The Government has announced that Public Health England is to be broken up and a new body "The Institute for Health Protection" is to be set up to focus on "external threats" to health, such as epidemics and biological weapons. But what will happen to vaccination, addiction prevention, reduction of obesity is unclear. The Royal Society for Public Health has stressed the importance of the prevention agenda.

South Reading Patient Voice meetings online via Zoom at 6pm on Wednesday 19th August 2020. We will discus many asects of the local health services - moves of Royal Berks clinics, redevelopment of the Royal Berks hospital, say-say access to primary care, patient safety etc. Please see the agenda attached. Contact arrangements have been circulated to members. If interested in membership please contact Tom Lake, Information Officer .

Reading Healthwatch has announced that the Royal Berks Hospital is to move clinics for Audiology, ENT and Plastic Surgery to Townlands Memorial hospital in Henley-on-Thames. Healthwatch Reading are inviting comments from the public so please follow the link and make yourself heard. WE HAVE NOW LEARNED THAT THE MOVE IS BASED ON AN INITIAL 12-MONTH LEASE with follow-up evaluation so facilities better during the COVID-19 period are pertinent.

One of the best sources of information on the state of the Coronavirus pandemic in the UK is the smartphone app "Covid Symptom Study" supplied by Zoe Global Ltd to the research team at King's College London under Prof Tim Spector, who is the organiser of the study. Please download and use the app yourself if you have the equipment - for Android phones from your Play Store, for Apple phones from your App Store, under the name "Covid Symptom Study".

In a flurry of consultations - you are now asked to give your views on improving the Royal Berkshire Hospital Trust's website.