Maidenhead & Windsor

A new panel set up by the Windsor and Maidenhead Royal Borough to keep a check on local social care and health services has set out a list of issues to be discussed with health colleagues at future meetings.

The panel, chaired by Windsor and Maidenhead Cllr Asghar Majeed, has agreed to use last year’s government White Paper – Our Health, Our Care, Our Say – to help direct its work and will look at two areas of particular interest to local people:

* Better prevention services with earlier intervention
* More choice and a louder voice.

Cllr Majeed said: “We want to make the panel an effective resource for promoting independence, wellbeing and choice for people living in our borough.

“We have a great opportunity to work on behalf of our residents to ensure they get the best possible services, and we will be working closely with social services and health to monitor progress and give constructive input where we believe it is needed.”

At the panel’s first meeting it was agreed to ask for information from Berkshire East Primary Care Trust about a number of issues arising from the White Paper, including progress on:

* introducing the new NHS Life Check to help people assess their lifestyle risks and make healthier choices
* providing easier access to information to help people choose and register with a GP in their area.

The Windsor and Maidenhead panel has also asked for information about:

* the proposal to introduce car parking charges at St Mark’s Hospital, Maidenhead
* progress regarding premises for the GP practice in Wraysbury.

The car parking issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the adult services and health overview and scrutiny panel which is at 7.30pm on July 5 in the Town Hall, Maidenhead. Members of the public are welcome to attend. The other health issues will be addressed at the following meeting to be held on September 4.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead