With the wide spread of the extra transmissible Delta variant of Covid-19 certain areas of Reading are asked to take part in "SURGE TESTING". Every resident in the postcode areas RG1 3**, RG1 5**, RG1 6**, RG1 7** is asked to attend one of several centres to take a PCR test for Covid-19 (if they have no symptoms) or order a test for home use (applicable whether or not one has symptoms). This should take place over 2 weeks starting from Monday 7th June. For details of how to do this please see this web page . At the same time Reading has introduced additional discretionary isolation support grants for those on low incomes who have to stay at home, cannot work from home and would thereby lose income. Also for buisinesses not covered by other existing schemes. For details, see the file attachment below. "

Berkshire West CCG Governing Body, together with the governing bodies of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire CCGs will meet in public (we believe) on Thursday, 10 June at 1.30pm. - 3.30 See this page for the meeting link. Although the 3 CCGs in the BOB Integrated Care System have not merged, they have a common Accountable Officer in Dr James Kent, and have agreed to hold their governing body meetings together.

Berkshire West CCG has been revising the pathways for patients with Musculoskeletal conditions over the past several years, with the new approach recently having been introduced for people with knee problems, as the changes move forward. People who have musculoskeletal conditions are being invited to take part in upcoming online events to help shape future NHS services. The feedback sessions will be held on Tuesday 22 June 2021, 4pm-6pm and Thursday 24 June 2021, 10am-12pm. People with MSK conditions, or voluntary sector organisations that support them, are invited to the sessions. People should confirm their attendance by Friday 18 June by emailing karen.grannum@nhs.net . Carl Davies, director of MSK/Ortho at Berkshire West Integrated Care Partnership, said: Musculoskeletal conditions (MSK) is an umbrella term that includes over 200 different conditions affecting the human frame, for example joints, bones, muscles, soft tissue problems, rheumatic conditions, chronic pain and orthopaedics to name just a few. A large number of GP appointments are MSK related and we are committed to providing our local people with a wide range of services that deliver the right care, at the right time, in the right place. He added: Conscious of the need to consider the wider, social factors of health, we are keen to ensure we build something that reaches patients who may traditionally fall between clinical services and who may need additional help i.e. receive social support, require further education regarding their condition or information and signposting to existing services. What this looks like is down to the service users, and those who may currently support them outside of traditional clinical services. The Berkshire West Integrated Partnership is made of NHS funding bodies and providers of care for people in Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire

Berkshire West CCG has proposed to re-organise NHS hearing services for all adults in a new unified pathway. A consultation meeting was held on 20th May 2021. You can see the slide presentation from the event . There is a chance to comment on the proposals up to 4th June 2021 by email to bwccg.enquiries@nhs.net .

A new programme of collecting patient data has just been launched. Originally patients had until 23 June to opt out from a start on 1st July but the start has now been put off until 1st September with currently latest opt-out date as 25th August 2021. You can access the opt-out form below. In relation to this the NHS has a consultation on its new draft data strategy running until 23rd July. At the time of writing the programme had not received the endorsement of the British Medical Association (BMA) or the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). Previously data was collected in support of programmes such as vaccinations and to measure GP performance in dealing with 30-odd conditions under the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) through which GP practices received incentive payments for high performance. The new system will be much more a case of cradle to grave care history, some aspects, like medications, limited to the last 10 years. The value of Britain's patient data has been estimated at 10 billion per year, but current charges are far below this and are believed to represent NHS costs in providing the data. We are all aware that the unified approach of our National Health Service offers enormous advantages, as illustrated currently with the Covid-19 vaccination policy. A particular advantage is that we have uniform data and the NHS number for all NHS patients. Data about the population is a wonderful resource for medical research, and health care planning. Naturally, this data resource is of interest to commercial companies developing medical products and services, and indeed, as long as products and services are developed in this way, it is advantageous for our data to be used to improve this process, subject to data use safeguards and possible commercial arrangements which benefit the nation. NHS DIgital guarantees that the data is never shared for the purposes of marketing or insurance. Nevertheless, the central collection of patient data under adequate safeguards is a difficult matter. We have seen the hacking of data from respected companies. We are wary of sensitive personal data being exploited by unscrupulous companies. Data related to patients' treatment in hospitals is regularly collected centrally by the IT unit of the NHS known as NHS digital. The data is pseudonymised and encrypted before transmission, and then made available to research users for specific, approved projects, both academic and commercial. NHS Digital only levies charges in respects of its costs. In 2014 the Government made an attempt to collect patient data from GP surgeries with the "care.data" programme. However, this failed to gain public confidence and had to be withdrawn. Now a new programme of collecting patient data has just been launched and patients have until 23 June to opt out. Most unfortunately, the Government seems to have chosen to proceed by stealth rather than by persuasion. On the day after the Queen's Speech, 12th May 2021, the NHS issued a Data Provision Notice to GPs, to enable a new platform - the General Practice Data for Planning and Research Service (GPDPR) - which replaces an existing system - the General Practice Extraction Service (GPES) - and should be more reliable and collect more detail about patients. The new service will collect, for all patients registered at a GP surgery from 1 July 2021, and not opted-out, 
 

• data about diagnoses, symptoms, observations, test results, medications, allergies, immunisations, referrals, recalls and appointments, relating to physical, mental and sexual health,
• data on sex, ethnicity and sexual orientation,
• data about staff who have treated patients.

but certain data protected by law, such as some details of IVF treatment and gender re-assignment, will not be collected. Medication data more than 10 years old and free text notes will also not be collected.

Opting Out of the Data Sharing Arrangements

Two types of opt-out can be used:
 

1. Opt out at your GP surgery so that your GP data is not collected into the national database - this must be presented as a completed paper form, to your GP surgery by 23 June 2021, This is known as a Type 1 opt-out.
2. Opt out from your data being extracted from the national database except for your own treatment and care or in other quite limited circumstances - this is called the "national opt-out" and can be changed at any time. The exceptions include matters of overriding national interest, cases where the data can be fully anonymised (e.g. by aggregation over sufficient numbers according to NHS standards) and cases where the data is merely demographic in nature. This is known as a national data opt-out.

Type 1 - GP Practice Data Collection Opt-Out

Print out and fill in this form - also attached near the bottom of this page - and hand it in to your GP surgery before 23 June 2021.

National Data Opt-Out

Patients can view or change their national data opt-out choice at any time by using the online service at www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/manage-your-choice or by calling 0300 3035678. Online, the process involves giving your name, date of birth and either NHS number or postcode. Identity is confirmed by sending a validation code to an email address or mobile phone that the NHS has associated with you, presumably in other ways if you do not have such information registered with the NHS. You can then make your choice. This sort of opt-out would presumably cover hospital treatment as well as GP data. Here is one account of the changes . Here is the NHS's account of their approach to sharing your data . Here is the NHS announcement of the new collection service . Here is Computer Weekly's account . Here is comment in the British Medical Journal . Here is an article about legal action being taken against this change by a number of campaigning organisations - and David Davis MP .

Over the pandemic year South Reading Patient Voice has been able to complete a project gaining understanding of older people's views and problems relating to digital access to GP surgeries. The project was funded by a small grant under the Berkshire Community Foundation community grants scheme, administered by Reading Voluntary Action. This also gave us a lot of support and encouragement from Reading Voluntary Action. We would like to express our thanks to both organisations.

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A principal part of the project was a survey of older people's views and problems relating to digital access to GP surgeries. The report of the survey is attached below. During the course of the work we discovered that some patients had abandoned their medications die to not being able to obtain appointments for medication review. We reported this to Berkshire West CCG.

People using local NHS adult hearing services are being urged to join a special engagement event to discuss plans aimed at improving the services in Berkshire West. Health service commissioners are holding the virtual event on Thursday 20 May from 2.30-4pm to look at current services offered in local hospitals and high street outlets. This includes adult hearing (hearing tests and assessments) and the supply and fitting of NHS hearing aids as well as a review of the information, advice, follow up appointments and after care offered to patients. The event is being run by Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) which currently commissions services for people aged 55 and over who suffer from age-related hearing loss. At the moment the services are supplied by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and SpecSavers, however the nature of the current system means people can face unnecessary three yearly GP referrals and there are fragmented pathways for patients under 55. The contracts are due to expire soon which is why the health teams believe now is a good time to discuss options for the future with those who use the service and other interested people. The CCGs preferred options are for an inclusive Adult Hearing Loss service for all adults aged over 18, providing a more co-ordinated lifetime pathway with onward referrals between ENT, Adult Hearing services and diagnostics. This would mean people have more timely access to assessments. They would also benefit from easier access to a range of other treatments, support, after care and advice services. The proposed changes would shorten waiting times for appointments and treatment and create a service that is highly responsive to the needs of local communities. Use : this Microsoft Teams link to join the meeting at 2.30pm on Thursday 20th May.

The 3 CCGs of the BOB area have agree to hold meetings-in-common for 2021/22 as they prepare for their dissolution and the legalisation of BOB Integrated Care System subject to enabling legislation as announced in the recent Queen's speech. Enquiries at Oxfordshire CCG revealed that the dates are: 

The Royal Berkshire Hospital has progressed with its planning for a rebuilt hospital and has now published its Strategic Outline Case (SOC) and added a second survey concerning the 3 options now being considered. Please click here to access these.

South Reading Patient Voice meets online at 6pm on Wednesday, 19th May. Katie Summers of Wokingham CCG will speak on "Population Health Management" We will also hear reports about the closure of the Reading Walk-In Service at Broad Street Mall and on the new NHS legislation, reports from Patient Participation Groups and from governors of local trusts.