The information that patients need to understand how well their GP surgery is performing is the subject of the talk and discussion led by Francis Brown of the Priory Avenue PPG on 28th September at 6pm to 7.45pm at Reading Community Learning Centre, 94, London Street, RG1 4SJ. We will also hear news from the CCG and patient participation groups, Healthwatch and discuss our future activities. The meeting is open to everyone registered with a GP practice in the South Reading CCG clinical area.

Mr Luke March has been appointed as chair of the Western Berkshire Accountable Care System - a collaboration of the principal NHS organisations in Western Berkshire. We are facing a period of several years in which NHS funding growth will be around 1% per year on average - hardly enough to keep up with population growth, let alone the ageing of the population, increasing living standards or advances in medicine.

The British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors' trade union, has announced that doctors in training ("junior doctors" - who can be any grade below consultant and may be in their mid-thirties) will hold 5-day all-out strikes in October, November and December but the strike announced for December has been called off.

The Government's plan for reducing childhood obesity was published on 18th August 2016 (see attached file). Most reviews were unfavourable. The King's Fund has published an analysis and a comparison of the plan with the recommendations of the Health Select Committee of the House of Commons . The Government's plan has no definite objective but expects to significantly reduce England's rate of childhood obesity within the next ten years.

South Reading CCG Governing Body meets in public and holds its annual meeting on Wednesday 7th September, 2016 at the Museum Of English Rural Life, Redlands Road, RG1 5EX. 

Governing Body Meeting in Public - 9.30am - 11.45am

Questions for the Governing Body (taken at the end of the meeting) should be sent to ppiteam.berkshirewest@nhs.net or given by phone at 0118 982 2709 before noon on 6th September.