We heard an excellent talk about the "Hospital At Home" program from Kate Summers in March 2015. The intention had been for selected patients to be discharged directly from A&E to their home, or discharged early from their ward to home, with nursing care provided by visiting nurses at home. Despite all the preparation we understand that only one patient ever used the service as planned. The attached document from Fiona Slevin-Brown, head of strategy for the Berkshire West Federation of CCGs sets out how the program has been redirected and some lessons learned.

Fiona Slevin-Brown, Head of Strategy for the Berkshire West Federated CCGs, will be talking about "Redesigning Care for the Frail Elderly" at our meeting at 6pm on Wednesday, 24th February 2016, at 94 London Street, RG1 4SJ. Other matters discussed will be news from the CCG and from Patient Participation Groups at GP practices in the South Reading CCG area.

South Reading CCG is getting a 5.7% increase in its programme budgets for 2016/7 as CCG funding allocations are eased towards nationally calculated targets. Other CCGs which are above target may well be getting less than this. The total for 2016/7 is 135.3 million in recurrent allocations.

South Reading CCG's Governing Body will meet in public at 9.30am on Wednesday, 2nd March 2016, in the Museum of English Rural Life on Redlands Road, Reading. To arrange your attendance please register here. There will be an opportunity to ask questions, which must be provided by noon on 1st March, at the end of the meeting. Papers for the meeting should be available five working days before on the South Reading CCG website.

University Health Centre will merge with Whitley VIlla GP practice in April 2016. South Reading GP practice will then merge with them in September 2016. Read the practice newsletter account of this.