The Governing Bodies of the BOB CCGs meet (in common) for the last time at 1.30pm on Thursday 9th June 2022.

We hear a lot about the programme forNew Hospitals Programme - Sleight of Hand? 40 or 48 new hospitals in the NHS. Here Roy Lilley of the Institute of Health Management gives the lowdown on what is behind it ..... The truth about the 40 hospitals

• New has been redefined to include refurbishment and alterations to old hospitals.
• Of the 40; 22 are rebuilding projects.
• 12 are new bits, grafted on to existing hospitals.
• Three are for non-urgent care.
• There are only three 'new' hospitals two general hospitals and one non-urgent care hospital.
• DH+ imbroglio in this misdirection say; "we have committed to build 48 hospitals by 2030, backed by an initial 3.7bn actually, to build a new hospital costs half a billion.
• The New Hospital Programme people have a playbook; seven communications people, through whom all press notices, from Trusts, must be cleared ..., coordinating the misdirection.
• The independent Infrastructure and Projects Authority give the NHS projects a red RAG-rating.
• Shortages in construction materials, unexpected customs duties, energy costs and inflation are all impacting the construction sector.
• Brexit has created workforce shortages.

There are not going to be 40 new hospitals Still - if the Royal Berkshire Hospital redevelopment project is a useful rebuilding of part of the hospital - let's hope they do a good job and keep it fit to deliver modern medicine to its catchment - that's us, folks.

A study in Italy shows the efficacy of mechanical ventilation in classrooms in reducing Covid-19 transmission in schools, giving up to 82% reduction. Since our vaccines are not very effective in reducing transmission this is a very welcome confirmation pointing to measures that should be more widely taken. The study was supported by the Fondazione David Hume.

The BOB (Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West) ICS (Integrated Care System) has published a draft engagement strategy. Comments are due by 18th May 2022. Please see the attached document. BOB ICS has created a microsite dealing with engagement .

South Reading Patient Voice will hold a HYBRID meeting at 6pm on Wednesday 18th May 2022. There will be an in-person meeting at Meeting Room 2, RISC, 35-39 London Street RG1 4PS. There will be online access via this link. The meeting ID is 821 323 67226. Please see attached agenda and map for access details and directions.

 South Reading Patient Voice will have an online meeting at 6pm on Wednesday 20th April 2022. Topics to be discussed include bringing South Reading Patient Voice and the North and West Patient Voice group closer: also news from the local NHS and Patient Participation Groups.

South Reading Patient Voice will meet at 6pm on Wednesday 20th April 2022. Karen Hampshire - vice-chair of the North and West Reading Patient Voice will report on the views of the members of that group to forming a unified Reading Patient Voice There will also be news from local NHS trusts and local Patient Partiicipation Groups.

According to the Guardian newspaper, South Central Ambulance Service declared a critical incident in the early hours of Wednesday, 6th April after "extreme pressures" forced it to prioritise patients with life-threatening illnesses. According to the paper, this followed a huge volume of callouts on Tuesday and increased challenges in releasing some ambulances from busy acute hospitals. The ambulance trust has asked people only to call 999 in a life-threatening or serious emergency. Advice and help are available by calling 111 or your GP surgery, or visitng your community pharmacist.

We feel it is important to reach out to listen to people with an open agenda - so - just as a pilot survey - we are asking for views on unmet medical need. Please take our survey: Survey on Unmet Medical Need Thank you

According to Health Service Journal, internal draft guidance from NHS England to healthcare trusts advise: "Trusts should continue to actively explore and develop opportunities to grow their external (non-NHS) income Private patient services continue to be a significant source of material opportunity in the NHS." Demand for private treatment has risen during the pandemic with provider Spires reporting income up 80% since 2019. The NHS waiting list for treatment is currently at 6 million and may reach 14 million before it starts to come down.