Three local bids have passed Stage 1 in applications for 50 million funding for dementia environments .
 
Reading Council is bidding for funding to create a dementia friendly garden at the "The Willows"
 
Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust is bidding for funding to Improve the caring environment and provide cohesion between wards
 
Royal Berks Hospital Foundation Trust is bidding for funding to make wards dementia-friendly.

On 13th February the Department for Health laid before Parliament new statutory regulations governing procurement and competition. They will govern procurement by Clinical Commissioning Groups like the South Reading CCG after 1st April. The regulations and the official explanatory memo are attached.This followed a consultation last year. While they give welcome rights to patients, there are areas for concern, especially in that they require "best value" although the Health and Social Care Act 2012 ruled out competition on the basis of price. 

The minutes of the CCG Authorisation Sub-Committee from December show that the NCB before authorising the Berkshire West CCGs, did have concerns over the structure of the Berkshire West Federation. In particular how one Accountable Officer would be responsible for four CCGs, as shown by the following extract from the minutes: (SPD is Dr Sarah Pinto-Duchinsky - head of CCG authorisation and BH is Dame Barabara Hakin National DIrector of Commissioning Development) 

 

The South Reading Clinical Commissioning Group is now authorised and operational as of 1st April 2013. Its website is at www.southreadingccg.nhs.uk and its twitter name is @SReadingCCG.
 
The local Berkshire West federation of Clinical Commissioning Groups has set up a website about Diabetes and Diabetes care. We have retaned a few CCG documents here temporarily. 
 

We will be meeting between 6pm and 7:30pm on Wednesday, 27th February 2013. The main topics for discussion will be the new 111 non-emergency phone service and an update on the South Reading CCG.