Dr Elizabeth Johnston, chair of the South Reading NHS CCG has been looking at the work of the Community Rapid Response Team in the South Reading CCG area and has provided us with the following short report: Within the Berkshire West Area South Reading CCG is the highest user of the Community Rapid Response and Reablement team (CRRTeam) and has the lowest number of admissions to hospital within four weeks of using the team. Outcomes for patients who have been through this community service are also encouraging with the lowest percentage for deterioration, hospital admission and death.

The Cardiac unit at the Royal Berkshire Hospital has been judged fastest in the nation with 96% of patients undergoing the recommended treatment of primary angioplasty within 150 minutes of a 999 call, reports the BBC.

According to the BBC NHS Winter tracker the week starting 28th November 2013 at Royal Berkshire Hospital brought many bed closures due to Norovirus and many cases of "bed blocking" where patients cannot be discharged for lack of immediate care facilities for them outside the hospital. The consequence has been longer waits in the Accident and Emergency department where attendances increased and admissions increased more. Please see the attached report for more details.

National Research by the Dr Foster group associated with Imperial College, London, as reported by the BBC, has suggested that the NHS is rationing elective operations such as knee replacements, hip replacements and cataract removals. With an ageing population the numbers of such operations could be expected to rise steadily.

Operation

S Reading CCG number 2010

S Reading CCG number 2012

Cataract Removal

387

305

Hip replacement

93

86

Knee replacement

84

85

 The board of the South Reading NHS Clinical Commissioning Group meets in public at 12:30pm - 16pm on Wednesday, 18th December at the the Reading Voluntary Association (RVA) at 16-18 Duke Street (entrance at the side of the Futon shop). The agenda and papers for the meeting will be available on the 11th December.