Reading Residents Asked to Feedback on Health and Care Proposals

Health and care partners in Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire and Berkshire West* (BOB) are asking for the public's views on a set of proposed priorities to support improved health and wellbeing across the area.

The BOB Integrated Care Partnership’s (ICP) vision for the nearly two million people who live in the area is to have the best possible start in life, to live happier, healthier lives for longer, and to get the right support when they need it. To achieve its vision, the ICP has developed a draft strategy which proposes a common set of priorities that partners will work on together.

Representatives from across the health and care systems have collaborated with partner organisations, the voluntary sector, and other stakeholders to understand their ambitions as a foundation for the strategy.

The next step is to work with local people and communities to refine the proposals and agree a common set of priorities for the health and care system, through a public engagement exercise.

Cllr Jason Brock, chair of BOB ICP and Leader of Reading Borough Council, said:

“We have to work together to best achieve those things which are most important to the people who live and work across our area. As such, public feedback and input will be hugely important as the strategy develops.

“The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West area is geographically vast, and it also has a very diverse population in all sorts of ways. This engagement is about finding common ground on broad strategies which can help give people the best possible start in life, to be happier and healthier and to ensure they have access to support when they need it.

“This draft document is intended to promote thought and discussion. The detail comes later on, in particular how all partners can direct limited resources to have the biggest positive impact on people’s lives. 

“Please take some time to read the priorities our partners have identified and tell us what you think via the survey.” 

The draft strategy proposes these sets of priorities:

• promoting and protecting health – to support people to stay healthy, protect people from health hazards and prevent ill-health
• Start Well – to help children achieve the best start in life
• Live Well – to support people and communities to stay healthy for as long as possible
• Age Well – to support older people to live healthier, independent lives for longer
• improving quality and access to services – to help people access services at the right place and right time. 

The survey is open until 29 January 2023. You can find it online at https://yourvoicebob-icb.uk.engagementhq.com/icp-strategy-engagement  or you can request a printed copy from 0300 123 4465 or by email bobics.engagement@nhs.net  

The feedback will be published early next year and the ICP will continue to engage with stakeholders and the public as the strategy progresses to ensure it considers public views and patient experience as it develops ideas for new ways of providing care.

The BOB ICP is a collaboration of organisations which plan and provide health and care services for two million people who live and work in the local authority areas of Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire, West Berkshire, Reading and Wokingham (the latter three authorities under the umbrella of ‘Berkshire West’).

Members include local authorities. local NHS organisations and GPs, public health, Healthwatch, care providers, the voluntary sector, the Oxford Academic Health Science Network and other research partners.