From reports by The Guardian" and also the BBC we learn that hospitals have been instructed to some planned operations to free up hospital beds for an expected surge in in-patients over the winter months. As yet we have no information about the application of this instruction locally.

Reading Borough Council are seeking views from people who use health and social care services, to understand the likely impact of commissioning a single Local Healthwatch for Reading and Wokingham. The consultation is being conducted by Reading Borough Council on behalf of both councils involved and will run from Tuesday 19 December 2017 to Tuesday 6 February 2018. Have your say and let them know your views. The consultation questionnaire can be completed at: www.reading.gov.uk/yourlocalhealthwatch.

Fiona Wise is the new executive lead of the Western Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Sustainable Transformation Partnership. Ms Wise has extensive experience leading several NHS trusts.

Responding to Wednesday's Budget statement, Rachel Power, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, said: Patients, their families and carers will not have been reassured by the Chancellors commitments in this week's Budget." "He has rightly recognised that the current NHS funding settlement is inadequate, but he has fumbled his response: his cash injection will be inadequate for next year, and there is no sign of a shift to the sustainable long-term settlement for health and social care that we so desperately need.

South Reading Patient Voice will be meeting at 6pm on Wednesday, 25th October at the Reading Community Learning Centre, 94, London Street, RG1 4SJ. Our speakers will be Kim Seabrook and two others from Arthritis Matters, a local charity. We will also hear news from Healthwatch and from Patient Participation Groups as well as about the local health economy.