There is still time to have a flu jab to help protect against the virus which can cause serious illness. 

The flu vaccine is available until the end of March 2026 for eligible patients and is safe, effective, and the best way to protect yourself and loved ones as winter viruses spread quickly - check if you are eligible for a free flu vaccine and how to access it.

New pharmacy flu vaccine service for children:
Children aged 2 and 3 can receive the flu vaccine through a nasal spray from some local community pharmacies. Parents can make an appointment via the National Booking Service or find a local 'walk in' pharmacy that delivers this service on the NHS website here. The vaccine is available until the end of March 2026. 

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Covid-19 vaccines:
You can still get both vaccines but the Covid-19 jab is only available until the end of January 2026. Details on who is eligible and how to access the vaccines are on the Stay Well BOB website here.

A local campaign aims to dispel a common myth about smoking as a way of relieving stress and asks: what makes the South East happy?

Members of the South East Smokefree Alliance (SESA) will visit local towns in January 2026 to chat about wellbeing, and the link between quitting smoking and feeling better - this includes a visit to Banbury Market on 15 January (10am to 3pm). 

The campaign is built on growing evidence that stopping smoking doesn’t just improve your physical health, it can also make you happier. Within weeks of quitting, people’s brains start to rebalance dopamine, the 'happy hormone' that smoking suppresses.

To find your local stop smoking service visit the SESA website here.

BOB ICB and Frimley ICB are now meeting together as a joint committee under a 'collaboration agreement' (cluster) as part of changes to the NHS and public services - see here

The joint committee's next online meeting is being held on Tuesday 13 January 2026 (10.30am-12noon) and you are welcome to take part; but will need to email bobicb.enquiries@nhs.net to request a link to join.

Agenda papers can be viewed on the BOB ICB website here.

Let’s Talk About Vaccines are free training sessions to help build your confidence, skills and knowledge to open up discussions and help people make informed choices about vaccine decisions.   

The sessions are free to health, social care and voluntary sector staff and students working across BOB and Frimley.  

The next sessions are on 12 February (1pm-3.30pm) and 12 March (9.30am-12noon). Find out more and sign up on the BOB ICB website – Let’s Talk About Vaccines training. Each session lasts 2½ hours. 

Local residents are encouraged to buy over-the-counter medicines to treat a range of minor common illnesses like coughs, colds, headaches, heartburn and indigestion. This could include:

• Keeping a selection of medicines at home to treat symptoms without delay especially pain relief.
• Visit a community pharmacy before making a GP appointment. A pharmacist can advise on how long symptoms last and will recommend medication to relieve symptoms.

Remember, GPs or health professionals may not prescribe over-the-counter medicine to treat some minor common illnesses. For more details visit the BOB ICB website here.

Taking simple steps to keep you and your loved ones well and healthy over winter include the following: 

• Taking up free flu, Covid-19 and RSV  vaccinations if you are in eligible groups.
• Using NHS 111 for advice on where to get the right care for your needs.
• Contacting your GP practice for help about worrying symptoms.
• Speaking to a pharmacist about minor illnessess.
• Keeping a good stock of over-the-counter medicines at home.
• Looking out for vulnerable family members, friends, and neighbours.
• Remember, only use 999 and hospital emergency departments for life-threatening emergencies.

You can start the new year by checking what prescription medication you have at home before asking for more. Even knowing the expiry date on items in your medicine cabinet can help reduce waste.

Remember, unwanted or expired medicines should never be flushed down the toilet, poured down the sink or thrown into household bins - you should dispose of medication safely at your local pharmacist.

For more information, tips and advice to reduce medicines waste across BOB visit our campaign website here

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has been granted planning permission for a landmark new building at the Wycombe Hospital site.

This major development will enable the Trust to create a state-of-the-art facility for vital services including cardiology, stroke, operating theatres and critical care. More details here.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has introduced an innovative medical device to transform the way burns and complex wounds are treated.

This cutting-edge technology enables clinicians to create a spray of a patient’s own skin cells to improve healing outcomes. Pictured are Trust staff with the new device. More details here.

'Health on the High Street' in Aylesbury delivered 40 health checks as part of International Men's Day In November 2025. 

Local charities and the NHS took part in the event providing advice and tips to local men on staying well and healthy. 

Raghuv Bhasin (pictured) the interim chief executive of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust who received a health check at the event, said: "It was great to see so many local groups working alongside our Trust teams to bring health services and advice to residents on the high street."  More details here. 

Sarah Green MP visited Amersham Hospital to view the impact of physiotherapy on patient recovery and rehabilitation.

The MP for Chesham and Amersham (pictured centre) toured the hospital’s aquatic physiotherapy facilities, neuro-rehabilitation unit, and outpatient services and afterwards pledged to become a 'Rehab Champion' - more details here.

Oxfordshire County Council has been awarded government funding to help residents on a low-income make their homes more energy efficient. 

The Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme is designed to provide fully funded energy efficiency upgrades – such as solar panels and heat pumps - for homeowners and private tenants on a low household income and at risk of fuel poverty. 

These upgrades, known as ‘retrofitting’, could help to reduce energy bills and make homes more comfortable to live in. Households can qualify if they have an income of under £36,000, or receive means-tested benefits, and their home has an EPC rating of D–G.

Find out more here: www.welcomethewarmth.org.uk/

Parents and carers of children waiting for mental health support in Oxfordshire can now access extra help through a new service called Supportive Steps.

Run by Oxfordshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Supportive Steps offers short-term online workshops designed to give families practical tools and advice while they wait for further assessment or treatment.

The service became part of CAMHS’ Getting Help package following a successful year-long pilot involving more than 60 parents. Read more here.

A new campaign to reduce falls and resulting injuries among older people and promote confidence and independence is underway.

Many falls can be prevented through simple steps such as strength and balance exercises, home safety checks, and regular health reviews. Visit Oxfordshire County Council's website for more details on falls prevention. 

Falls are one of the leading causes of injury for older adults and are estimated to cost the NHS more than £2.3 billion annually.

The kidney transplant team at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (pictured) has completed 5,000 life-saving adult kidney transplants since the first procedure in January 1975.

Around 170 kidney transplants take place at the Trust every year, serving a region bounded by Swindon, Gloucester, High Wycombe and Banbury. More details here.

It was recognised as the top-performing NHS Trust for adult living kidney transplants in the UK in 2024-25 - see here.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire would like your views on areas it should focus on during 2026-27, and also your thoughts on how well it's performing.

You can complete a short anonymous survey to help inform its plans over the coming year - this will ensure the health watchdog provides the best possible service to local people. The survey is open until Monday 2 February 2026.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust's proposals to transform the Warneford Hospital site in Oxford into a mental health and medical research campus are now being considered by Oxford City Council - more details here. 

The Trust has issued more details around the planned development:

• Britta Klinck, the Trust's Chief Nurse, explains the need for a new mental health hospital on the site - listen here.
• Samantha Robinson, the Trust's Warenford Park Clinical Lead (Nursing) describes how the hospital design would support patient recovery read here. 

A couple thanked doctors and nurses at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford after the birth of their naturally conceived quadruplets – an occurrence estimated at 1 in 600,000.

Parents Jodie Keeley, 33, and Lyde Darien, 31, welcomed girls Xyliana, Xyla and Xylia, and boy Xyri into the world at just 25 weeks – nearly four months early – in May 2025 (pictured). 

After months of neonatal care at the hospital, all four babies were finally able to leave in October 2025, just in time to spend a very special first Christmas at home together.

Mum Jodie said: “We will forever be grateful for the care and support we received, and we cannot express our thanks enough.”

More details on the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust website.

Dame June Raine CBE, Kenny Kamal and Lynne Graham (pictured) have been appointed as non-executive directors of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

They were appointed by the Trust's Council of Governors which includes elected representatives of patients and staff and nominated representatives of key stakeholders.

Dame June and Kenny have already started in their roles providing independent oversight and strategic guidance for the Trust - more details here.

You are welcome to attend Healthwatch Oxfordshire's webinar on Tuesday 20 January (1pm start) focusing on neighbourhood health. This Government initiative aims to bring more care into local communities and closer to people's homes - more details here.

The online event will feature speakers from BOB ICB, Oxfordshire County Council 's Public Health team and Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA).

For more details and a Zoom joining link visit Healthwatch Oxfordshire’s website. (image by rawpixel). 

Members of the public and patients have until midnight on Monday 12 January 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 2026 enables patients, their families and carers to thank staff who have made a real difference to them.

Nominations are also open for the Trust's Staff Recognition Awards 2026, which include categories for staff to nominate their colleagues. The awards are made possible by the generous support of Oxford Hospitals Charity. For more details and to make your nomination here.

Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre has shared its top 10 stories of 2025, showcasing a year of innovative research and inspiring achievements. More details here.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has appointed Andrea Young (pictured) to this role. She will take up the post from  April 2026. 

Andrea has served as a non-executive director for the Trust since 2022 and brings extensive experience from a distinguished NHS career, including as chief executive at North Bristol NHS Trust.

More details here.

Congratulations to Anna Horwood (pictured) a senior orthoptist at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust who has been awarded an MBE in the King's New Year Honours list.

It recognises Anna's research into the development of a child’s ability to focus their eyes, move their eyes together and the relationship between the two.

Anna's work has helped to treat patients with squints - where the eyes point in different directions - improving outcomes for patients around the world. More details here. 

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised at the 2025 Reading Grassroot Community Awards for its work supporting local people.

The Trust received the ‘Championing Grassroots Communities’ Voice’ award, while Alex Gild, its deputy chief executive, scooped an award for his leadership around community engagement, overcoming health inequalities and anti-racism. More details here.

Pictured at the event (l/r) are Dan Brook, the Trust's armed forces lead, the Mayor of Reading, Dr Alice Mpofu-Colee presenting the award and Dr Kathryn MacDermott, the Trust's director of strategic planning. 

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has launched the group (pictured) as an independent panel of community leaders and experts who will help ensure equity, diversity and inclusion are part of its decisions and services.

The group will provide strategic insight and challenge, helping to shape more inclusive and equitable care across Berkshire. More details here.

You can listen to the final episode of Neurotypes which is Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s neurodiversity podcast. 

The series has covered topics such as diagnosis, medication and the unique experiences of neurodivergent people, with the final episode focusing on neurodiversity and the menopause. Listen to the episode here.