Covid-19: For those aged 75 and over or who are immunosuppressed, local NHS teams have provided a number of options for people to get the Covid-19 spring booster vaccine. You can visit:

• participating GP surgeries
• community pharmacies
• the Health on the Move van in Buckinghamshire
• various walk-in and bookable clinics across BOB

Details on venues and dates for Covid-19 booster vaccination and links to NHS booking sites can be found on our Stay Well website here

Other vaccinations: It is important to think about other vaccinations that you or your child may have missed. These include immunisation against whooping cough and measles which are both on the rise, as well as meningitis, tetanus, and polio.

More information including vaccination catch up clinics for children and vaccine information for adults visit our Stay Well website here

If you are not sure of your own vaccine status, ask at your GP surgery.

Patients registered with some GP practices across BOB ICB are being invited to use new technology to do their own health checks at their own surgery, without having to make an appointment.

SurgeryPods allow patients to take readings such as blood pressure and BMI (Body Mass Index, a measurement based on height and weight), and answer questions about smoking and alcohol use, mental health, new patient registration and contraceptive pill check. All results file directly into their GP patient record.

The SurgeryPods will be used to help tackle some of the health inequalities across BOB, especially the priority area of reducing cardiovascular disease which leads to heart attacks and strokes.  

Dr Ed Capo-Bianco, a local GP and Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Lead for Oxfordshire Place, said: “SurgeryPods will further improve and enhance access for patients in an equitable manner, help people to take control of their own health needs and improve the efficiency and experience of GP practice staff.

“If your surgery provides this service, you can simply pop into it during its usual opening times to make use of this welcome new resource.”

You are advised to check with your GP practice to see if they provide this service.

As an election has been called for 4 July 2024 and we are in the pre-election period it has been agreed that the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Partnership meeting due to take place on 19 June 2024 will be cancelled. We will post new dates for future meetings as soon as they are arranged.

Thunderstorms can lead to more pollen being carried on strong winds, especially over summer. This can result in pollen being broken down into smaller particles which can reach deeper into people’s lungs and lead to asthma attacks.

We urge people with asthma to use their preventer inhalers in the build-up and during thunderstorms to reduce the risk of their condition getting worse. In addition, the advice is to also carry their reliever inhalers before and during stormy weather. Other advice to stay healthy: 

• If possible, stay indoors before, during and after a storm, with windows closed.
• If outdoors, wear a mask to reduce pollen exposure.
• Be aware of weather forecast alerts for high pollen.

For more details visit the BOB ICB website see here 

The centre is a purpose-designed state of the art surgical day-case facility providing patients with swifter diagnosis and treatment in an easy to access, modern environment. 

It is provided by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and has been set up primarily for patients with skin cancer, although patients with a wide variety of skin conditions will also be seen and treated there.

A same day 'see-and-treat service' is offered at the centre. This allows some patients the opportunity to have an assessment and surgery in a single visit, instead of having to wait for a second appointment.

With skin cancer diagnoses increasing year on year, the centre will be vital in delivering the best possible care at the right time. Pictured are staff at the official opening of the new service in May. For more details visit the Trust website see here

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is tackling undiagnosed hypertension by putting patient-operated blood pressure monitors in waiting areas.

While patients wait for an appointment they can check their numbers and once known they will be in a better position to take control of their health.

Fiona Tsang-Wright, Consultant Breast and Reconstructive Surgeon at the Trust, said: “The statistics are extremely compelling – people really can and do make major lifestyle changes if they have the information about their own bodies. Once you know your numbers there’s no hiding from the facts.”

The Trust has already got a blood pressure monitor available to anyone who visits Health on the High Street in the Friars Square shopping centre in Aylesbury and plans to roll out more.

Pictured l/r Trust breast surgeon Fiona Tsang-Wright, Ben Collins Associate Director of Strategic Delivery and Medical student Selena with a blood pressure monitor in the waiting area of the Breast Unit at Wycombe Hospital. For more details visit the Trust website here

Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy is inviting partners who work with or support people experiencing health inequalities or live in the 10 Opportunity Bucks wards to register their interest in a new health coaching programme. 

Health coaching focuses on supporting people to make more informed and conscious choices about their health.

The four-day training is free and accredited by the Personalised Care Institute, and is open to people in health and social care, social workers, voluntary sector, and religious leaders across Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Chesham. 

To register for health coaching visit the Academy website here 

An Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust pilot project to transform the way medication levels are measured will directly benefit patients.

Clozapine is the most effective medication for schizophrenia patients who do not respond to treatment with other antipsychotics. However, it can cause serious adverse effects.  

The pilot has begun in the Buckinghamshire Mental Health teams at Oxford Health, introducing Point of Care Testing (POCT) devices for clozapine levels.

The pilot uses new technology to measure clozapine levels from a tiny drop of finger prick blood. This means the results are instant, allowing clinicians to immediately adjust the dose if needed and to explain this to the patient.

This innovative development sees a wait of up to three weeks reduced to just six minutes - avoiding lengthy waits for a lab result and communicating dosage changes to patients remotely. For more details visit the Oxford Health website here.

Picured l/r–Phlebotomy and POCT Manager Clarisse Lagman, Medicines Management Technician, Louise Revell, and nurse, Charity Jamy. 

You are welcome to join an in-person event in Aylesbury on 4 July (2pm - 4pm) highlighting plans to tackle mental health inequalities across the county.

Oxford Health's Bucks Primary Care Mental Health Hub is offering extended support to communities with mental health needs and includes:

• Support groups for LGBTIQA+ community and young people
• Nature-based courses for carers who are supporting people with serious mental health illnesses
• An outreach worker for the south Asian community
• Peer advocacy group for members of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

Lindengate Charity is hosting the free event on 4 July to explain more about these initiatives with the help of Elmore, Bucks Mind, Chiltern Music Therapy, and Wycombe Mind - to book your place at the event see here

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is now delivering ahead of the national average for Emergency Department (A&E), Cancer* and Diagnostic waits and is in the top three Trusts with the most improved performance in the South East. This has been delivered in a context of around 10 per cent increases in demand.

As the latest NHS England statistics are released the Trust is proud to have shown improvement in the seven key areas that are used to assess how well it is delivering outstanding care to the residents of Buckinghamshire, including cancer.

(*as measured by the 28 Day Faster Cancer Diagnosis and the 62 day referral to starting treatment target)

For more details visit the Trust website here 

The Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust's radiology team has performed the first UK case of electrochemotherapy for radioresistant spinal epidural metastases (tumour) at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, near Aylesbury.

Electrochemotherapy is a very new and targeted treatment that is available to a small number of patients who have radioresistant metastatic spinal cord compression.

While this treatment may not provide a cure for all patients, it can hugely improve quality of life by reducing pain from growing tumours. It also reduces the chance of a patient becoming paralysed or incontinent as their cancer grows.

Pictured are the Trust's radiology team led by Dr David McKean the Consultant Musculoskeletal Radiologist (far right) who performed the treatment. 

For more details visit the Trust website here

The latest Keystone Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub on Cowley Road, Oxford officially opened its doors during Mental Health Awareness Week in May.

TV presenter and comedian Matt Richardson (pictured) did the honours and also spoke to the media about the value of mental health support and his own experiences.

The hub is also home to the OCA Café, run by local charity Oxford Community Action, a welcoming friendly place for people to have a coffee and meet friends.

This is the latest in a network of Keystone hubs run by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust – a number of which are already open in Oxfordshire, with more to come. Find out more on the Trust website here.

Professionals and volunteers in Oxfordshire who work with the public can now benefit from a range of free mental health and suicide prevention training courses.

The training is being delivered by Oxfordshire Mind on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council. It is needs led, informed by local data and insight, and prioritised for those who have the most contact with the most vulnerable.  

It will also be developed and tailored to complement the countywide efforts to support better mental health. Find out more about the courses, including eligibility, by visiting Oxfordshire Mind’s website.

Researchers in Oxford have developed a new Maternity Early Warning Score that is derived from patient data.

The new system, which is being rolled out across the NHS, will help healthcare providers identify and respond to signs of deterioration in pregnant women.

Maternity Early Warning Scores (MEWS) are widely used to highlight when additional care is needed to protect the health of a pregnant woman and her baby. Most have been developed by clinical consensus and their implementation varies widely across the country. 

However, a research team from the University of Oxford recognised the need to provide solid observational evidence for a standardised national MEWS, leading to a collaboration with the National Maternity and Neonatal Programme.

Their research was funded by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, which is hosted by Oxford University Hospitals (OUH). The research findings have been published in BMJ Medicine and more details are available on the OUH website.

Eligible parents of young children along with pregnant mothers are being encouraged to take advantage of a national scheme aimed at giving their youngsters the healthiest start in life.

Over £260 a year per family is available to help buy healthy food, milk and infant formula. Parents can also use the scheme to get free vitamins during pregnancy and vitamin drops for babies and young children.

The Healthy Start scheme is supported by Oxfordshire County Council, Good Food Oxfordshire, Home Start, the city and district councils and the NHS.

Residents can find out if they are eligible by visiting the dedicated NHS Healthy Start website.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Victoria Atkins MP, visited the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in early May and was shown around the Women’s Centre - which is part of the Oxford University Hospitals. 

Candice Noonan, Bereavement Maternity Support Worker explained how the Maternity Bereavement team cares for families when they have lost a baby late in pregnancy or shortly after giving birth in a dedicated space. This gives families time, space and privacy to start the grieving process and create memories with their lost child. 

Pictured is the Secretary of State (left) talking with Candice during the tour of the Women's Centre. 

During the visit, Digital Midwife Jennifer Mearns highlighted how pregnant women can now access their health records and other information related to their pregnancy on their smartphone, tablet or computer at any time via the Badger Notes app.

Due to climate change, temperatures are increasing in Oxfordshire and elsewhere with more dry, hot weather and heatwaves. In the summer of 2022, 65 excess deaths occurred in Oxfordshire during periods of higher temperatures.

Oxfordshire County Council has got some top tips about how you or someone you care for can keep safe this summer.

Find out more on how to stay safe in the heat on the county council website 

The last nine months has seen intensive – and welcome – engagement with the residents of Wantage and Grove over the future services that can be provided from Wantage Community Hospital.

Local people’s views were at the heart of a joint report between the NHS and the Wantage Town Council Health Committee that was discussed by Oxfordshire’s Joint Health and Overview and Scrutiny Committee in January this year. 

Following this period of working closely with the community, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is planning to refurbish the ground floor of the community hospital, subject to a successful application for community investment levy (CIL) funding from Vale of White Horse District Council.

A web page has been set up giving more details on the progress and plans and also a link for anyone who wants to take part in an open engagement survey. Read more on the Trust website here

A free and clinically proven programme to help people quit smoking is being piloted by Oxfordshire County Council.

The county council is trialling the innovative, drug-free Allen Carr’s Easyway (ACE) method as part of ambitions to make the county smoke free. It is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy endorsed by NICE and the World Health Organisation. 

The treatment is quick, usually taking five hours through live group seminars. Shorter backup sessions, telephone support and email support are provided for those who require them. It can also be accessed easily using smartphones, tablets or laptops.

To find out more about ACE, including how to book a slot, visit the Easyway website.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire wants to hear about your experience of leaving hospital, and any care and support you received in the first few weeks afterwards.

The county’s independent health and social care watchdog wants to understand what worked well and what could be improved, so it can help shape the support people receive when they leave hospital.

You can share your views and experiences by completing an anonymous survey which closes on 27 August 2024 - to take part visit the Healthwatch Oxfordshire website here 

Simon Crowther will take up the role of Deputy Chief Executive of Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) on 30 September this year.

In this role, Simon will focus on areas including strategy, planning, transformation, improvement and innovation, and delivery of the Annual Plan.

Simon (pictured) is currently Chief Finance Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust.

Over the next two years Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is bringing together community healthcare services and teams across the city of Oxford.

The first new site, at Jordan Hill, is due to open in Winter 2024. Some clinics in the surrounding area will be moving there, alongside some new clinics being offered for the first time.

If you live in Oxford and would like to get involved or share your views to help make the new sites user friendly for patients, carers and staff , or just want to find out more, then visit project’s dedicated webpages.

You can watch a webinar that explains the new service, enabling patients to get treatment for seven common conditions directly from their local pharmacy, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription. Healthwatch Oxfordshire organised the webinar which you can watch again see here 

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been consulting with colleagues and the community to help shape their plans to become an anti-racist organisation. Five key areas of focus have emerged;

• Recruitment, retention and progression
• Policy and practice
• Education and engagement
• Incidents, support and empowerment
• Patient access, experience and outcomes

The Trust has outlined the actions it will take to address these issues and invites you to share your feedback and experiences, including any barriers to accessing services. If you are a community group, local service provider, patient, carer or someone with lived experience, you can also join our CommUNITY anti-racism forum.

For more details visit the Berkshire Healthcare website here

Neurotypes, a new neurodiversity podcast by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was launched earlier this year.

In the latest episode, the Trust's Clinical Director and Neurodiversity Lead, Dr Mairi Evans speaks to Lead Lived Experience Practitioner, Holly Dale.

Holly is autistic and has ADHD. She also suffered with an eating disorder for 14 years. In this episode, Mairi and Holly explore how neurodiversity played a crucial role in her recovery journey.

You can listen to the latest episode here 

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is partnering with charity Sport in Mind and Chichester University on a new research study which will examine the long-term impact of community physical activity programmes on people with mental health problems.

The research is funded by Sport in Mind, the UK’s leading mental health sports charity which, in partnership with the NHS, delivers free physical activity to anyone struggling with their mental health, or experiencing loneliness and isolation.

Berkshire Healthcare clinicians currently refer some patients with mental health diagnoses to Sport in Mind and the aim of the research is to investigate how exercise can improve physical health, combat social isolation and empower people to move their lives forward in a positive direction.

It will consider the role played by sport and exercise in the recovery process for those experiencing mental health illnesses, and the barriers and facilitators to participation.

For more details visit the Trust website here

A newly refurbished orthotics department has been officially opened at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.

The service provides prescription insoles, braces, splints, callipers, footwear, spinal jackets and helmets which help people recover from or avoid injury - or live with lifelong conditions.

The orthotics team worked hard to get the planning and funding in place for the refurbishment which includes a new administration and clinic room. It means the team which is part of Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust will be able to see more patients and reduce their waiting lists.

As part of the changes the team has also recruited an additional orthotist who will start in July this year.

You can watch a short video about the service which includes interviews with staff at the department and patients who use the service filmed during the official launch – view here