Data is a valuable resource in the NHS. Careful study of the statistics of disease and mortality can lead to understanding that saves lives - like the understanding that smoking cigarettes can cause lung cancer. Data relating to hospital episodes has been collected and studied for many years. The new "Care.Data" program is intended to allow data held at GP surgeries to be studied in a similar way. Data is to be anonymised and linked to hospital and other medical data and permission is given for this on a project by project basis.

'You can now "Beat The Street" with South Reading Patient Voice's own team. Beat the Street is an initiative of the local CCGs and Reading Borough to promote health through walking. It runs until 4th June. Whether you join our team or another this is what you have to do:

National Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from 12th to 16th May 2014. Berkshire Healthcare Trust events can be found here . Together events are an open day on 13th May at 127, Oxford Road from 12pm to 4pm and the Womens' Group Afternoon Tea, at Bridge Hall, Oxford Road, on 14th May from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. See attached poster.

The South Reading CCG proposes to plan Patient Engagement in a more formal way. To this end it has included a plan-on-a-page for Patient Engagement in its current operational plan. It has supported a proposal for a new initiative to be run jointly with SRPV to organise up to 4 large-scale meetings or activities per year to reach a larger number than most current SRPV meetings, at which CCG messages could be communicated and discussed. The attached paper, as passed at the SRPV meeting of 26th March 2014 outlines the new developments.

We will be meeting between 6pm and 7:30pm on Wednesday, 30th April 2014 at 6pm at the Communicare office behind Wycliffe Baptist Church, Cemetery Junction (see attached Agenda for directions) . Our main item will be a discussion on the Changing GP Appointment System led by Graham Brown, Pratice Manager and South Reading CCG Governing Body Member.