This is being held on Tuesday 13 May 2025 (1.30pm to 4.30pm) and you can join via an online live stream - the link will be available on the BOB ICB website. 

Details about the agenda and meeting papers will be available to view here and you can submit a question relating to agenda items before the meeting. 

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

It’s May Measurement Month, a campaign to make people aware of the dangers of undetected high blood pressure, and the health issues it can lead to. 

As part of the Big Squeeze campaign, BOB ICB is encouraging people aged 40 and over to get their blood pressure checked for free at a local pharmacy.

You can find a pharmacy offering free blood pressure checks using our interactive map.

Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and vascular dementia, so getting blood pressure checked saves lives. And if someone is diagnosed, the good news is that it’s usually easily treatable by making simple lifestyle changes, or through regular medication prescribed by a doctor.

You can now register with a new GP via the NHS App and online as part of a major health service drive to make care more convenient and free up staff time.

Nationally, the number of practices where patients can join online has more than doubled in the last 12 months, with over 6,150 practices now supporting registration through the NHS App, NHS.uk or surgery websites.

This means almost all GP practices in England (98.4%) are now offering online registration – which takes a matter of minutes – making it easier than ever for people to sign up or make the switch to another GP surgery. More details here 

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths, but early detection can save lives. Screening finds lung cancer early, when it’s easier to treat and outcomes are better.

Who should get screened? People aged 55–74 who smoke or used to smoke, are registered with a GP, and live in an area offering screening.

You can view more information on screening and areas it’s offered here: Lung Cancer Screening - thamesvalleycanceralliance.nhs.uk

Look out for an invite by text, letter, or email. More details: NHS Lung Cancer Screening

Ovarian cancer awareness day - 8 May 2025.  This cancer is often diagnosed late due to subtle symptoms and no reliable screening test. Early detection saves lives, but awareness is key. Learn more about the symptoms and spread the word: worldovariancancercoalition.org

GP practices across BOB will be closed over the long bank holiday weekend but you can still call NHS 111 or visit the service online for advice and support if you feel unwell. 

You can also get health advice and support from the NHS app - for more details and to download the app see here. 

In addition, some pharmacies are open on the Monday 5 May bank holiday across BOB - to view their opening hours and a map of their locations see here

Be aware of the risks of skin cancer and how to stay safe in the sun. As summer approaches and UV exposure increases, it’s the perfect time to protect your skin and learn more.

Why it matters:

• Skin cancer is common and can be serious - melanoma is the deadliest form.
• Early detection saves lives - treatment is most effective when caught early.
• Simple sun safety steps can help prevent skin damage and cancer.

Get involved:

• Check your skin regularly for changes.
• Use sunscreen, cover up, and avoid peak sun hours.
• Share tips with friends and family to spread awareness.

Your skin is with you for life - let’s keep it healthy. More at: Skin cancer | Macmillan Cancer Support

The National Autistic Society Survey Report 2025 reveals that in the UK:

• More than half (55%) of people with autism avoid going out because they are worried how people will treat them.

• A quarter (25%) of people with autism said they usually get a negative reaction when they say they have autism. 
• Nine in 10 people with autism (90%) have experienced poor mental health due to attitudes or perceptions of autism, and 84% have experienced social isolation.

There are many simple ways society can make a difference to people with autism and their families. Whether taking steps to understand their experience of the world, allowing time for them to process information and space to regulate, or advocating for colleagues with autism in the workplace.

Your involvement can make a real difference and it’s all about how you show up – whether you are supporting your colleagues with autism or family members, your actions can help create an accepting world.

More information can be found here.

Urgent mental health support is now available by text message to people of all ages across Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

The service provided by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust offers free, confidential, 24/7 support for anyone struggling to cope.

Anyone experiencing anxiety, stress, loneliness, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or other mental health challenges can text the word ‘SUNRISE’ to 85258 at any time of day or night - and get connected to a mental health professional. 

It is a simple, straightforward way to get support when people need it most. More details here.

You can find out more about healthier living at a webinar on Wednesday 21 May (12.30pm-1.15pm) run by Healthwatch Bucks. 

The event will focus on Be Healthy Bucks a free health and wellbeing service for local residents or for people registered with a local GP.

The webinar will include staff from Be Healthy Bucks, who will explain how they can support you to stop smoking, lose weight and exercise more. Click here to register.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Children and Young People’s Integrated Therapy Service has introduced BHT Therapy Link, a new way for parents/carers, children and young people, schools and early years settings to get in touch with its physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy teams.

A text message to 07312 263754 will access a therapy link worker who will reply within two days.

For more information please visit the BHT website

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is proud to announce a significant improvement in the performance of its Accident and Emergency Department (A&E), at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. In March 2025 it met the national standard of 78% of people being seen, treated and discharged or admitted to hospital within four hours of arrival at A&E.

As a result, the department has climbed from 48th to 18th place in the country for A&E performance* and is consistently now the second-best performing A&E in the South East region. Ambulance handover times have also significantly reduced during this period.

This improvement has been thanks to the work of the Trust team over the last two years. Changes have been made to ensure that patients are seen by the most appropriate clinician, in the right place, first time. For more information please go to the BHT website

* Comparing results from Q4 of 2024/25 to Q4 of 2023/24.

Ana Pitt, a nurse with the Community Assessment and Treatment Service at Marlow, last month celebrated over 50 years of service working for the NHS in Buckinghamshire.

Ana began her career in 1974, training for her nursing certificate at Stoke Mandeville Hospital at the age of 19. After qualifying in 1977 she went on to a variety of nursing roles in the Trust before discovering her passion for elderly care taking further specialist qualifications.

Reflecting on her career,  Ana said: “I enjoy hearing my elderly patients’ stories and witnessing the benefits of the care and rehabilitation they receive. Over the years, it’s been wonderful to see many of my patients, who initially could not walk, leave the ward walking and returning to their homes.”

Patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust will soon benefit from new furniture and equipment thanks to a generous charitable donation.

The Cancer Care and Haematology Fund has committed £41,000 for the purchase of 32 new reclining chairs for both the Sunrise cancer unit at Wycombe Hospital and the Cancer Care and Haematology Unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. The charity is also providing a further £19,000 for the purchase of an additional scalp cooling system for use in the Cancer Care and Haematology Unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Director of Public Health, Ansaf Azhar, is calling for a change in attitudes towards mental health in young people as he launches his latest annual report.

In the report, which focuses on mental wellbeing in children and young people, Ansaf talks about the importance of good mental health in ensuring healthy, fulfilling and happy lives.

The report is available to view on the county council’s website.

Simon has been acting chief executive officer at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust since the start of April this year. 

Simon (pictured) took over the role from Professor Meghana Pandit, who is currently the co-national medical director – secondary care in the NHS Transformation Executive Team on an 18-month secondment.

Simon joined the Trust as deputy chief executive officer in September 2024, and was previously chief finance officer and deputy chief executive at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton. Simon has worked across different sectors and health communities during his NHS career. 

Every year, people use Dying Matters Awareness Week (5-11 May) as a time to encourage all communities to get talking in whatever way, shape or form about the topic. 

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust will be supporting the week at its community hospitals where you can talk to staff to help break down the stigma and taboo around dying - more details here. 

The stalls on the following dates (all 10am - 3pm):

• 6 May - Wallingford Community Hospital, OX10 9DU.
• 7 May - Townlands Memorial Hospital, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 2DR. 
• 7 May - Witney Community Hospital, OX28 6JJ.
• 8 May - Bicester Community Hospital, OX26 6HT. 

Healthwatch Oxfordshire is holding a webinar on Tuesday 13 May (1pm - 2pm) showcasing the range of support available to help people stay healthy and well across the county. 

Living Well in Oxfordshire will feature speakers from several support services talking about their work, and explaining how people can access the help they provide.

All are very welcome to attend and more details and a Zoom joining link see Healthwatch Oxfordshire’s website.

For the first time in the UK, a woman has given birth following a womb transplant she had two years ago.

Jubilant mother Grace, aged 36, and father Angus named their baby Amy Isabel after Grace's sister Amy, who donated her womb, and transplant and endocrine surgeon Isabel Quiroga, who works for Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

In early 2023 Grace was the first woman to receive a womb transplant in the UK, after her sister Amy donated her own womb as part of the Womb Transplant UK living donor programme.

It follows more than 25 years of pioneering research and innovation by a team of UK experts led by Professor Richard Smith, a consultant gynaecological surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, and also for over a decade by Miss Quiroga.

Pictured are Grace and baby Amy, with husband Angus and the delivery team, soon after the birth at a London hospital in February this year more details here. 

Patients can now be X-rayed more quickly and accurately in the newly renovated digital X-ray rooms at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (NOC), in Oxford. 

The upgrade involved purchasing new digital X-ray machines which provide quicker examinations, lower radiation exposure, and improved image quality.

Pictured is the radiology team at the NOC which is part of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 

Lucy Isaac was 12 weeks pregnant when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer following a routine ultrasound scan.

Thanks to a life-changing surgical procedure at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, baby Rafferty was born safely in January 2025 – but it wasn't the first time he was 'born'.

In October 2024, a surgical team at the hospital lifted Lucy's womb out of her pelvis – complete with baby Rafferty inside – in order to remove her ovarian tumour. 

Pictured is the surgeon Mr Hooman Soleymani Majd with baby Rafferty and his parents Lucy and Adam. 

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

Voting for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust's governor elections is now open until Monday 19 May at 5pm.

Trust members in Oxfordshire, as well as staff in the Oxfordshire, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire constituencies have a chance to vote for who they would like to represent them. More details here 

The current issue of the Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre Newsletter is available to read online now. The monthly newsletter summarises recently published news and updates from across the centre and its collaborators. 

Since launching in 2021, Move Together has supported over 12,000 residents with long-term health conditions to increase activity levels for their health and wellbeing. Behind these numbers are stories of people whose lives have been transformed.

A 43-year-old lady from West Oxfordshire joined Move Together - she was overweight, completely inactive and had anxiety. Six weeks before, she had broken her ankle which had left her housebound and struggling. Home visits were arranged for her, including resistance bands and exercises to do at home. By three months her weekly activity had increased from 0 minutes to 210 minutes per week, and her perception of her health had increased from 20% to 80%.   

“It’s brilliant, the exercises have been great.  I can’t believe the difference it has made.  It has been so good to see the progress that I could make at home. The Move Together Programme has made my recovery so much better.” 

Find out more about Move Together  

Congratulations to the Berkshire, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Shared Learning Network which was highly commended at a national awards ceremony. 

It was part of the inaugural 'HSJ Independent Healthcare Providers Awards 2025', which recognised the network's outstanding work supporting the NHS and improving healthcare services. 

The network brings together seven local healthcare providers who focus on improving patient safety practices. More details here 

For people who are neurodivergent, getting the right support can make a big difference — and that starts with being understood. The Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's 'neuro-inclusion passport' is a simple one-page form that people can fill out to let the Trust know what works best for them.

It’s available for anyone who is autistic, has ADHD, dyslexia, or another form of neurodivergence. And it’s not just for those with a diagnosis - people on waiting lists or who self-identify as neurodivergent can use the passport. Find out more

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust made a commitment to eliminating inappropriate, unwanted and harmful behaviour in their organisation.

Sexual safety is an important part of a safe and open culture; and that’s why they created a 'Safety Culture Charter', with 10 core principles and actions to help protect the sexual safety of all their people.

Find out about the Trust's sexual safety charter