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.

If you are eligible, you can receive a free NHS flu vaccination until 31 March 2025. You can get the vaccine by:

• Visiting a participating community pharmacy offering NHS flu vaccinations (for those aged 18 or over) - find a local pharmacy that delivers the vaccine via the pharmacy walk-in finder 
• Or, contact your GP surgery to book an appointment.

In addition, some people may be able to get their flu vaccine through maternity services, care homes, or their employer - for frontline health or social care workers.

COVID-19 vaccinations: This winter's vaccination program is no longer available for most eligible people. However, if you are newly diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, you may be advised to have the COVID-19 vaccine outside the usual vaccination periods of spring and winter. Your clinician will guide you and help arrange this if necessary.

The NHS across BOB is here to help you stay well over the cold winter months. Visit our Winter Health Hub 
for advice and information to help you and your loved ones stay well this winter. This can include downloading the NHS app, advice on managing respiratory conditions like asthma which often get worse in winter, and how NHS 111 can help keep you well. 

Your local health and care organisations are working together to provide your care. 

By securely sharing health and care information about you with professionals working across health and social care who are involved in providing care or treatment for you, those professionals can make better informed decisions about your care. 

Over 100 health and social care organisations and nearly 350 GP practices across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, North East Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey have come together to share information to support your care. Together we care for around 4 million people. 

This includes the care itself and proactively planning and co-ordinating when and how it is provided to you. This means information recorded about your health and care such as illnesses, hospital admissions and treatments can be accessed by the people who are involved in your care, wherever you are seen. 

For more information on how we do this, your rights and who to contact please visit the BOB ICB website or the Thames Valley and Surrey Care Records website

This type of cancer affects the oesophagus which runs from the mouth to the stomach. You can find out more about its symptoms and ways to reduce the risk of developing it on the Thames Valley Cancer Alliance (TVCA) website here.

Kidney Cancer Awareness Week (3-7 February 2025)  is also taking place - for more details visit the Kidney Cancer UK website.

‘United by Unique’
The TVCA is supporting the theme of this year’s World Cancer Day (held on 4 February), ‘United by Unique’. This three-year campaign highlights the individuality of each cancer journey and promotes more personalised, inclusive care for all.

Who are the TVCA?
TVCA works with partners across the region to improve cancer services, reduce inequalities, and ensure timely access to care for everyone. By aligning with the NHS Long Term Plan, they are focused on reducing variation and delivering high-quality care. Find out more here

You still have time 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. 

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. 

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. 

'Let’s Talk About Vaccines' are training sessions aimed at improving your confidence, skills and knowledge to open up discussions with patients to help them make informed choices about vaccinations. 

Sessions run throughout February and March and are free for health, social care and voluntary sector staff and students across the South East NHS region - each session lasts 2.5 hours and are provided by BOB ICB. 

To reserve your place and to find out more visit the BOB ICB website here

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

Your feedback will guide improvements, ensuring  services better support local people. You can complete the survey on Your Voice Bucks which is open until Sunday 16 February 2025.

In addition, similar surveys on pharmacy services are being carried out in the following places:

• Oxfordshire - for more details and to complete the survey by 9 March 2025 visit the Oxfordshire County Council website
• Wokingham - for more details and to complete the survey by 9 March 2025 visit the Wokingham Borough Council website

Healthwatch Bucks is holding a 'Spring Roadshow 2025' so you can tell them about your experiences of using health and social care services. 

They will be visiting 16 locations across the county including local libraries, cafes, shopping centres, village and community halls from 24 February to 7 March. 

It is an opportunity to explain the care you had at your GP practice, a pharmacy or dentist or a local hospital to highlight what is working well, and where things could be improved. To view the venues and times of the roadshow visit the Healthwatch website. 

'Unit 33, Health on the High Street' held a succesfull health and wellbeing open day last month at its location in Friars Square Shopping Centre in Aylesbury.

Unit 33 provides healthcare, public health and wellbeing initiatives from the shopping centre and is run by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.

At the open day, local people got advice on local children's services, lung health and vaccinations. Supporting the event were staff from Buckinghamshire Council and local charities including Carers Bucks and the Alzheimer’s Society to highlight their work - the event featured on the local BBC.

The initiaitve reflects the Trust's commitment to tackling health inequalities by providing practical support, enabling people to access services better, and build trust with local communities. Aylesbury ranks among the 30 per cent most disadvantaged areas in England.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has agreed a formal health partnership with the Luisa Guidotti Hospital in Mukoto, Zimbabwe. 

Staff from the Trust will partner with health professionals from the hospital, to deliver a combination of in-person and virtual training sessions. These will cover life-saving skills, including emergency obstetric care and neonatal resuscitation.

The initiative is part of the UK Zimbabwe Health Partnerships Pilot programme to improve maternal and neonatal care at the hospital in Zimbabwe and surrounding communities by reducing the rate of maternal and neonatal mortality. More details here.

The Stroke Bridging Project aims to improve community stroke rehabilitation services across the county by reducing waiting times for therapy.

It aims to achieve this by ‘bridging the gap’ between the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust's early supported discharge team (ESD) and the community neuro rehabilitation service (CNRS).

The project offers a further six weeks of therapy to patients who have been identified by the ESD as needing an onward referral to CNRS (pictured is the project team). 

The project is funded by NHS England and since being launched in April 2024 it has achieved the following: 

• 78 per cent of patients improved both their stroke quality of life score and their stroke recovery scale.
• Nearly 59 per cent of patients no longer need a referral to CNRS.
• The wait time between ESD and CNRS has halved from 20 weeks to 10 weeks due to the funding of the bridging service.
• Nearly 65 per cent of stroke patients have returned to work.

In response to the case of Martha Mills (who died aged 13 after developing sepsis in hospital) and other similar cases, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and NHS England agreed to implement ‘Martha’s Rule’ to ensure important concerns about patients are listened to and acted upon.

Stoke Mandeville Hospital near Aylesbury was one of 143 pilot sites testing the most effective way to implement Martha’s Rule over the past three months. Part of Martha’s Rule, 'Call 4 Concern' locally, has now been rolled out to most adult inpatient wards at the hospital - which is managed by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.

All patients, their families, carers, and advocates must have access to the same 24/7 rapid review from the critical care outreach team (pictured), whose contact details are advertised around the hospital, and more widely if they are worried about the patient’s condition.

You are welcome to take part in Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust's older people’s health and wellbeing day at Buckingham Community Centre, Cornwalls Meadow, on Thursday 27 February 2025 (10am to 2pm).

 The aim of the event is:

• To educate local residents about their general health and wellbeing to reduce the likelihood of them needing to access health services in the future.
• To engage with local charitable and voluntary sector organisations.
• To highlight and promote Trust services available at Buckingham Hospital.
• To provide balance and fitness reviews (advanced booking required - please call 07342 082841 or email bht.communications@nhs.net). 

One Recovery Bucks, a drug and alcohol support team, launched an Individual Placement and Support service in November 2024 to help people find work. 

The service has already received 83 referrals – that is 45 per cent of its annual target in just three months and recently celebrated getting a client a work placement. 

Feedback on the service has included:

“My worker has been incredibly helpful. They have given me mock interviews and tips for interviews, helped me to feel prepared for interviews, with my application for different roles where I have struggled looking."

One Recovery Bucks recognises employment can help people avoid relapse into addiction by improving their self-esteem, provides a routine and goals, increases their financial stability and lets them find new friends.

For more details visit the One Recovery Bucks website 

A senior NHS England director visited Oxfordshire last month to see how closer working between health and care partners is improving patient wellbeing.

Ben Jupp (pictured) and his team spent a day at Witney Community Hospital to learn how this approach is helping patients to leave hospital quicker and live more independently at home.

During his visit Ben, NHS England’s director of intermediate care and rehabilitation, met the ‘transfer of care’ team and dropped in on the rehabilitation wards which improve patient mobility to ensure they are ready to live at home safely.   

This way of working has been made possible via national funding (‘Better Care Fund’) allowing closer work between BOB ICB, acute and community hospitals and local councils.

Across Oxfordshire the results of this approach have been impressive:

• We are in the top 10 per cent performing areas nationally around getting patients home from hospital more quickly.
• Hospital bed occupancy rates have reduced which has improved hospital productivity.  
• More older people have learned to live independently at home with the support of better care packages.

Dan Leveson, director for places and communities at BOB ICB, said: “We were delighted Ben and his team took the time to visit us. We showed them how our partnership working has meant patients are less reliant on hospital care and can recover better at home. We are also building on this approach through integrated neighbourhood teams to support mainly elderly, frail patients in their communities using the skills of both NHS and care staff.”

Oxfordshire is part of the ‘Marmot Places’ programme with the aim of creating more active, healthier and safer communities.

This is being led by the distinguished academic and campaigner Professor Sir Michael Marmot – more details here.

One of the programme’s priorities is a focus on the challenges and barriers around accessing health services, social care, housing or employment in rural areas. To help us understand the issues and find solutions, we need your views and experiences of rural inequalities based on lived experience, resident stories, or reports.

Please keep your examples anonymous and email to marmot@oxfordshire.gov.uk by Friday 21 February 2025. You can also receive the Marmot newsletter to be kept updated on this work – sign up here.

Wantage Town Council, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and the local NHS, Oxfordshire County Council and Vale of White Horse District Council have agreed an investment programme that will see nearly £1million being used to refurbish Wantage Community Hospital’s ground floor.

The funding will allow this area to accommodate more clinic-based services across physical healthcare and mental health to be provided locally.

Find out more here 

Oxfordshire’s health and social care partners have reported a successful Christmas and new year period, as new programmes are beginning to take effect and reduce pressure on local health services. 

Data on the number of patients leaving hospital show 150 people were supported to return home with additional care in the week of new year, thanks to Oxfordshire County Council’s discharge to assess programme.

Significant changes in Oxfordshire’s health and social care system over the past year  include increased partnership working and a greater emphasis on supporting people to access services, and live more independently at home. More details on the county council’s website.

In January, the first patients were treated at the new Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's Radiotherapy Centre at Milton Keynes University Hospital.

Patients living in Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas will now be able to receive life-saving radiotherapy treatment closer to home rather than having to travel to the Churchill Hospital in Oxford for their treatment.

The centre is run by an expert multi-disciplinary team from the Trust and is funded jointly by them and Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, with support from NHS England.

The new centre builds on the success of OUH Radiotherapy @ Swindon – at Great Western Hospital in Swindon – which opened in October 2022.  Almost 600 patients received cancer treatment in Swindon in the first year and the service continues to go from strength to strength. More details on the Trust website 

Delegates were told that supporting children in their early years was crucial in shaping a thriving, inclusive economy. This key message was delivered to a meeting in Oxford looking at ways to better support young children and their families. 

At the event held last month 'Early Years: Why They Matter and What We Can Do' over 100 delegates from the NHS, charity and business sectors heard that investing in early childhood might add £45.5 billion to the national economy annually. 

A delegate talking about early years support said: “Investment at this stage has both profound social benefits to the individual, and also wider economic benefits compared to the cost of later interventions.” For more details about the meeting visit the BOB ICB website 

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has announced that Emma Leaver (pictured) will take on the role of interim chief operating officer for community health services, dentistry and primary care, from March 2025.

Emma, who is currently the Trust’s service director for community health services, dentistry and primary care, has 37 years of experience in the NHS having qualified as a nurse, midwife and a health visitor. She has held leadership roles for the last 24 years, working in Oxfordshire since 2003. 

The first phase of a new development of high quality housing for staff working at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was officially opened on the John Radcliffe Hospital site in Oxford last month. 

Tenants recently moved into the new Ivy Lane flats which has been made possible by a partnership between the Trust, Oxford Hospitals Charity, housing association A2Dominion, and construction firm The Hill Group.

The ribbon cutting by new resident Dorcas (pictured fourth left) who works as a nurse at the Trust, marked the completion of the first phase of the project, which will replace the old Ivy Lane flats with seven modern buildings. 

Oxfordshire County Council has committed to continuing to fund its share for mental health services in the region for the next decade, with councillors agreeing to contribute £6.2 million each year, for the next 10 years.

This will go to a pooled budget with health care partners, under plans to bring together existing mental health service contracts.

While the county council will continue to financially contribute towards the pooled budget and leads the joint commissioning of services, BOB ICB will hold the contract and be responsible for developing it.

The contract, due to start in April 2025, will support people to live well and independently for longer. It will focus on a preventative approach where possible and building resilience and the choice of safe and effective care and support for people affected by poor mental health. Read more on county council’s website.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire would like to hear from anyone who has needed urgent or emergency care or help in Oxfordshire in the last two years.

This might include calling NHS 111 or a GP practice, going to a hospital accident and emergency department, or contacting a mental health crisis team.

They would like to know what people understand about these health services, what information they used to find out about services, and their experiences of getting the right help quickly.

Feedback will help identify areas for improvement. For full details and to access the survey link visit the Healthwatch Oxfordshire’s website. The survey is open until Monday 17 February 2025.

Adults in Oxfordshire and the surrounding areas who have been treated for cancer with radiotherapy can now benefit from a new specialist service that supports them with long-term side effects.

The OUH Macmillan Radiotherapy Late Effects Service accepts GP referrals and self-referrals from patients, and is provided by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 

Although radiotherapy is an effective treatment for cancer and many patients make a full recovery, some people experience ongoing physical or psychological effects months or even years after treatment has finished.

With support from Macmillan, the service helps people improve their quality of life, cope with chronic symptoms, and access appropriate rehabilitation and follow-up services. Pictured are NHS staff who help deliver the service. More details on the Trust website.

The project is a community-based partnership supporting families through the critical first 1,001 days of a child's life - spanning pregnancy into early childhood. 

By combining the expertise of healthcare professionals with the lived experience of the local community the project is bridging gaps in maternity care in Oxford's poorer areas. 

This initiative is an example of how NHS funding is helping to address inequalities in access to services, experience, and outcomes among people from ethnic minority communities. 

You can watch a video on You Tube to view the experiences of some mothers who were part of the project see here.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is asking anyone interested in its community or mental health services to become a member.

Membership is free and everyone over 12 years old, living in England and Wales, is welcome to join. You have no obligations as a member but there are lots of ways to get involved and help improve your local NHS services.

Being a member makes you eligible to stand in elections for the Trust’s Council of Governors - the voice of the people the Trust serves, and it helps shape services, based on our members’ views. Read more and find out how to join here.

Oxfordshire County Council has given hundreds of refurbished computers to a local charity to help people get access to the internet. 

In total 209 laptops were donated to 'Getting Oxfordshire Online' (pictured) which provides local communities and vulnerable people with refurbished devices and support to get them online. 

The laptops were securely wiped by the county council before handing them over to the charity. 

You can also donate unwanted laptops, tablets and mobile phones at six drop off points provided by the charity in the county. For more details visit Getting Oxfordshire Online’s website. 

Members of the public and patients have until Sunday 16 February to nominate a member of staff or a team who has gone the extra mile to provide outstanding care at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 

The Patients’ Choice Award 2025 enables patients, their families and carers to thank staff who have made a real difference to them. You can nominate on the Trust website here.

Oxford Health staff awards: 
In addition, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is calling for patients, service users, carers and families to recognise and reward exceptional support and care provided by its staff in two categories for this year’s staff awards. Deadline for nominations is Sunday 16 March. Find out more here.

With the new year underway, there is still time to reflect on the many successes, changes and developments during 2024 across research at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. Find out more here.

Last month, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust opened its doors to welcome three local MPs to showcase the incredible work that takes place every day in the maternity department.

The MPs included Clive Jones (Wokingham), Olivia Bailey (Reading West and Mid Berkshire) and Jack Rankin (Windsor).

The MPs had the opportunity to see recently introduced family bays in postnatal wards and heard about the Trust's gold standard bereavement and birth trauma pathways. The MPs were impressed by the dedication and commitment shown by midwives and staff to continuously improve and deliver safe, quality maternity care.

The MPs are pictured front row: Clive Jones (3rd from left), Olivia Bailey (4th from left) and Jack Rankin (5th from left). 

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is looking for schools in Berkshire West to take part in a research project to test a new profiling tool, SPENCER. This helps teachers to better assess and understand their pupils’ individual strengths and support needs.

SPENCER differs from most profiling tools as it looks beyond potential neurodivergence and takes into account the whole child including their social, physical and emotional strengths and support needs. 

The tool makes recommendations of support and provides resources that can be easily introduced by parents, teachers and healthcare professionals. It helps with early intervention and also ensures the child is on the right pathway for specialist help if needed.

So far, the tool has been successfully used with over 230 pupils with positive feedback being reported by the teachers, parents and professionals. More schools are needed to take part in this research to help further develop the tool. 

To find out more and take part in the project visit the Trust website.

The Rapid Response Lab plays a vital role in delivering fast and reliable pathology testing, not only for patients at the Royal Berkshire Hospital but also across the local area. In fact, around 80 per cent of healthcare decisions regarding diagnosis or treatment involve a pathology investigation.

On average, the lab processes around 40,000 inpatient requests each month, which breaks down to roughly 1,350 tests every day. This volume of work is essential, as clinical teams rely on these results to make critical decisions.

Watch a video on the work of the lab which managed by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust on YouTube here.

The ophthalmology department at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust achieved this status in recognition for its excellence in providing clinical outcomes, collaborative research and staff education. 

The award was made by the Health Innovation Partnership made up of the Trust and the University of Reading. For more details visit the Trust website