Category: News

We are pleased to announce our support for Healthwatch Bucks, helping to secure the continuation of this vital service for residents across Buckinghamshire.

Healthwatch Bucks, part of a national network of over 150 local Healthwatch organisations, is the independent champion for people using health and social care services. The organisation gathers feedback from residents about their experiences with GPs, hospitals, dentists, pharmacies, care homes and other services, ensuring that local voices are heard and used to improve care. It also provides trusted information to help people access the support they need.

In August 2025, following a prolonged tender process and wider national uncertainty, the previous Board of Healthwatch Bucks made the difficult decision to close the organisation by 31 December 2025. Following discussions with Healthwatch England, Buckinghamshire Council and former Board members, a solution was identified that would allow the organisation to continue.

As part of this new arrangement, members of our executive team have joined the Healthwatch Bucks Board. Tim Summerley, Chief Executive Officer, has been appointed Chair of Healthwatch Bucks, alongside Ally Fisk, People Director, and Steven Green, Finance Director. They join two existing Board members, bringing additional expertise in healthcare, leadership, governance, and finance.

With our support, Healthwatch Bucks is now able to remain operational while exploring longer-term sustainability options and the council has since extended their funding until March 2027.

This partnership, and the extended funding, means that residents across Buckinghamshire will continue to benefit from:

• • A trusted, independent organisation that listens to their experiences
  • Support to find reliable healthcare information
  • Guidance on raising concerns or complaints
  • A strong voice influencing real improvements in local services.

Zoe McIntosh, Chief Executive, Healthwatch Bucks, says, “Healthwatch Bucks will continue to champion the views of local people, working with the NHS, the Council and other health and care providers to ensure services meet the needs of the community.”

We’re committed to supporting Healthwatch Bucks while fully respecting its independence. Robust governance arrangements, including clear conflict of interest policies, are in place to ensure transparency and integrity are always maintained.

We’re proud to support this important work and look forward to working alongside CEO Zoe McIntosh and her team to support their work to help ensure that the voices of residents continue to make a difference. Residents are encouraged to share their experiences and help shape the future of health and social care in Buckinghamshire.

Residents in selected areas of Buckinghamshire will soon benefit from a new support service, as we prepare to launch our Community Health and Wellbeing Worker (CHWW) programme in Spring 2026.

This will be the first CHWW service in Buckinghamshire and is being delivered by FedBucks supported by the National Association of Primary Care (NAPC). The programme forms part of the Buckinghamshire Neighbourhood Programme and is being funded in partnership with Buckinghamshire system partners.

Each CHWW will support up to 150 homes, aiming to visit or contact every household each month. During these regular check-ins, workers will discuss any concerns relating to physical, mental or social health, and help people access appropriate health and wellbeing services. One CHWW will be working directly with homeless individuals who are living on the streets of Aylesbury and High Wycombe, focusing on one of Buckinghamshire’s key health inclusion groups.

“We’re proud to launch this new service. It’s about listening to residents, building trust, and helping people get the right support,” says Fiona Dite, Integration and Outreach Manager, FedBucks.

FedBucks are delighted to welcome the new team of nine Community Health and Wellbeing Workers, who have all been recruited from the communities they will serve. The inclusive recruitment process involved informal conversations and community drop-in sessions, generating a very strong response and a high volume of applications. The new team brings a wide range of experience spanning community engagement, healthy living, mental health and social work, showcasing our approach to multi-agency neighbourhood teams. FedBucks will work closely with GP practices to embed the service into neighbourhood working and strengthen links between practices and their communities.

The new service will be introduced in parts of Castlefield, High Wycombe and Quarrendon, Aylesbury. The workers are currently undertaking training and preparing to begin their roles.

Everyone involved is excited to see the service get underway.  We look forward to the positive impact it will have on our communities.

We have successfully achieved Cyber Essentials Plus (CE+) accreditation, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to protecting patient data and maintaining secure, resilient clinical systems across our organisation.

Within the NHS, Cyber Essentials Plus supports compliance with the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT), UK GDPR, and NHS England cyber security requirements. It’s increasingly mandated for suppliers and trusted partners due to the importance of protecting sensitive patient data and clinical systems.

With the support of our IT partners Arc Systems (formerly NITC), we have achieved Cyber Essentials Plus (CE+) accreditation, an independently verified certification that demonstrates an organisation’s ability to defend against cyber threats through robust, tested security controls.

“Achieving Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation is an important milestone for us. It reflects our continued commitment to protecting patient data and supporting safe, reliable clinical services,” says Tim Summerley, CEO, FedBucks.

Unlike basic self-assessment certifications, Cyber Essentials Plus requires hands-on technical testing carried out by an independent third party. This provides assurance that cyber security measures are effective, helping to reduce the risk of ransomware, data breaches, and service disruption which can directly affect patient safety and operational resilience.

This accreditation reinforces our commitment to maintaining high standards of cyber security, making sure that patient data and clinical systems remain as secure as possible.

GP leaders and practice managers came together for the quarterly face-to-face Bucks GP Leads Summit, hosted by the GP Provider Alliance (GPPA). The event focused on current and emerging issues in general practice to strengthen collaboration and supporting the quality of primary care across Buckinghamshire.

FedBucks’ Medical Director, Dr Sarah Avery, addressed the new Bucks Integrated Urgent Care Delivery Plan, developed and agreed with Bucks Urgent and Emergency Care Board and Buckinghamshire Executive Place Partnership. The plan will integrate with FedBucks’ existing out-of-hours (OOH) GP service and, from April 2026, extend urgent GP support to all care homes across Buckinghamshire.

“Our priority is getting patients to the right place first time and reducing visits to our local emergency departments,” says Dr Sarah Avery, Medical Director, FedBucks.

The summit brought together 70 attendees including GP leads and managers from 45 practices, PCN (Primary Care Networks) Clinical Directors and Network Managers, alongside representatives from FedBucks, and wider system partners, including Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT).

“These summits allow us to explore challenges around contracting, service delivery and system priorities,” says Tim Summerley, CEO, FedBucks. “They give us the opportunity to come together and support strategies that have a direct impact on how care is delivered in our communities.”

Dr Penny Macdonald, Chair of the Board, FedBucks, added: “These summits are vital for creating space for honest discussion, shared problem-solving and collective leadership across general practice. Working together strengthens our ability to influence the system and improve care for patients.”

Hosted by GPPA – which brings together FedBucks, the LMC and PCN Clinical Leads – the summit series promotes the collaboration across general practice organisations and continues to play a key role in accountability, education and shaping strategies that directly affect patient care across Buckinghamshire.