Residents are invited to participate in the Health Scrutiny Committee

The next meeting will focus on: Emotional Wellbeing of Children and Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services, and Maternal Mental Health. The panel will review the approach to mental health and emotional wellbeing of young people and look at the services supporting women and families with maternal mental health care. Colleagues from the NHS and West Berkshire Council will be presenting reports on these topics and answering Members' questions.

Residents can submit questions by emailing them to Executivecycle@westberks.gov.uk by 1 December 2023, these questions then may be answered during the meeting

The meeting will be held on Tuesday 12 December 2023, 1.30pm - 4pm in the Council Chamber at our Market Street offices. The Committee is made up by five Members across the different parties and is chaired by Councillor Martha Vickers. This collaborative approach ensures that local decisions are well-informed and reflective of the community's needs and priorities. You can find out more information on our website.

The aim of the Committee is to represent the community and raise concerns that residents across the district may have with health services and responding to formal consultations on health matters. It also scrutinises public health services provided by the Council and commissioned providers.  Each meeting will be streamed live on the Council's YouTube channel for residents wanting to follow the meeting as it happens or at their convenience later.

Councillor Martha Vickers said:

"The purpose of Scrutiny is to assist in improving health services locally and we welcome input from members of the public. We are increasingly aware of the importance of early identification and treatment of mental health problems in the Early Years. The Committee has explored topics such as access to primary care, dementia diagnosis, and NHS dentistry in the past and we would be keen to hear suggestions from you for future topics."

The Health Scrutiny committee encourages residents to participate by suggesting topics of interest through a user-friendly form available online, emphasising the importance of community input in shaping the health services that affect their lives.