The AGM of the Royal Berkshire Hospital Foundation Trust is on 11th July. Membership of the Trust is free and puts you in touch with developments at the hospital. The AGM is at the Palmer Building at the University of Reading on Thursday 11th July. It starts at 6:15pm with time to look round the exhibition. The formal meeting includes a presentation by the Emergency Department.

The board of the South Reading CCG met in public for the first time at the Museum of English Rural Life on Wednesday, 19th June, 2013. Highlights of the meeting were a review of the year's aims for the CCG, the quality scorecard up to 2 months back, the risk analysis, budget reports and plans. Quality strategy and policies on risk assessment and safeguarding were adopted. Dr Elizabeth Johnston, reviewing the year's aims, noted that South Reading CCG area was the area in Berkshire West with the most children. Takeup of immunisations and maintenance of breast feeding in the first six weeks were aims, as well as improved takeup of cancer screenings, more cardiovascular disease checks and better coverage of care for diabetics. The quality scorecard revealed one case of MRSA at the RBH (target none) and a rise of almost 50% in unplanned admissions to RBH from quarter 1 to quarter 4, no doubt partly driven by our long cold Spring this year. Also some falling short of target on time to first suspected cancer treatment and time to get onto Stroke ward. Ceasarean section rates in maternity exceeded target percentage. The risk register highlighted a number of points: issues at a local nursing home, pressure on A&E at RBH, and the consequences of poor or late data caused by the long settling-in of the RBH's new patient record system. It was reported that 4 new business cases had been approved.

1. Funding for a new Community Diabetologist.
2. One-off funding for a map of medicine for diabetes.
3. Funding for enhanced diabetes primary care for staff training and more patients adopting self-management.
4. Enhanced funding for the service navigation team at RBH funded out of the penalties imposed on RBH for more unplanned treatments than in 2008-9.

The register of board members' interests and the problem of conflict of interest in commissioning additional services from GPs were discussed. The meeting closed with questions from members of the public present, answered by various board members. Next board meeting will be on 18th September 2013. The full text of the reports can be found at this page.

We will be meeting between 6pm and 7:30pm on Wednesday, 26th June at the University Health Centre, 9, Northcourt Avenue, Reading RG2 7HE. We will be discussing latest developments in local commissioning of heathcare, we will review the CCG's prospectus, lay board member Christopher Mott will explain his position and duties, report on the public CCG board meeting and the public Health and Wellbeing board meeting and there will be time for members to bring up other particular concerns. Anyone registered with a practice in the South Reading CCG area may attend. If you have not been before please contact Karen Grannum on email address karen.grannum@nhs.net or on telephone 07500 072 720 to give your contact details beforehand.

We will be meeting from 6pm to 7:30pm on Wednesday, 29th May 2013 at 9, Northcourt Avenue, Reading, Berks, RG2 7HE. Anyone registered with a practice in the South Reading CCG area may attend. If you have not been before please contact Karen Grannum on email address karen.grannum@nhs.net or on telephone 07500 072 720 to give your contact details beforehand.

We will be meeting between 6pm and 7:30pm on Wednesday, 26th June at the University Health Centre, 9, Northcourt Avenue, Reading RG2 7HE. We will be discussing latest developments in local commissioning of heathcare, we will review the CCG's prospectus, lay board member Christopher Mott will explain his position and duties, report on the public CCG board meeting and the public Health and Wellbeing board meeting and there will be time for members to bring up other particular concerns. Anyone registered with a practice in the South Reading CCG area may attend. If you have not been before please contact Karen Grannum on email address karen.grannum@nhs.net or on telephone 07500 072 720 to give your contact details beforehand.

Crossroads Care Reading promotes, offers, supports and delivers high quality services for carers and people with care needs. 

Reading Rethink Carers Group provides help and support to carers of those with mental illness. All members are themselves carers, and can therefore offer help and understanding to those in a similar position.

There are local events for Carers week at Reading Civic Centre and at Prospect Park Hospital. There will be a Carers workshop and pampering fest at Reading Civic Centre on Wednesday, 12th June from 12 noon to 4pm. You can find out about your entitlements as a carer and enjoy chatting to other carers and those involved in care and caring. If you feel you need more help or encouragement as a carer and you can get along to this then this event is for you. Read more about this event There will be an information evening for Carers at Prospect Park hospital on Thursday 13th June from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Read more about this event There will be an opportunity to talk to people from Berkshire Carers about your needs as a carer on Friday, 14th June, from 10am to 4pm at Prospect Park Hospital. Read more about this event

We all know that our physical surroundings have a big effect on how well we feel. Reading Borough Council is consulting on standards and problems of privately rented accommodation. Reading Borough Council has recently got new powers to regulate the conversion of single family houses into multiply occupied dwellings. They are proposing comprehensive planning standards for these conversions with regard to density of conversion, interior space, amenity space outside, light, height, noise, common rooms and many other details. These factors can affect our health and all the more where living space is being sub-divided. So if you are a private tenant or have experience of living in sub-divided accommodation your comments can be useful. Just take a quick look at the "Let's Talk Housing" page. where you can find the on-line consultation and the full document setting out the proposed planning standards for conversion of family housing to multiple occupation.

At a recent meeting of the South Reading Patient Voice, members heard from Berkshire Healthcare manager Fiona Slevin-Brown, how Health and Social Care are improving their coordination by working together in three regions of the South Reading CCG area. This is part of a major drive to upgrade community care and reduce the number of emergency hospital admissions. The entirety of the South Reading CCG is divided into three parts. The first is Tilehurst, between the rivers Thames and kennet and facing towards the West. Then we have South Reading stretching out towards the Reading boundary and the M4. Lastly, there is East Reading,south of the Thames and covering the Eastern lobe of the borough. In each region social workers and community nurses will coordinate using specialised conferencing software that allows them to hold conference calls, including common viewing of documents. GP surgeries in the Tilehurst region: Tilehurst Village Surgery, Tilehurst Medical Centre, Westwood Road Surgery, Southcote Clinic, Grovelands Medical Centre, Chatham Street Surgery, London Street Surgery, 79 Russell Street Surgery, Reading Walk-In Centre, Abbey Medical Centre GP surgeries in the South Reading region: Milman Road (Dr Kumar), Milman Road (Dr Lister), South Reading Surgery, Whitley Villa Surgery, Chancellor House Surgery, University Health Centre, Whitley Wood Lane Surgery GP surgeries in the East Reading region: 172 London Road Surgery, Melrose Surgery (Dr Dean), Melrose Surgery (Dr Williams), Pembroke Surgery, Kennet Surgery, Christchurch Surgery, Eldon Road Surgery, Long Barn Lane Surgery