The NHS national booking system and 119 phone service are now closed for booking an NHS flu or COVID-19 vaccination to eligible patients. 

However, you can still get both vaccines at some community pharmacies or local walk-in clinics across BOB until the end of January 2025 if eligible - for more details visit our Stay Well BOB website.

The RSV vaccine remains available to people aged 75 to 79 and for pregnant women from 28 weeks - book an appointment if contacted by your GP or maternity service - more details on the link above. 

The NHS across BOB is here to help you stay well over the cold winter months. If you do fall ill, you can get advice and help from the following: 

NHS App
The app provides advice on hundreds of conditons and treatments and lets you find local health services - download it here 

Respiratory advice 
If you have a long-term respiratory condition like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma, winter can worsen your symptoms. To support you we have plenty of advice on our Stay Well website  - you can also view a short video with top tips to stop respiratory conditions from getting worse. 

Unwell children 
If your child is unwell the Oxfordshire Healthier Together website provides accurate and up-to-date advice to help get them better - you can also download the Healthier Together app here.

NHS 111
Operators assess and direct people to the most appropriate local service, including urgent treatment centres, minor injury and first aid units, GP practices or a pharmacist. And, if needed, they will arrange a call back from a nurse, doctor or paramedic. For online advice, you can visit NHS 111 online 

Winter Health Hub 
For more advice and information to help you and your loved ones stay well this winter visit our Winter Health Hub here.

Winter videos 
You can watch our videos about having a winter plan which includes stocking up on over-the-counter medicines watch the videos on our YouTube site.

This is being held on Tuesday 14 January (1.30pm to 4.30pm) in Conference Room 2, Unipart House, Cowley, Oxford OX4 2PG (use OX4 6LN for sat nav)

You can join the meeting in person or via an online live stream - a link will be posted before the meeting on our ICB website.

Details about the agenda and papers are now available on our website - you can also submit a question relating to agenda items prior to the meeting.

As the chill of winter sets in, the local NHS wants to hear from you on how you prepare to stay well over the colder months, and if any of the adverts and advice we share with the public prompts you into action. 

We want you to take part in a short survey to help us support our communities better during the winter - it can be a challenging time for many, with colder weather, shorter days, and the increased risk of illnesses. 

To complete the survey visit our engagement website 'Your Voice BOB' here. You might have to register on the website to access the survey, which closes on Sunday 23 February 2025. 

By sharing your experiences and thoughts, you can help shape our winter campaign to ensure you have the best advice to stay well and healthy. 

Anyone living or working across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West can take part and all responses will remain confidential. They will only be used to improve communications and understanding of community needs. 

NHS staff are working harder than ever to get services back on track, to get waiting lists down and consistently deliver the best care.

We know change is needed. But we also know that many of the solutions we need are already here, working somewhere in the NHS today.

Whether you have a little to say or a lot, your views, experiences and ideas will shape immediate steps and long-term changes: a new 10-Year Health Plan for the NHS.

This is a once in a generation opportunity to make the NHS fit for the future. Together we can fix it. We need your voice. Go to change.nhs.uk to find out how you can take part.

Congratulations to Jeffrey Ng who won the 'Rising Stars Award' for his work as an NHS town planner.

This accolade recognises people from ethnic minority backgrounds who have made a significant contribution to the planning profession early in their careers. 

It was part of the BAME Planners Network in partnership with the Royal Town Planning Institute's 'equality, diversity and inclusion recognition list 2024' award - held in November last year. 

Jeffrey (pictured) is a primary care lead for estates at BOB ICB, and is the only NHS town planner employed by an ICB across the south-east region. 

The next Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West Integrated Care Partnership (BOB ICP) meeting in public is on Thursday 4 February (2pm to 4pm) in Aylesbury.

You can attend the meeting in person or join via a live stream which is being held in the Jubilee Room, The Gateway Offices, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Council, HP19 8FF. 

The ICP is a group of organisations which plan and provide health and care services for around 1.8 million people who live and work in the local authority areas of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire’s three westerly local authority areas of West Berkshire, Reading and Wokingham (known collectively as ‘Berkshire West’).

To find more information about the meeting including a link to join via a live steam, the agenda, how to ask a question or to petition the partnership visit the 'Your Voice BOB' website

Applications are now open for TheHill’s NHS Market Access Accelerator programme.

This initiative offers digital innovators and entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to gain insight into NHS structures and processes, equipping them to develop impactful solutions for frontline healthcare needs, across the BOB Integrated Care System. 

If you have a challenge or a need that could benefit from or be solved through digital innovation, please contact TheHill at connect@thehilloxford.org.

TheHill is the digital innovation arm of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 

Healthy Dialogues, on behalf of local councils in West Berkshire, Reading and Buckinghamshire, is conducting a survey to understand how pharmacy services meet the needs of residents.

They encourage anyone who lives, works, or studies in these areas to share their views - whether they use pharmacy services often or just occasionally.

Your feedback will guide improvements, ensuring these services better support everyone and also help:

• Identify how pharmacy services meet local needs.
• Highlight challenges in accessing these services.

The survey is quick, confidential, and open until Sunday 16 February 2025. Residents can complete the survey on Your Voice Bucks. If you have any questions or need more information, email PNA@healthydialogues.co.uk.

Khal Khaliq, a senior pharmacist and owner of a local pharmacy chain went out of his way over the festive season to supply Tamiflu for a flu outbreak in a care home.

In total, 90 residents of a Buckinghamshire care home were supplied with flu medication out of hours, on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, when many pharmacies, including Khal’s were closed. Tamiflu is used for the treatment of flu and prevention following exposure to the virus.

Two women bravely spoke to BBC Oxford about their experiences of using Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust's ReConnect service in Buckinghamshire - which marked 10 years of preventing abuse and neglect in 2024. 

The service works with parents to safeguard babies and toddlers when social services are involved. During the interviews the two women talked about the lifechanging impact of ReConnect’s two year programme. View the BBC Oxford website coverage 

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust's  Hospice@Home and palliative care community services now align more closely with specific groups of GP practices to provide a more integrated service across the county.

Healthcare commissioners have awarded new contracts for Hospice@Home to the main providers of hospice care in Buckinghamshire. This is to encourage closer coordination between hospice care providers, district nurses and GP surgeries to provide joined up care for those with an end-of-life diagnosis in each local area. More details here.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust's maternity service welcomed six new babies on Christmas Day at its Stoke Mandeville Hospital, near Aylesbury. 

The first to be delivered was a baby girl just after midnight followed two minutes later by a baby boy - with a further four arriving later that day more details here

And, the Trust's maternity service welcomed a further 20 new babies over the first two days of the new year! 

There was more festive cheer for patients when around 850 donated gifts were distributed among the children’s wards and day nurseries at the Trust's three local hospitals (pictured) more details here.

'Unit 33 Health on the High Street' in Aylesbury’s Friar Square Shopping Centre, has joined the Safe Place Scheme.

Unit 33 provides healthcare, public health and wellbeing initiatives to local people in the centre of the town - and is managed by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. 

By joining the nationally recognised Safe Place Scheme, staff in Unit 33 will assist vulnerable people who might need support and help more details here.

You can watch a short video about Little Luna who had an amazing start in life after her mum Rebecca unexpectedly went into labour not much more than halfway through her pregnancy - watch the video here

NHS maternity and neonatal staff across Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire worked together to make sure both baby and mum got the right care in the right place at the right time. 

It follows the British Association of Perinatal Medicine introducing measures to lead to better outcomes for babies born too soon. And, Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley has worked in parternship with NHS England and a regional network of NHS maternity and neonatal units to ensure these measures are used in everyday practice. More details here.

Grant Macdonald has been appointed the permanent chief executive officer (CEO) of Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. 

Grant (pictured) had been the Trust’s interim CEO since July 2023. Previously he was its executive managing director for mental health and learning disabilities.

Grant’s NHS career spans 36 years and he remains a registered mental health nurse.

YouMove, Oxfordshire’s activity programme for families facing barriers to being active is now supporting over 12,000 residents.

Through YouMove, families can enjoy a wide range of activities such as swimming, football, multisports, tennis and lots more.

YouMove also supports families with disabilities – since April 2024, 29 per cent of all residents who have signed up have a disability. A YouMove family said:

“Our son is autistic and at times we’ve really struggled getting him out and about. The YouMove scheme has been fantastic for our family; we’ve benefited from a season ticket to Blenheim Palace where he loves the adventure playground - it’s very inclusive. It has made a great difference to our lives, and we are very grateful.”

YouMove is funded by BOB ICB, Oxfordshire County Council Public Health and local district councils. Find out more about YouMove here

A dedicated bereavement room for families following the sad loss of a baby is now open on the delivery suite in the Women’s Centre at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

The room (pictured) is fully soundproofed and offers a private and quiet space for grieving families to stay. It also has a separate pull-down double bed for comfort and features a medical bed to support any ongoing care requirements if needed.

The new facility, managed by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is in addition to the maternity department’s bereavement support services. More details here

Healthwatch Oxfordshire invites you to a public webinar to explore the range of health care professionals now working alongside GPs, making it easier for patients to access a wider variety of help and support at their surgery.

The webinar 'GP surgeries - it's all about teamwork' takes place on Tuesday 21 January (1pm start) and everone is welcome to join. 

Speakers will include Dr Michelle Brennan, chair of Oxfordshire GP leadership group and Julie Dandridge, associate director - pharmacy, optometry and dentistry at BOB ICB.

In addition, health staff including paramedics and social prescribers will be on hand to talk about their roles. For more details and to access the Zoom joining link visit the Healthwatch Oxfordshire’s website.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is taking part in a national study to detect dementia in patients better.

The study will assess a variety of blood tests for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia to identify which tests are the best for diagnosing patients. 

More than 3,000 people from 28 NHS memory clinics across the UK are being invited to sign up to the five-year 'Read-Out' study, led by Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer Society, the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Gates Ventures.

The Trust's director of research and development, Professor Vanessa Raymont (pictured) spoke to the local BBC about her expectations for the study which you can read here.

A vision of making Oxfordshire a fairer and healthier place was launched by world-renowned academic and campaigner, Professor Sir Michael Marmot (pictured) in December 2024.  

Sir Michael is spearheading 'Marmot Places' which aim to tackle health inequalities in some parts of the country; and Oxfordshire is the first county council area to join this programme of work - more details here 

Local partners include BOB ICB, county and district councils, universities, businesses and the voluntary sector who are working together over the next two years to create more active, healthier and safer communities.

You can view a video of Sir Michael launching the 'Marmot Place' locally.

Newborn babies in Oxford are being tested for more than 200 rare genetic conditions as part of a national study.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of around 30 NHS Trusts taking part in the Generation Study, a research programme being delivered by Genomics England and the NHS.

Overall, the study aims to recruit 100,000 newborn babies, whose genomes will be sequenced after birth, with their parents' consent.

The sequencing identifies serious treatable, rare conditions shortly after a baby is born rather than when symptoms might appear later in childhood, so that families can access the right support, monitoring and treatment much earlier for these conditions. It does not replace newborn blood spot screening – the so-called heel prick test – which is offered to all newborns in the UK.

Early intervention can also help to prevent longer term health problems, keeping children out of hospital and helping them to live healthier lives.

Oxfordshire County Council will continue to get patients home quickly and safely after a stay in hospital. 

At a meeting of the county council’s cabinet in December 2024, councillors noted the improved experiences of patients around the Discharge to Assess programme. 

This initiative had reduced hospital discharge delays, increased the likelihood of people regaining their independence at home, and led to a reduction in the need for short stay hub beds. More details on the county council’s website.

The service based at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford, has been accredited as an elective surgical hub delivering high standards in clinical and operational practice.  

The scheme run by NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme working with the Royal College of Surgeons, assesses hubs against a framework of standards.

It aims to help hubs deliver faster access to some of the most common surgical procedures, such as eye cataract surgery and hip replacement, whilst also assuring patients about the high standards of clinical care provided by the NHS.

For more details visit the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust website 

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust's Council of Governors elections will open for nominations on Thursday 16 January. Elections are being held for public and staff governors in most constituencies, including in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. 

Foundation Trust governors play a key role in representing the views of their patients, public and staff members and ensure services meet their needs.

If you are interested in standing for election, further information is available on the Trust's website. If you have any questions, please contact ouhmembers@ouh.nhs.uk.

The Trust's chief executive, Julian Emms (pictured) has been awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the new year honours list for services to the NHS.

This recognition celebrates Julian’s incredible contributions to healthcare and his commitment to improving lives across Berkshire. 

Julian said: “I’m deeply honoured to receive this recognition. It’s a reflection of the amazing teamwork and dedication of everyone at Berkshire Healthcare, whose commitment to providing the best possible care inspires me every day. It’s been a privilege to serve our community and work alongside so many talented people.”  Find out more

Neurotypes, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's neurodiversity podcast is back. 

In the latest episode, project manager, Kelly Knight, sits down with neurodiversity advisor, Tani Prindiville, to discuss navigating the workplace as a neurodivergent professional.

Kelly, who is diagnosed as autistic and self-diagnosed with ADHD, shares her own career journey – the challenges, the breakthroughs, and the unique strengths neurodiversity brings to her work. Listen to the podcast

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Tolu Olusoga as its new medical director.

Tolu (pictured) brings extensive experience in clinical leadership and patient care, and since he joined the NHS in 2003 has worked across a range of senior roles. 

Most recently, Tolu served as group medical director for the North Yorkshire-York Care Group at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, where he played a key role in service development and quality improvement.

Tolu’s appointment follows the news that the Trust's current medical director, Dr Minoo Irani, will retire in March 2025. Find out more

NHS Berkshire Talking Therapies team (pictured) headlined a major healthcare conference in Norway to inspire their Nordic counterparts to learn from the NHS.

Over 280 professionals heard Berkshire Healthcare’s Dr Alison Salvadori give a ‘TED’ style talk on how data-driven approaches can improve patient care, while Nicola Farrin discussed how tracking trends leads to service innovations. Find out more