The well-respected Patients' Association is recommending that patients do not make the effort to appeal to the Health Service Ombudsman. In an alarming report , citing many shocking cases the association finds that the Ombudsman failed to establish the facts of the cases cited, didn't take the views and information provided by the complainant relatives into proper account and failed to take proper clinical and medical advice. The Patients' Association found:

Safeguarding children is everybodys responsibility. Any adult who is concerned that the situation is urgent where a child is at risk of suffering significant harm should consult or refer to the Children's Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub, Tel: 0118 937 3641, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). Outside these hours, contact the Emergency Duty Team, Tel: 01344 786543. Emails about safeguarding of children may be sent to safeguarding@brighterfuturesforchildren.org .

Abuse of vulnerable adults can occur in many ways, through a poorly run residential home, through an abusive relationship at home or elsewhere. Reading Borough Adult Safeguarding Team exercises statutory responsibility for safeguarding vulnerable adults and liases with many other bodies who assist in this protection. Concerns about an adult youknow or about an institution can be passed on to the Adult Safeguarding Team at their website or by phoning 0118 937 3747.

Public Health England publishes data from its National Public Health Outcomes Framework on its website. There is also Public Health England's health profile data website.

We will be meeting between 6.15pm and 7:45pm on Wednesday, 29th October 2014 in the Reading Community Learning Centre 10, Eaton Place, RG1 7LP (see Agenda for directions) . Our first item will be a talk and discussion on integrating health and social care and then we will discuss.our future programme and topics.