Members are invited to the Reading Patient Voice Group Xmas and new year lunch at the Alto Lounge, Church Street, Caversham at 1pm on Tuesday 2nd December 2025.
See you there!
Covid and 'Flu vaccinations - 2025
Covid and 'Flu vaccinations are now being given.
Covid boosters are available for those over 75, the immuno-suppressed over 6 months and residents of care homes for older adults. NHS vaccinations can given at your GP surgery, and at pharmacies. Ring 119 for the national booking service if your GP surgery or pharmacy are not offering the vaccinations.
The free NHS 'Flu vaccine is available for:
- those aged 65 or over (including those who will be 65 by 31 March 2026)
- those who have certain long-term health conditions
- those who are pregnant
- those who live in a care home
- those who are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive a carer's allowance
- those who live with someone who has a weakened immune system
- children aged 2 or 3
- school age children
- children with certain long-term conditions
Children are generally offered the nasal spray version of the vaccine.
BOB ICB meets in public 10.30 Tue 18 Nov 2025
The BOB Integrated Care Board meets in public at 10.30 - 12.00 on Tuesday 18th November 2025 in a joint meeting with Frimley UCB with whom they are working in a clustering arrangement prior to the formation of Thames Valley ICB on 1st April 2026.
Questions for the board should be sent to bobicb.enquiries@nhs.net .
To attend the meeting (online) please request a link via email from bobicb.enquiries@nhs.net
Patient Experience at GP Surgeries 2025
Every year the polling firm Ipsos-Mori conducts an extensive survey of patient experience at GP surgeries for NHS England.
You can see some results for this year at this page
. More detailed results can be found on the spreadsheets attached here.
Russell Street Surgery moves to Coley Park
Russell Street Group Practice currently operates 3 branches, at 79 Russell Street, in a dedicated building at 80. Wensley Road in Coley Park and in Burghfield. They are losing their lease in Russell Street on 1st November 2025 and are expanding and modernising the surgery building in Coley Park to accommodate more patients.
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| Reading Patient Voice Group officers Francis Brown and Tom Lake at the Coley Park surgery on the open day with practice manager Kamlesh Patel and Dr Magesh Arthanari. |
The extended and refurbished surgery building at Coley Park will have on-site parking for patients. Public transport is via the 11 bus route from Central Reading. The surgery will have 7 consultation rooms and a treatment room. There is a pharmacy nearby on Wensley Road.
Watch out for the official opening in October!
NHS 10-year plan for England is published
After consultation starting in late 2024 and the Government's 3-year Spending Review, the NHS 10-year plan for health in England is published.
Please click here to access the plan in various formats and its executive summary.
For an easier introduction try:
- Listening to Roy Lilley's 8-minute review
- Reading the executive summary
- Reading a summary and analysis from the NHS Confederation (29pages)
- Reading an exposition of the plan from the King's Fund
- Reading a response from the Nuffied Trust
RPVG meets at 6pm on Wed 21st Jan 2026 to hear ICB Director of Partnerships and Neighbourhood Health lead
Wishing all our browsers Season's Greetings a very happy and successful 2026.
Reading Patient Voice Group meets on Wednesday 21st January at 6pm online via Teams and in Committee Room 4b of the Reading Civic Offices on Bridge Street. We will welcome Daniel Leveson, Director of Partnerships for the BOB (Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West) Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Helen Clark, neighbourhood health lead at BOB ICB as our speakers, talking about how NHS local authorities and voluntary and charitable organisations are planning to develop the partnerships for health and wellbeing over the next 3 to 5 years.
Guests are welcome to this meeting.
RPVG AGM at 6pm on Wed 19 Nov 2025
Reading Patient Voice Group holds its Annual General Meeting at 6pm on Wednesday 19th November 2025 online via Teams and in Committee Room 1 of the Reading Civic Offices in Bridge Street (entrance still at rear).
We will review the year past, take a quick tour of the website, elect officers and discuss meetings and activites for the coming year
The formal business will be followed by a social so please bring a few nibbles etc to share if you can.
To join the meeting online please click here.
Files
ICB 4-Year Planning Intentions Published Oct 2025
Integrated Care Boards for the new Thames Valley area (Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire) have published their four year planning intentions from 2026-27 to 2029-30. Please see below.
This is a fairly concise statement of a substantial initiative, aimed at a major transformation of our healthcare and its commissioning. It looks to a future for the Thames Valley ICB where commissionin of services is based on the effectiveness of use of resources - money, capability, estates - to deliver outcomes including patient experience. This indicates a move to a unified data source for commissioning that all levels and partners can base their decisions on. A Value Lab will be established to support development of this approach to commissioning. Simplification of the current situation with over 1,000 contracts managed, will be sought. The new emphasis on neighbourhood healthcare and the new forms of contract to be brought in to support it are adopted. Improved engagement and collaboration with partners, including patients is recognised as vital to success.
Director of Public Health Reports
Every year the Director of Public Health for Reading presents a report on a topic of their own choosing. Please see the attached reports below.
Invitation To Register
You can register as a member of this website if you are a member of Reading Patient Voice Group. You will then be able to comment on the stories on the website. To register use the Contact RPVG button and send us a erquest.