More than 33,000 people across BOB ICB have used a national online service to register with a GP since its launch 18 months ago.

The online Register with a GP surgery service, managed by NHS England, allows patients to find and register with a local GP any time without having to visit the practice in person.

The service, which was designed to make the process of registering with a new GP simpler and more convenient for both patients and GP practices, has been shown to save GP practice staff admin time.

Patients can access the service using individual GP surgery websites, the NHS website’s Find a GP service and the NHS App. They are also encouraged to verify who they are using their NHS login where possible, but this is not essential.

Patients do not need ID, an NHS number or proof of address to register with a GP. People registering online can also use translation tools alongside the service, making it more accessible for those whose first language is not English.

To find out more about registering with a GP surgery visit the NHS website.

Anyone eligible for the Covid-19 spring booster vaccine will be contacted by the NHS soon to book their Covid-19 spring booster.

The spring programme runs for 10 weeks, from 22 April (15 April for care home residents) until 30 June 2024.

The Covid-19 vaccine is for those at higher risk and needs to topped up to help give the best protection, similar to the flu vaccine. 

Spring booster 2024 eligibility:

• aged 75 years old or over
• live in a care home for older adults
• aged 6 months old or over and have a weakened immune system

Read more about local routine vaccinations on our Stay Well webpage where we will also add info on other clinics when agreed: Immunisation and vaccination  

Parents and carers are being urged to check with their GP practice that their child has had two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine.

The NHS is keen to ensure little ones are fully vaccinated. One dose is usually given at one year old, and the second dose given at age three years, four months. Both doses are needed for maximum protection.

It is not just children who may need to have their MMR jabs. Anyone who may have missed out for any reason should arrange to catch up with routine vaccines as soon as possible, including those people:

• planning a pregnancy
• travelling abroad
• starting college or university
• frontline health and care staff
• born between 1970 and 1979, as you may have only been vaccinated against measles
• born between 1980 and 1990, as you may not be protected against mumps

Visit our Stay Well pages for more details:  Immunisation and vaccination - Stay Well (staywell-bob.nhs.uk)

The NHS across BOB ICB has launched a campaign to encourage people aged 40 and over to get their blood pressure checked for free at a local pharmacy.

High blood pressure rarely has symptoms and is often described as a ‘silent killer’ which affects an estimated one in three adults. Around three in 10 of these cases remain undiagnosed. As there are often ‘no clues’ you have high blood pressure - the only way to find out is to have a simple blood pressure test.

With the NHS announcing an additional 2.5 million blood pressure checks in community pharmacies over this year and next, people aged 40 and over are urged to get a free test. The procedure is quick, painless and there is no need to book in advance. If blood pressure is higher than it should be, the pharmacist will advise on next steps.

NHS Talking Therapies services across BOB ICB have teamed up to create a clinical network which is tackling some of the biggest challenges the service faces.

The BOB Talking Therapies Clinical Network was set up to pool resources and expertise and has developed a staff wellbeing strategy, which has been adopted nationwide.

Three further priorities have now been identified for the network to progress this year, thanks to funding from the ICB:

• Reducing health inequalities by increasing the number of older adults starting treatment with NHS Talking Therapies.
• Developing a sustainable model of hybrid working to support staff recruitment and retention.
• Implementing the staff wellbeing strategy that was developed last year.

Funding was awarded to continue a long history of innovative partnership working and co-production between the three NHS Talking Therapies services, supported by their active patient forums. Professor David Clark, NHS England’s Clinical and Informatics Advisor for NHS Talking Therapies, has continued in his role as clinical advisor to the network.

Dr Alison Salvadori (Berkshire), Jo Ryder and John Pimm (Oxford and Buckinghamshire), Clinical Leads for NHS Talking Therapies services said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with colleagues across BOB Talking Therapies services to address some of the most pressing needs for our patient and staff groups.”

NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire are provided by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. The Berkshire service is provided by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Patients can self-refer for treatment for common mental health problems or be referred by their GP.

As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s maternity department has taken action to reduce rates of smoking in pregnancy and in June 2023 established an in-house Stop Smoking Service.

All women are routinely asked their smoking status at their first midwife appointment. As of January 2024, more than nine out of 10 women were offered and consented to Carbon Monoxide (CO) screening which is an increase from more than seven out 10 in May 2023.

In 2023, only five per cent of those of had their baby in the Trust were current smokers at delivery (compared to nearly nine per cent nationally). This is a significant reduction to 2021, when more than six per cent of women who had their babies in the Trust were current smokers at delivery. 

For more details visit the Trust website here 

The new female-focused part of Buckinghamshire Council’s ‘Love Your Heart Bucks’ campaign launched on International Women’s Day (8 March) and has so far spoken to 211 residents, while 144 people have visited pop-up events for blood pressure checks.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, the risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and lifestyle changes that can prevent or manage CVD among women of all ages and backgrounds.

Studies have shown that women are less likely to seek medical help when experiencing heart attack-like symptoms and that they have a higher chance of receiving the wrong initial diagnosis following a heart attack.

NHS professionals are being asked to support the initiative by sharing campaign materials available on the communications toolkit with their networks.

This initiative brings together local people to share their ideas around improving wellbeing in local communities organised by Buckinghamshire New University. 

Sessions are run by the university's 'Buckinghamshire Community Wellbeing Aylesbury Hub' aimed at local health and social care professionals, and people who work in the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector and staff and students at the university.

Meetings are held on the last Wednesday of each month and also provide an opportunity for people to network, promote their services and discuss ideas on improving wellbeing. 

The next event is on Wednesday 24 April (1.30pm - 3.30pm) at the university’s Wellbeing Hub at the Aylesbury campus (HP21 7QG) To confirm attendance email bcwh@bucks.ac.uk

In March, the Research and Innovation department at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust hosted the first ever BRAInWAVE festival of innovation.

It brought together partners from across the healthcare and technology sector to build real-world solutions to issues faced by frontline healthcare staff. 

To find out some of the ideas discussed at the event and for further details see here 

The results of the 2023/24 annual NHS national staff survey were published in March 2024.

More than 4,000 of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s colleagues (61%) took part in the survey – the highest ever response rate and well above the national average (45%).

Find out how the Trust was rated by its staff in various categories here 

The construction of a new 21 bedded ward and improvements to the research and innovation building at the hospital are making progress.

Both projects will enhance services for patients and staff at the site and are expected to open later in the spring.

For more details on the re-development of the hospital run by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust see here 

Over the past year, Oxford Health, health partners and Wantage Town Council Health Committee with the local Wantage and Grove communities have been working to deliver a co-produced approach to agree the future of Wantage Community Hospital.

To view the full update on the hospital's future visit the Oxford Health website here 

New funding will help expand existing programmes in Oxfordshire that enable adults with additional needs to live independently, supported in a welcoming home environment.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Shared Lives programme and Age UK Oxfordshire’s Homeshare project stand to benefit from the first round of funding from the Department for Health and Social Care’s Accelerating Reform Fund.

The Shared Lives scheme matches people who need care and support with an approved carer. The carer shares their family and community life and gives care and support to the person with care needs. 

The Homeshare housing project pairs up older people, who may be looking for some additional help or simply some company, with a person prepared to offer that help alongside an affordable place to stay.

The MbRRace report highlights that women from black ethnic backgrounds are four times more likely to die during childbirth than white women in maternity healthcare services. 

However, the Early Lives Equal Start project based in Oxford and funded by BOB ICB is trying to make a difference.  It supports pregnant women from vulnerable communities and is run by community group ‘Flo’s The Place in the Park’,

In March, the Early Lives Equal Start project met up in Florence Park, Oxford. The meeting (pictured) aimed to highlight the project’s achievements to improve maternity outcomes for women from black ethnic backgrounds, such as East Timorese residents.

Those who took part included community midwives (who work out of a community building in Florence Park), healthcare professionals, mothers, health and care researchers, early years workers from local charities and Oxfordshire county council. 

Some of the highlights of the meeting included:

• Community midwives’ positive feedback at being able to refer into the project for support with social welfare issues.
• Participants highlighted the impact the project is having.
• Invitation from the project to healthcare professionals to collaborate on further work in this area.

There is another chance to hear about the work of the Early Lives Equal Start project at the Marmalade festival in Oxford on 9 April – to reserve your place see here: Early Lives Equal Start! (ticketsolve.com)

Anneliese Dodds, MP for Oxford East, officially opened Oxford Health’s new psychiatric intensive care unit, (PICU) in the Meadow Unit, Warneford Hospital, Oxford. 

The PICU is for young people experiencing the most acute phase of a serious mental illness. This means they receive specialist care close to home, and with an NHS-run service.

The eight bedded unit includes a sensory space, art room, and green space outside which includes an outdoor gym.

For more details visit the Oxford Health website

Advances in stroke care were highlighted during a visit to Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) by Professor Sir Stephen Powis, National Medical Director for NHS England. 

He was given a tour of stroke, scanning and research facilities at the John Radcliffe Hospital, where he is pictured fifth from left with the stroke team. 

The visit came shortly after the Oxford stroke unit began providing time-sensitive mechanical thrombectomy treatment around the clock, saving more patients from long-term disability.

Last year the Oxford stroke service became among the first in the country to hit the NHS Long Term Plan target for introducing this treatment, which involves removing a blockage in a large blood vessel in the brain.

The life-changing BOB PEACE service, the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire Pathway for Eating disorders and Autism developed from Clinical Experience, has been accredited by the National Autistic Society along with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) eating disorder services in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. For more details about this recognition visit the Oxford Health website here 

Oxfordshire’s local area partnership continues to make progress to improve services and support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Progress includes an investment of £1.5 million by Oxfordshire County Council in additional capacity in the SEND service to help ensure that children receive timely and good quality responses to their needs within education, health and care plans.

Plans are taking shape to expand the number of educational places for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties and autism spectrum disorder. A review of children’s therapy services is underway by BOB ICB.

And a number of regular information sharing opportunities and engagement events are now in place. Further information is available on the council’s website.

See story below on a new head of SEND.

Deborah Smit is the new permanent head of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at Oxfordshire County Council. 

Deb (pictured) is known for the excellent work she has completed in her role as interim head of SEND, leading on a number of initiatives across the local area partnership. Her current appointment took effect from 1 April 2024. 

Deb started with Oxfordshire County Council in September 2002 as an educational psychologist and then as a senior educational psychologist in 2011, working in many schools across the county. She stepped into a SEND strategic development and improvement role in April 2022. 

A new procedure to treat patients with severe heart valve disease has been carried out in a UK first at the Oxford Heart Centre, based at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Minimally invasive Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement (TTVR) operations took place in December 2023 to treat two patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation, a condition with  debilitating symptoms such as fluid retention and breathlessness, leading to a poor quality of life.

Putting in place TTVR was made possible by partnership working between the multi-disciplinary team at the John Radcliffe (pictured), Oxford Hospitals Charity, which funded £800,000 worth of specialist equipment, and Edwards Lifesciences, which created the equipment that helps to get the new valve into the heart.

Care providers across the south-east of England are being offered access to an Oxfordshire-designed international recruitment system, helping to reduce bureaucracy and costs when hiring staff from abroad.

Following a £2.54 million investment from the Department of Health and Social Care, the initiative has been developed by Oxfordshire County Council’s award-winning innovation service, which includes the creation of a portal for care providers. The portal offers support around complex areas such as immigration and compliance.

The county council has announced it will partner with technology firm Borderless to deliver and further develop the platform.

Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) has reached a formal agreement with Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for the provision of a new radiotherapy treatment centre on the site of the Milton Keynes University Hospital.

The new OUH Radiotherapy Centre @ Milton Keynes will be run by clinicians from OUH so that cancer patients can receive treatment closer to home. 

It builds on the success of a similar new facility which was opened on the Great Western Hospital site in Swindon last year and has proved popular with patients and their families.

Oxford researchers have received funding from Diabetes UK to set up the UK’s first registry for people at risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D), having tested positive for diabetes autoantibodies.

Diabetes autoantibodies are the most reliable indicator that a person is likely to develop T1D in future.

The aims of the registry include telling people about new treatments and opportunities to take part in research, gaining a better understanding of being at high risk of T1D and developing resources to support people, providing guidance for doctors, and collecting data on how T1D develops.

The registry will be held at the University of Oxford’s Diabetes Trials Unit at the Churchill Hospital.

A new 'Keystone' hub is set to open in the former Costa Coffee site in Cowley Road, Oxford, in the coming months followed by hubs in Wantage and Kidlington.

The hubs offer a ground-breaking approach to supporting people with ongoing mental health problems – bringing care and support close to people when and where they need it most.

These hubs are currently operating for communities in Banbury’s Castle Quay Shopping Centre and Bury Street, Abingdon. For more details visit the Oxford Health website here 

Oxford Hospitals Charity, which raises funds to support patients and staff at OUH has won the ‘Brand the Bus’ competition, run by the Oxford Bus Company, following a public vote.

The charity will now have its branding displayed on a double-decker bus for a year and will also receive an advertising package with Greatest Hits Radio.  

A record-breaking 11,000 people voted this year and the winner and runners up were selected by a judging panel from the shortlist of 10 charities which achieved the highest public votes.

With nominations now closed for the next Oxford Health Council of Governors elections, the voting period will run from Tuesday 23 April to Friday 17 May 2024 (5pm).

You can read more about the role of Governors at Oxford Health on the Trust website and learn more about casting your vote on the dedicated election website

The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has again been rated as one of the best acute trusts to work for in England, according to the results of the latest NHS Staff Survey.

More than 3,800 Trust staff took part in the 2023 survey– its highest ever response rate. Based on the feedback of more than six out of 10 staff, the Trust is among the top performing nationally for staff experience.

In every area of the NHS People Promise, the Trust has improved on its scores from the previous year, and is among the top scoring acute trusts nationally in many categories. For further information visit the Trust website 

Berkshire Healthcare has launched a ‘Neurodiversity Passport’ to support neurodivergent people to communicate with health professionals.

The passport, which has been developed in collaboration with people with lived experience, is recommended for anyone who is diagnosed or self-identifies as neurodivergent. While there are other forms of neurodivergence, the passport currently includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

The passport is available on the website for patients to complete themselves, or they can ask a member of  staff to complete it with them. Currently, the passport is designed for adults or older adolescents, but Berkshire Healthcare is designing a version for children and young people.

Find out more about the Neurodiversity Passport

The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has  launched a new family bay on the postnatal ward.

One supportive partner can stay outside of visiting hours and overnight with their partner and new born baby.

The family bay is a pilot scheme and has been introduced as part of a co-production with Royal Berkshire Maternity and Neonatal Voices following feedback from service users.

Please watch a video for more information.

The awards celebrate people at Berkshire Healthcare who go above and beyond to support their patients and communities.

The People’s Choice category is a chance for everyone, from patients to partners, to nominate someone at Berkshire Healthcare who has made a difference - see the People’s Choice Award nomination form

Nominations close at 5pm on Friday 12 April. Berkshire Healthcare colleagues will vote for the overall winner before the Trust's All Star Awards ceremony in July. Find out more on Berkshire Healthcare’s website

Berkshire Healthcare is celebrating its best ever results in the NHS Staff Survey after receiving the top score (7.45) for staff engagement compared with similar NHS Trusts for the fifth year running - which is also the fifth top score among all NHS organisations.

For more details see here