Public Consultation opens for the Berkshire West Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2021-2030

Strategy to address five key areas to make a difference to people’s lives in Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham

Residents of Reading are being invited to review the draft Berkshire West Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2021-2030.

The draft strategy aims to drive positive change to tackle the underlying causes of poor health and wellbeing across Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham (the three local authorities within the Berkshire West Integrated Care Partnership). The draft strategy incorporates feedback from a previous public consultation that ended in February 2021.

The proposals focus on addressing the top five priorities identified by respondents:

• Reducing the differences in health between identified groups of people;
• Supporting individuals at high risk of poor health outcomes to live healthy lives;
• Helping children and families in early years;
• Promoting good mental health and wellbeing for all children and young people;
• Promoting good mental health and wellbeing for all adults.

This new consultation will run for six weeks, from 23 June 2021 to midnight 4 August 2021 and the draft strategy and consultation survey can be accessed here >

Feedback from the consultation will help refine and confirm the vision outlined in the strategy, which will then be submitted to the three local Health and Wellbeing Boards.

The shared strategy has been developed by the three Boards together with the other members of the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP): the Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Group, the Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and the South Central Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust. This collaborative approach between the seven public sector organisations will help ensure that all services are better co-ordinated to meet the diverse health and care needs of residents.

Cllr Graeme Hoskin, Reading’s Lead Member for Health, said: “We need to hear from residents on the Health and Wellbeing draft strategy so we can ensure the top five priorities will make a real difference to the lives of our residents and tackle the underlying causes of poor health and wellbeing in all of our communities.”

“We look forward to developing and delivering the strategy over the next ten years in partnership with West Berkshire and Wokingham and to making a real difference to the health and wellbeing of all of our residents.”

The final strategy will be published in autumn 2021 and will be made available on each local authority’s website.

Anyone with questions can email Wellbeing.Service@reading.gov.uk