or perhaps a measure to demonstrate that something was being done.

John Broughall will be talking on "Antibiotic Resistance" at the Cafe Scientifique meeting on 3rd October at 7.30pm at Smokin Billys, 61 St Marys Butts, Reading RG1 2LG. All welcome. 20% off on food ordered beforehand!

Reading is creating a recovery college for those recovering from or living with mental illness. You can find out about the recovery college at an event organised by Reading Voluntary Action on Monday, 24th October.

We understand that Tilehurst Medical Centre, a branch of the practice provided by Dr Kumar and partners with main surgery at Milman Road, is to close in the near future. Patients have been notified by letter.