The local area team of NHS England is directly responsible for our primary and dental care, for some screening services, for specialist health services and for some co-responsibility and supervision of the Clinical Commissioning Groups in our area that purchase our hospital and community nursing care. The local area team for the Thames Valley is based in Oxford. This Oxford-based organisation is organising a one-day event for charities and voluntary organisations to discuss and develop means of patient engagement.

The West Berkshire Neurological Alliance has published its August Newsletter with much detail including the funding of two specialist nurse positions for epilepsy and for ME/CFS.

Reading Borough Council has published the Summer 2013 edition of its Social Care newsletter Care Junction.

South Reading CCG covering Reading from Tilehurst through Central Reading, Whitley, University and East Reading, is supporting World Breastfeeding Week from 1st to 7th August. There are events for pregnant women at the Whitley Sure Start Childrens' Centre - click here for details.

 The NHS 111 telephone service has now been fully launched in Berkshire, after extensive trials. Latest statement from South Reading NHS CCG (30th July 2013): " We are using South Central Ambulance Service, a respected and stable service which provides 999 call handling, to provide the NHS111 service for Berkshire.