Berks Magazine

Tougher sentences for knife possession - More criminals continue to go to prison for carrying a knife - and for longer - while the number of cautions for knife possession has fallen again. [Ministry of Justice]

The front main door of a hotel in Buckinghamshire was smashed in by approximately 8 armed police at 4.30 am Thursday morning.Terrified guests were woken up by police knocking on their doors looking for someone.
The staff at the hotel were stressed by the action and guests complained about the police action.
The action appeared to be inappropriate. The police had already called into the hotel the day before with photos asking staff if they had seen the person. There was no person in the hotel with that description.
The management of the hotel consider that the action taken by the police was heavy handed and not good for their business. A phone call to discuss the matter by the police would have saved police time and money.

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Other news from The Telegraph

Police forces pay £500,000 compensation
Police paid out more than half a million pounds in compensation last year for raiding the wrong properties.

Forces across Britain shelled out to repair broken doors, smashed windows, wrecked walls and even damaged ornaments.

According to a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 30 police forces paid £560,000 in compensation and repair costs last year.

The Metropolitan Police Service paid out the most, £283,829, more than half the total sum nationwide.

They also issued the highest single payout, £6,932, though the force was not able to reveal what this was for.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had the next highest overalltotal, paying £45,072.70 last year, followed closely by Lothian and Borders Police with £43,880.89.

In fourth place Kent Police paid £26,523, while Thames Valley Police came fifth with a total of £25,725.14.

The figures revealed payments for replastering and redecorating, replacing ornaments, fixing locks and providing glazing services.

The most common costs among 3,607 payouts were for replacing or repairing doors, listed by 50 per cent of forces.

In the last financial year Durham police paid out for damage to 35 doors while Northamptonshire Police had to replace eight.

Due to time constraints most forces were unable to break down each claim individually.

But 13 per cent of police forces admitted repairing locks and seven per cent said they had had to pay to replace ornaments.

Another ten per cent said they had to pay compensation after breaking into the wrong address.

Grampian Police paid £1,159.71 last year ''for entering the wrong property when attempting to execute a lawful warrant''.

Dyfed Powys Police had to pay £1,000 for raiding an ''incorrect address'' and Strathclyde Police paid an undisclosed sum following a ''forced entry to the wrong house''.

In September drugs officers from Northamptonshire Police terrified a young mother when they tried to smash down her front door with a battering ram - with a warrant for next door.

Nursery nurse Carly Payne, 24, was breastfeeding five-day-old daughter Bella on the sofa when police burst in, arresting her partner, stepfather and his friend - who were later released without charge.

The mother-of-two from Wellingborough, Northants., said the police should be ''ashamed'' for bungling more than 3,600 raids last year.

She said: ''That's an absolute joke. Northants Police told me these mistakes were rare but it looks like the police screw things up all over the country.

''It's crazy, I can't believe there have been so many mistakes. The police need to do their homework much better in the future.''

Northamptonshire Police have finally replaced her door 12 weeks on.

According to the statistics the majority of claims paid out are for repair costs, but some are more unusual.

More unusual compensation payments from last year came from Northamptonshire Police, who paid £40 for a damaged pet cage and £100 to repair a tent.

Strathclyde Police had to find £1551.50 after an ''allegation an officer damaged the ceiling during a search''.

Most police authorities confirmed they would only pay compensation if their officers were deemed to have acted ''unlawfully''.

Compensation is only appropriate if the search is ''not lawful'' or force used cannot be shown to be ''reasonable, proportionate and necessary to effect entry''.

Telegraph Dec 2009

5 ways to hit back at greedy energy giants - Energy firms are raking it in as millions of people struggle. But there are ways of cutting your bills and newcomer First Utility could be worth a look

[Bargains and Rip-offs]

FSA chief: Bailout bill may hit £140bn - The UK's financial watchdog warned that the cost of bailing out the banking sector could be as much as £140bn, far higher than Treasury forecasts

[Money News]

Ex-Labour leader Michael Foot dies at 96 - Michael Foot was seen as too eccentric and leftwing to be prime minister, but such were his charm, wit and erudition that the Labour politician will be remembered with affection even by those who never voted for him [Financial Times]

Financiers 'discuss Man Utd bid' - A group of financiers - dubbed the "Red Knights" - meet for the first time to discuss taking over Man Utd, BBC Sport understands. [Business]

Government programme improving lives of families and communities blighted by anti-social behaviour - - New report shows Family Intervention Projects have ‘overwhelmingly positive’ impact on families involved in anti-social behaviour ... (2010/0052) [DCSF]

Should the BBC be cut? - The BBC has announced that it plans to make dramatic cuts to its services in order to reinvest savings in more original and distinctive content – “to make fewer things better”, in the words of Director General Mark Thompson.

Proposed changes – which include the closure of digital radio stations 6Music and Asian Network as well as a restructure of the website – have already provoked criticism, with campaigns on Twitter and Facebook signing up thousands and already prompting hints of a rethink.  But, unlike other public services floating the ideas of cuts, the BBC’s strong position means that, as Emily Bell writes in today’s Guardian “the BBC might look as if it’s in retreat. But its dominance remains“. Indeed set against a broader picture of declining revenues for commercial broadcasting and print media, plus the continuing inability of traditional media companies to find ways of making the web pay, these ‘cuts’ can be seen as a strategy to protect the BBC’s current significant place in the UK’s broadcasting eco-system, at the expense of others. Although ITV, News International and Channel 4 may benefit from decreased competition, there is no guarantee that they will – or can – step up to the plate and provide the (public) services the BBC is – witness Channel 4’s own retreat from its digital radio plans. [Intute]

Autism strategy for England published - There is now an official autism strategy for England, following the new Autism Act, the first ever strategy of its kind in this country.   It sets out key recommendations for central government and local authorities.  These mainly affect adults, who so far have not had a great deal of support and are often hidden members of society.  Read all about it on the National  Autistic Society website.   Or view the full version of the Autism Act 2009.
Find quality resources on Autism in Intute’s Social Welfare section. [Intute]

British Gas profits jump by 58% - Operating profits at British Gas jumped by 58% in 2009, its parent company Centrica says. [Main News]

RBS set to announce £5bn losses - RBS, which is 84% taxpayer-owned, is expected to announce it lost about £5bn in 2009, but will pay £1.3bn in staff bonuses. [Business]

Care crisis as parties clash over reform plans - A furious political row has put the spotlight back on the thorny issue of how to pay for the care of an ageing population

[Pensions]

Barratt upbeat on housing market - Housebuilder Barratt Developments reports reduced losses and issues an upbeat forecast for the next six months. [Business]

Social care law 'needs clarity' - The law and duties covering social care provided by councils in England and Wales need simplifying, experts say. [Health]

Weather helps freeze global recovery - Raft of negative data in the US and Europe confounds analysts’ predictions [Financial Times]

PM denies 'forces of hell' attack - Gordon Brown denies ordering the "forces of hell" to be unleashed on Alistair Darling for predicting the worst recession for 60 years. [Main News]

PM denies 'forces of hell' attack - Gordon Brown denies ordering the "forces of hell" to be unleashed on Alistair Darling for predicting the worst recession for 60 years. [Main News]

Tories launch attack on Labour's economic record - Labour's economic record will come under attack from the Tories today as figures reveal that families are worse off than they were five years ago

[Money News]

Banks 'still restricting loans' - Almost two-thirds of UK businesses were refused credit by their banks last year, a survey says. [Business]

Government action to promote good behaviour and strong discipline in schools - – Parents will be asked to sign up to school policies like behaviour, attendance and uniform during application process ... (2010/0037) [DCSF]

NHS Berkshire West is pleased to announce that the Appointments Commission has appointed Clive Wiggett as a Non-executive Director, and re-appointed Sabrina Chetcuti, Wendy Bower and Janet Rutherford as Non-executive Directors to their board.

Clive Wiggett's term of office started on 1st February 2010 and will continue until 31st March 2014. Sabrina Chetcuti, Wendy Bower and Janet Rutherford will each serve their second terms from 1st April 2010 until 31st March 2014.

Clive Wiggett has spent most of his career in the retail and IT sectors, holding a number of main board roles with Kingfisher Group companies, including Woolworths plc. He was managing director of World Wide Chain Store Systems International, a European software company, and later served as Chief Information Officer for Fujitsu Services. He has lived in Reading for the past 20 years, and is married with two children.

Sabrina Chetcuti graduated as biochemist and worked as a research microbiologist before embarking on an international marketing career in the medical device industry. For the past four-years she has worked as a self-employed strategic business consultant. She is married and lives in Newbury.

Wendy Bower was a nurse at the Royal Berkshire Hospital before becoming a lecturer in critical care at Thames Valley University. She is married and lives in Wokingham.

Janet Rutherford was the Director of Social Services at Berkshire County Council and later Director of Policy and Research at the Local Government Association. She currently works as an Associate Investigator for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. She also serves on the Royal College of Physicians’ Patient and Carer Network.

All non-executive appointments have been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice. ‘All the appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity to be made public.’

Each Non-executive Director receives a remuneration of £7,882 per annum to provide support for NHS Berkshire West’s Board, to ensure that the health care that is delivered meets the Trust’s aims and values. None of the appointees have declared any political activity in the past five years or held any ministerial appointments.

Penny Henrion, Chair of NHS Berkshire West said: “I’m delighted to have four very talented individuals on-board, helping to shape the future of health provision in Berkshire West. They will bring a wealth of experience gained in both the public and private sector which will greatly benefit us.”

Swine Flu Vaccination clinics and appointments for children over six months and under five years of age are still available. We advise that patients call their Practice to book individual appointments or to find out more information.

If you do not already have your Practices' telephone number then please go to
NHS Choices

Pangbourne Medical Practice still have scheduled clinics on 03.03.10 and 10.03.10 so if you are registered at this practice then please contact the practice to make an appointment on these dates.

NHS Berkshire West has published informationabout the performance of local GP practices across a number of key indicators.

This initiative enables patients and the public to have access to information such as whether practices have been accepting new patients over the past year, their opening hours, national patient survey results and the percentage uptake achieved on key screening and immunisation programmes such as seasonal flu vaccinations and cervical smear tests.

NHS Berkshire West Chief Executive Charles Waddicor said, "All our research shows that people greatly value the services provided by GPs and their staff and that there is a high level of trust in GP services. We have some of the best GPs in the country. But we are ambitious for our population and we want to see continuous improvement to all health services in the area.

This initiative will provide valuable information for local people and will help them make their decisions on which GP practice they think is right for them. It will also enable GPs to assess their own practice performance against others so they can see and celebrate their successes and if need be identify any areas of possible improvement."

You can view the Practice Profiles here.

NHS Berkshire West and partner Reading Borough Council are making successful in-roads to reduce teenage conception in the town.

This follows the publication on 24 February 2010 of figures by the national Teenage Pregnancy Unit that reveal Reading has now seen a third consecutive year of reduction in under-18 conception rates.

For 2006 the rate was 54.3 per 1,000 females aged 15-17 (the standard measure). For 2007 it was 51.6 and the provisional figure for 2008 is 46.0. There has been a reduction of 27% since 1998.

Charles Waddicor, Chief Executive of NHS Berkshire West, said: I welcome the drop in the rate of teenage pregnancies in Reading. This decrease has been the result of the far reaching work we have carried with Reading Borough Council. We are providing good advice on contraception and the message about safer sex appears to be getting through. Readings Walk-in Health Centre is a valuable resource in reducing conception rates among teenagers.

Our priority is to establish a firm and sustainable downward trend in teenage conception rates and increase the proportion of teenage parents in education, training or employment to 60% and to reduce the risk of long-term social exclusion for them and their children.

John Ennis, Reading Borough Councils Lead Councillor for Childrens Services, said: Im delighted to see that all the hard work that the Council and NHS Berkshire West have put into reducing the rate of teenage pregnancies in Reading - and especially the efforts and resources we have put into educating our young people about this vitally important aspect of their lives - has now begun to pay off in a sustained and robust improvement. It has taken great commitment by everyone who works with young people to achieve this improvement and we are determined to do all we can to continue to reduce the level of teenage pregnancies further."


NHS Berkshire West and Reading Borough Council have based their success on the following actions:

• Consultation with young people to hear their views about the rebranding of sexual health services for young people and future media campaigns.
• The Teenage Pregnancy Strategic Partnership Board is now jointly chaired by the Chief Executive of NHS Berkshire West, Charles Waddicor, and Readings Director of Education and Childrens Services, Anna Wright.
• Appointed a specialist advisor to work with schools to improve sex and relationship education. Young people have told us that they want more input on managing emotions and relationships and good information about contraception
• A pharmacy scheme funded by NHS Berkshire West continues to run. This ensures that young people in Reading can access Emergency Hormonal Contraception (EHC) for free at 16 pharmacies across Reading.
• A Sexual Health Outreach Nurse has been appointed, whose primary responsibilities are to provide sexual and reproductive health services to the most vulnerable and at risk young people in Berkshire West.
• The re-commissioning of Body Zone Clinics - young peoples health drop-in service provides information, advice and referral on all health issues, specifically sexual health and contraception advice.
• The Peer education service delivered by Barnardos has trained 15 young people who deliver sex and relationship education to their peers
• The C Card scheme was launched in March 2009 and provides young people under-19 better access to sexual health information and free condoms, leading in turn to a greater awareness about safer sex, unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

Young people who want further information about services provided by NHS Berkshire West and Reading Borough Council to reduce teenage conceptions should contact the Teenage Pregnancy Team - 0118 966 7640

NHS Berkshire West's Walk-in Health Centre in Broad Street Mall, Reading, is proving a big hit with the public. Since it opened last August the centre has gone from strength to strength. This includes:

• treating 12,744 patients (its on course to deal with 24,000 during its first 12 months)
• a quarter of all patients have been from ethnic minorities
• 660 patients have already registered permanently with the centre

The Walk-in Health Centre was officially opened by the Mayor of Reading, Councillor Fred Pugh on 10 February 2010 when he revealed a plaque to commemorate the event, and to celebrate six months of success.

Charles Waddicor, the Chief Executive of NHS Berkshire West, said:

"A priority for us is to improve access to GP services, and the Walk-in Health Centre is helping us to achieve this. Figures reveal that only after six months the service is very well used by the elderly, families and young people demonstrating its value. Its playing a vital role in helping to narrow the health gap between different groups and communities in Reading, and on improving health overall."

Dr Gerard D'Cruz, a local GP and the chairman of Assura Reading LLP, which runs the Centre on behalf of NHS Berkshire West, said: "We are delighted to have had this official opening by the Mayor of Reading of this new Health Centre which is an important addition to the medical services offered to patients in Reading Town and the surrounding area."

"The number of patients using it on a walk-in basis and choosing to register here, confirm our feedback reports which continue to show a high level of patient satisfaction with the quality of medical care, the range of services on offer, the helpful nature of our reception staff and the convenience of being seen anytime between 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. This also makes Reading Walk-in Health Centre a real alternative to A&E for patients with non-life threatening conditions, who need to see a doctor."

Councillor Mike Orton, Lead Councillor for Community Care and Health, Reading Borough Council, said: "The Walk-in Health Centre is being used by a lot of people and providing a valuable addition to GP services in Reading."

NHS Berkshire West's Health Network meeting at Wokingham Town Hall on 23 February (6-8pm) will focus on GP Practices.

The network enables the public to shape local NHS health services by gauging their views on proposals and initiatives.

During the meeting members will be asked to comment on plans by NHS Berkshire West to publish information on its website about the achievement of GP Practices on key national initiatives and targets.

The network will also discuss access to GP practices including pre-bookable appointments available at evenings and weekends at many practices, the new Walk-in Health Centre at Broad Street Mall, Reading, and feedback from the National Patient Survey.

Karen Redford, Patient and Public Involvement Manager, NHS Berkshire West, said: "We are urging as many members of the Health Network to attend this meeting because we want their views on these key issues relating to GP Practices across NHS Berkshire West."

Please see here for further information or contact Karen Redford tel: 0118 982 2916.

An ambitious new national strategy called 'A Smokefree Future' will halve the number of smokers, from 21 to 10 percent of the population by 2020, Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham announced last week. The strategy is based around six key strands:

• Stop the inflow of young people recruited as smokers
• Assisting every smoker to stop their dependence on tobacco
• Protecting our families and communities from tobacco-related harm
• Promote smokefree environments
• Identify and target high smoking rates in vulnerable, disadvantaged and minority communities
• Reduce smoking in pregnancy

NHS Berkshire West is highly commended as a case study in the strategy for its fresh ideas of how to raise the stop smoking profile among the local population. As an initiative, the Pod (a stop smoking shop in Broad Street Mall, central Reading) is unique in the area: for the first time smokers are being offered support seven days a week and have easy access to Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) as well as ongoing support from a team of advisers.

Iwona Rodriguez from the NHS Berkshire West Stop Smoking Service said:

"We have exceeded our targets for the number of people giving up smoking. In just one year 2323 people quit smoking through the help of the service. The fact that most of our quitters have given up through the Pod shows that easily accessible services is paramount for people wishing to give up".

"NHS Berkshire West is looking forward to helping and support people giving up smoking in the future. We are planning several events including this year's National No Smoking Day on 10th March in Broad Street Mall, Reading Town Centre between 10am and 4pm. This year's theme is Break Free, we can help".

Your local Stop Smoking Service can be contacted on 0118 952 5400 or email the service here: stopsmokingservice@berkshire.nhs.uk

Safe and Healthy fasting for people with Diabetes

A diverse mixture of health professionals met last Monday to discuss how best to promote and raise awareness of safer healthier fasting for people with diabetes of all religious faiths.

GPs, Diabetes Educators/Practitioners and Public Health workers came together to attend a meeting hosted by NHS Berkshire West as part of a community initiative, Safe and Healthy Fasting for Diabetics (SHFD).

Local clerics from the Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim faiths attended and gave an insight and understanding into why, how and when they fast.

Recent government research shows that the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in the ethnic groups that make up Reading's Muslim population is approximately four times higher then their white counterparts. As a result of this up to 20% of Reading's Muslim population is estimated to have Type 2 Diabetes.

People with diabetes who observe fasting without the support of their doctor may be putting themselves at risk of the following:

• Hypoglycaemic episodes (Low blood sugar levels)
• Dehydration (Body does not have sufficient level of water)
• Thrombosis (Clotting of blood within a blood vessel)

With this in mind conference delegates discussed how they could help tackle the management challenges that these patients face.

Guest speaker Dr. Mohamed Hassanain, Consultant in Endocrinology, Diabetes and General Medicine at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Rhyl, spoke on the importance of looking at the fasting behaviours of Muslims with diabetes. Dr. Hassanain has been campaigning nationally on raising awareness of the medical challenges facing people with diabetes who fast.

The feedback from a local GP who attended the event was very positive. Dr Anita Mehmet said:

'I feel I learned a lot from the day, in particular about all types of religious fasting and its implications for patients. I will now apply this to my understanding of my practice's patient base. The suggestion from the lectures about changes to medication regimes was helpful for healthcare practitioners to plan according to the patient's individual needs'.

Dr Miriam Al-Kashi (GP, Balmore Park Surgery and part of the Safe and Healthy Fasting for Diabetics Team) who organised the event said:

'The feedback from the meeting was very positive. Delegates learned a great deal about other faiths and I hope this will help me view my multi-ethnic patients in a more holistic manner. I think what is so exciting is that this is just the start of a new relationship between the health care profession and religious and community leaders, in breaking down the barriers of health inequalities in ethnic minorities'.

A new statistical bulletin from the Chief Medical Officer for England, published last week, shows that swine flu cases are down, but deaths and serious illness remain a concern.

Over the Christmas and New Year period, new cases of swine flu in England fell to their lowest level since the early stages of the disease in the United Kingdom.

However, patients continue to be hospitalised and admitted to critical care facilities, although these numbers are falling off. Deaths attributable to swine flu are still also occurring.

The swine flu vaccination programme slowed over the holiday period, but all groups prioritised to have the vaccine are continuing to take it up.

Commenting on the latest figures, Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for England said: 'Levels of pandemic flu are currently very low virtually concluding the second wave of the infection in this country.'

'Although throughout it has not been a severe illness for most people, children and younger adults have developed serious complications, been admitted to hospital and some have died.'

'When the virus returns in the 2010 flu season those who develop complications or die will be doing so from a vaccine preventable disease.'

'I strongly advise that those eligible for the vaccine who have not yet had it, get the jab and protect themselves.'

To view the Chief Medical Officer's fortnightly Bulletin for Journalists, please download the PDF available here

All GP practices in the NHS Berkshire West area of Reading, Newbury and Wokingham are offering the vaccination and are either in the process of writing, or have already written to parents to invite them to bring their children to a special clinic or to arrange an appointment. Further information for parents can be found in the
Swine Flu information leaflet for young children.

Vaccination take up figures amongst the priority groups already targeted for vaccination in Reading Wokingham and Newbury, to date are approximately as follows:

• 17% of individuals aged 6 months and up to 65 years in current seasonal flu vaccine clinical at-risk groups;
• 17% percent of pregnant women and;
• 26% of people aged 65 and over in the current flu clinical at risk groups

Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) is a mandatory requirement and a joint responsibility for Primary Care Trusts and Local Authorities. The process in Berkshire West has built on that used in the first JSNA in 2008 but has focused more closely on the three Local Authority areas to build up a more detailed picture of each. JSNA is intended to be a continuous process which engages partner organisations to gain a better and broader understanding of the current and future health and wellbeing needs of a population, to inform strategic planning. A lot of work has been done on engagement in all three areas, with involvement in workshops, sharing of information, and decisions about content and focus of the reports. Currently a mechanism for streamlining the joint working process is under development for 2010 and beyond.

To see the local summaries for Wokingham, Reading and West Berkshire click here.

You can feedback your views on the JSNAs to JSNA@berkshire.nhs.uk

Hotel High Wycombe Bucks -

http://www.cliftonlodgehotel.co.uk/

Tel 01494 440095

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How best to help Haiti’s orphaned children -

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Business: Cadbury likely to back Kraft bid - Kraft Foods is expected to raise its offer for Cadbury to a level that is accepted, BBC business editor Robert Peston learns. [News in Britain]

Front Page News: All-you-can-drink offers face ban - All-you-can-drink pub offers could be banned and ID checks made compulsory under a planned code for England and Wales. [News in Britain]

Front Page News: Child drug errors 'too frequent' - Mistakes are being made in a high number of drug treatments given to children in hospital, warn UK researchers. [News in Britain]

News: Britons give £23m to Haiti appeal - Britons donate £23m to the Haiti quake appeal, but concerns about the safety of some British nationals in the country remain. [News in Britain]

Front Page News: Haiti quake toll 'may be 200,000' - A US general sounds a grim warning on the death toll from Haiti's quake, as many survivors' desperate wait for aid goes on. [News in Britain]

Business News: Dubai bail-out less than thought - Dubai reveals that half of its $10bn bail-out from Abu Dhabi was actually from a previous deal. [No Justice]

Denim Jacket Revival - I"ve had a denim jacket for years, and I almost never wear it. Sometimes I get jacket envy when I see cool girls wearing denim jackets on street style blogs, which is totally irrational because I happen to have practically the same jacket these girls are wearing. What I really envy is the fact that, unlike me, they actually wear the jacket.

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Front Page News: Poor white pupils extra cash call - More funding should be targeted at white working class pupils to tackle underachievement, says a teachers' union. [No Justice]

Haiti Earthquake: Ways to Help -

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Woman killed by car thief - A thief who tried to steal a sports car has run over and killed the owner as she tried to stop him. [15 January 2010] The victim saw a man in the driv... [Crime Stoppers]

Front Page News: Haiti quake aid effort hampered - Bottlenecks and damage hold up aid efforts in Haiti after an earthquake thought to have killed tens of thousands. [News in Britain]

Business: Japan Airlines shares plunge 45% - Japan Airlines shares drop to a new low as investors believe it is headed for bankruptcy - despite an improved offer from American Airlines. [News in Britain]

Front Page News: 'Hundreds dead' after Haiti quake - Hundreds of people are feared dead after a powerful earthquake rocks Haiti, causing massive damage across the country. [News in Britain]