With the Health and Social Care Act 2022 coming into force on Friday 1st July 2022, our Clinical Commissioning Group will be dissolved and commissioning of services will be the responsibility of the BOB Integrated Care Board. This moves away from commissioning dominated by GPs to a top-down system with commissioning of services at a more strategic level - the BOB area (Buckinghamshire, Oxfotdshire and Berkshire West) has about 2.5 million people.

The Sunday Times reports on a Birmingham University study on waiting lists for surgery, showing that our BOB area is 12th in need of the 42 Integrated Care System areas, with a need for 88.6 procedures per 1,000 people. It states, 'Experts from Birmingham University have said efforts to reduce hospital backlogs are not enough and that it is impossible for the existing frontline workers to tackle increasing waiting lists.'.

The charity "The Advocacy People" has taken over from the charity "Healthwatch Reading " to deliver the Healthwatch service in Reading, following re-tendering of the contract by Reading Borough Council. All staff have been transferred. There is a new helpline number for Healthwatch Reading: 0118 214 5579 The Advocacy People have been providing the Healthwatch service in West Berkshire and recently in Wokingham as well as other places in the South East.

South Reading Patient Voice meets online and in person in Meeting Room 1 at RISC, 35-39, London Street at 6pm-7.25pm on Wednesday, 20th July 2022. We will hear a talk from Belinda Seston, Interim Director of Place Partnerships for the BOB Integrated Care System on "The Integrated Care System Board". We will also hear news from local NHS providers, Patient Participation Groups etc. Please note, for those attending in person - the entrance to RISC will be at the rear - where there is car parking a railings to attach bikes to - from East Street or from London Street via the alleyway.

The final meeting of the CCG Primary Care Commissioning Groups for the BOB CCGs takes place at 10.00am on Thursday 16th June 2022. Questions should be subnmitted in advance to bccg.primarycare@nhs.net To join the meeting click here.