The Government has announced a restructuring of the NHS including the abolition of NHS England. As part of this, all Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are being asked to reduce their running costs by 50 per cent.

At the start of April, NHS England published its ‘Working together in 2025/26 to lay the foundations for reform’ letter to ICBs and NHS Trusts giving more detail on the role of ICBs and the approach and timeline for implementing cost reductions. 

A summary of the key points include:

Role of ICBs: 

• ICBs have a critical role to play in the future as ‘strategic commissioners’ and will be central to achieving the goals of the 10-Year Health Plan.   

• ICBs will commission and develop neighbourhood health, with delivery moving to providers over time.  

Timeline:

• Further clarification on the ‘model’ for ICBs and their remit will be published in the coming weeks.
• ICBs have until the end of May to create affordable plans - these are expected to be introduced from October 2025 onwards.

In the short term, BOB ICB’s focus will be on managing this transition carefully by working closely with our staff and stakeholders.

Since the launch of Change NHS to have the biggest conversation on the future of the NHS, over 100,000 contributions have been made and over 1.5 million visits to change.nhs.uk 

To help finalise the 10-year plan for health, we need to get your views on the emerging ideas from the engagement so far. Please take part in the new priorities for change survey and have your say by Monday 14 April - take part in the survey here 

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.

You can now book an appointment for the vaccine if you are in one of the following groups:

• Aged 75 and over.
• Anyone aged 6 months and over with a weakened immune system due to a health condition or medical treatment. 
• Residents in care homes for older adults. 

You can make a booking on the NHS.UK website, use the NHS app or call 119 for free. The jab will be given at GP practices, pharamacies and local walk-in sites across BOB until 17 June 2025. More details here.

On 1 April BOB ICB took responsibility for handling complaints about these services for residents in the area; this was previously managed by the South East Complaints Hub.

There are two ways people can make a complaint about NHS GP practices, dentists, opticians or pharmacies:

• They can complain to the healthcare provider: this is the organisation where they received the NHS service, for example a GP practice, a dental practice, a community pharmacy or an optometry practice, or,
• They can complain to the commissioner of the service: this is the organisation that paid for the service or care they received.

BOB ICB is responsible for improving services across the area, and already has a complaints and patient liaison service and team with skills and experience of complaints handling, while adhering to the NHS Complaints Regulations 2009.

 The Complaints Team at BOB ICB can be contacted using the details on the website

The Digital Cafés initiative has been shortlisted for a Health Service Journal (HSJ) award for helping people improve their skills to access online health services. 

Digital Cafés were launched by BOB ICB two years ago giving local people more confidence using digital devices and technology to manage their own healthcare.  

The scheme has been entered into the HSJ's 'Digital Equality, Diversity, Inclusion Award' category, and winners will be announced on 26 June 2025.

Marta Fischer, a digital transformation manager at BOB ICB, said: "We are delighted our hard work to improve digital skills of local residents has been recognised. Our aim has been to transform the way people engage with health services."

Digital Cafés take place all over the BOB area and are free to join more details here.

At the start of April 2025, a new BOB-wide interpretation service was introduced to support health professionals during appointments with patients.

The new service is available at all GP and dental practices, pharmacies, optometrists. It delivers a full range of languages used locally, including British Sign Language.

The ICB has commissioned the Dals organisation to provide the new service. 

It allows doctors to book an appropriate interpretation platform to support patient care including on-demand telephone, video and face-to-face interpretations and translation services. 

Healthy Start aims to support families in need by providing money towards buying healthy food and milk.

If a woman is more than 10 weeks pregnant, or has a child under four years old, they may be eligible for this support.

Eligible families will receive a Healthy Start card which is pre-loaded with funds (up to £34) that can be used in various shops across the UK. The benefit is added to the card every four weeks.

For more details including how to apply for a card visit the NHS website here.

During April people are being made aware of this illness, the fourth most common cancer in the UK.

The earlier bowel cancer is spotted, the more treatable it is likely to be. In fact, more than 9 in 10 people survive bowel cancer when it is diagnosed at the earliest stage.

For more information about bowel cancer and its symptoms visit the Thames Valley Cancer Alliance website.

Testicular cancer also comes under the spotlight this month. It affects mainly younger men aged 15 to 44 who are being told about the need for regular self-examinations to detect abnormalities early on more details here.

And the public are being told to recognise the signs and symptoms of oral cancer in April, an illness which develops in the head and neck more details here.

Congratulations to BOB ICB's James Fitzpatrick for winning the 'Collaborative Working Award' at the NHS Cyber Associates Network Awards.

James (pictured) was recognised for his work with partners on rolling out a cyber security strategy to protect against online attacks in local hospitals and GP practices. 

The award also demonstrated James' work to ensure GPs can remotely treat patients safely using their own devices, and for his work with partners to overhaul local IT security guidelines.

James has been our head of infrastructure and technology for the past four years. 

The NHS is making changes to how some specialised health services are planned and delivered.

From 1 April 2025, the six Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in the South East, including BOB ICB will be directly responsible for commissioning 70 specialised services, with NHS England remaining the accountable commissioner.

Examples of specialised services are brain surgery, kidney transplants, cancer treatments and children’s surgery. You can see the full list here

Delegation of these specialised services aims to improve patient care, reduce waiting times, and ensure people get the best possible treatment when they need it.

Change takes time and we do not envisage immediate, full-scale change to the way patients can be referred to specialised services. Any changes that are made, will continue to follow due process and will be communicated in advance.

For more information, please visit our webpage here

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is rolling out accessible information to help everyone know what to do in an emergency, and how SCAS can help. 

Working with its Patient Panel Learning Disabilities group and other partners, SCAS has created some booklets and videos to help people with additional communications needs. More details here.

During April, the NHS is launching a major survey on experiences of using maternity services. Mothers who gave birth in February 2025, may be invited to share their views on the quality of care and support they received.

Following feedback from the 2024 survey, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has put in place the following: 

•  A ‘birthplace options’ information leaflet.
•  Postnatal information videos in the five most spoken languages in the county. 
• Updated visiting guidance to allow partners to stay overnight.
• Working to improve the discharge without delay process.

The results of this year’s survey will be published in the autumn 2025 and will be used to further improve maternity services and care. More details here.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is part of an initiative to help patients with breathing conditions to stay well.  

It follows the reintroduction by BOB ICB of ‘spirometry’ at local GP practices. This is a test to diagnose certain lung conditions by measuring how quickly people can breathe out.

It allows doctors to diagnose and monitor conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – a common lung disorder. The Trust’s clinical engineering team are responsible for the upkeep of equipment used in these tests at 80 local practices. More details here.

'ChatHealth 0-5 years' has been launched as a quick and easy way for families to contact the local health visiting team.

Parents and carers of children aged 0-5 can send a text message to the team on 07312 277363 for confidential help and advice about a range of health concerns. 

The text service is managed by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and is available Monday to Friday (9am to 4pm). A trained healthcare professional will aim to respond within 24 hours. More details here.

Professor Meghana Pandit, the chief executive officer at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has started a secondment as the 'co-national medical director – secondary care', in the NHS Transformation Executive Team.

This team is leading NHS England’s transition into the Department of Health and Social Care.

Meghana (pictured) started this national leadership role on an 18-month secondment on 1 April 2025, with Simon Crowther stepping up as the Trust's acting chief executive officer. More details here.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Education and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee recently noted progress made by the local area partnership around special educational needs and disabilities services (SEND) that include the following:

• The establishment of the SEND youth forum to integrate the voices of young people into future service delivery.
• Improvements in the quality and timeliness of education, care and health plans and needs assessments.
• Improved guidance and support for schools on alternative education provision.
• Reduced median waiting times for assessments for neurodevelopmental conditions, with successful webinars and workshops being delivered in partnership to over 2,000 people on living well with neurodivergence.

Information for parents and carers: 

• Parents and carers can sign up to receive a SEND e-newsletter to get the latest news from  the county council. Families can read previous updates online.
• SEND partnership improvement information can be found on the county council’s website with updates on the Strategic Improvement and Assurance Board.
• Online support for parents and carers of children with SEND are on the county council’s local offer webpages

If you are neurodivergent, getting the right support can make a big difference — and that starts with being understood.

The Neuro-Inclusion Passport which is being launched by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is a simple, one-page form people can fill out to let a healthcare provider or support team know what works best for them. 

It helps people share how they prefer to communicate, what makes them feel comfortable, what adjustments help them engage better. For more information visit the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust website.

Residents in Oxfordshire who are worried about their memory can now access expert support and advice from Dementia Oxfordshire.

The 'memory support' service is accessed via a GP referral and provides a one to one consultation with an adviser, who can help with memory strategies, explore lifestyle changes, advise on benefits and provide support with planning for the future.

For more details visit the charity's website here

Extra support is available for residents who want to reduce their drinking with a new online coaching service from DrinkCoach - with the help of Oxfordshire County Council. 

It offers up to six 40 minute sessions to help people make changes to their drinking to reduce the risk alcohol poses to their health.

Those who live in Oxfordshire and score an ‘increasing risk’ or ‘higher risk’ in DrinkCoach’s alcohol test are eligible for support and will be signposted to online coaching. 

Residents can also book a coaching session directly through DrinkCoach’s website.

A new hub for community physical health teams serving the north of Oxford is set to open from late April 2025. 

Murray House, which is located on the Jordan Hill Business Park close to Wolvercote, will be the new home for district nurses, health visitors, podiatrists and specialist community dentists.

While some teams at Murray House will visit patients where they live, others will be providing clinic appointments at the hub, including podiatry and community dentistry.

More details about the hub see here which is run by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. 

At Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust this way of working supports and promotes the safety and wellbeing of its patients and carers.

The Trust introduced the scheme in 2018, before being awarded a maximum two-star accreditation which it still maintains. Read more here.

The first NHS patients in a generation have started to receive life-saving blood plasma from UK donors. It contains immunoglobin to support patients with immune deficiencies and autoimmune disease stay well.

Jill Jones (pictured) who was the first patient to receive UK-sourced plasma medicine at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, said: "Infusions have been life-changing in keeping me well. Before I started on them, I was regularly in hospital with infections – which just doesn’t happen now. It's made a huge and positive difference to my life and my family's life."

Read the full story on the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust website here 

Join a free public talk on groundbreaking research which can predict who is likely to have a heart attack up to 10 years before it happens.

The talk by clinical research fellow Kenneth Chan takes place on Tuesday 8 April (6pm to 7.15pm) at Rewley House, Wellington Square, Oxford - no registration is required beforehand.

Mr Chan will explain how a new device - which has been trialled in the NHS - has made this prediction possible - more details here

The clinics, which dealt with more than 400 patient appointments, have cut waiting times at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

They were each held at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, and organised by doctors, health support workers and staff as outpatient appointments for people showing symptoms of a hernia.

Patients were either reassured and discharged back to their GP or given a treatment plan. The Trust is looking at expanding ‘super clinics’ to other specialties - more details here

This service has been launched to support patients with breathlessness and is located at the Oxford Community Diagnostic Centre in Cowley.  

Patients receive an investigation, diagnosis, and advice for managing the condition - all during one appointment.

The service is run by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and provides diagnostic care in a convenient community setting outside of a hospital setting.

The aim of the pilot scheme is to reduce patient wait times and multiple hospital visits. More details here.

Research shows patients are likely to quit smoking for good as part of their treatment for depression and anxiety.

The research involved providing 12 sessions of stop smoking support for adults who were receiving mental health care.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust were involved in recruiting local patients to take part in the study led by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre.

Results showed the potential benefits of offering stopping smoking treatment in psychological services. More details here.

Oke Eleazu has started his new role as chair of Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust. Oke (pictured) is a local businessman who has held senior executive and non-executive roles in industry.

He has replaced Graham Sims, who was one of the Trust’s longest serving chairs, dedicating nearly 10 years to the role. For more details visit the Trust website 

The All Star Awards recognise the incredible people in Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust who go above and beyond to support patients and communities. 

Included in these awards is ‘The People’s Choice Award’ which is a chance for everyone, including patients, their families and carers, to nominate someone who has made a difference. Nominate someone for the People’s Choice Award

If you are a parent or carer you can receive training to support children and young people with anxiety, low mood and other mental health issues.

The training is organised by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and uses ‘psycho-education’ and other evidence-based psychological techniques.

The course ‘Psychological Perspectives in Education and Primary Care' is led by members of the Trust’s mental health service.

For more details and to register for training see here

Nominations for the Council of Governor elections at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust will open on 15 April and close on 16 May 2025.

During that time, the Trust is urging any of its members who want to help influence its future and make a difference to put themseves forward to become a governor. 

Find out more about the role of a governor and how to get nominated