South Reading CCG, with the support of South Reading Patient Voice, will be holding a conference on best practice and local plans for Dementia and Elderly care on 14th May 2013 at the Shenai Rooms, London Street, Reading. The aim of the conference is to inform patients, professionals and the voluntary sector about the range of services available to people living with dementia and their carers across health and social care. It will also aim to identify where there are gaps in services and discuss how to close them.

A Sivlerstar charity modible diabetes testing van is visiting the Alexandra Road Mosque on Friday, 1st March. The visit, in association with South Readng NHS GPs and NHS Berkshire public health authorities, offers a speedy diabetes check and body type analysis. The Silverstar charity concentrates on diabetes awareness and testing in people of South Asian origin in Britain, who have a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes. It also operates in South Asia.

Three local bids have passed Stage 1 in applications for 50 million funding for dementia environments .
 
Reading Council is bidding for funding to create a dementia friendly garden at the "The Willows"
 
Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust is bidding for funding to Improve the caring environment and provide cohesion between wards
 
Royal Berks Hospital Foundation Trust is bidding for funding to make wards dementia-friendly.

On 13th February the Department for Health laid before Parliament new statutory regulations governing procurement and competition. They will govern procurement by Clinical Commissioning Groups like the South Reading CCG after 1st April. The regulations and the official explanatory memo are attached.This followed a consultation last year. While they give welcome rights to patients, there are areas for concern, especially in that they require "best value" although the Health and Social Care Act 2012 ruled out competition on the basis of price. 

The minutes of the CCG Authorisation Sub-Committee from December show that the NCB before authorising the Berkshire West CCGs, did have concerns over the structure of the Berkshire West Federation. In particular how one Accountable Officer would be responsible for four CCGs, as shown by the following extract from the minutes: (SPD is Dr Sarah Pinto-Duchinsky - head of CCG authorisation and BH is Dame Barabara Hakin National DIrector of Commissioning Development)