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General News
ESRC: Should commercial providers of direct-to-consumer genetic tests have to back up their advertising claims and should they be subject to international market controls? These were among the questions discussed at a major conference on genetics & healthcare last week.
Personal genetic testing is a rapidly growing market, but there is increasing concern among healthcare professionals that the information provided by commercial genetic tests is often hard to interpret, yet may profoundly influence an individual’s lifestyle choices and, ultimately, long term health.
The conference explored whether stricter international market controls would safeguard the interests of consumers and ensure they can make rational & informed choices about taking genetic tests. The Human Genetics Commission will be consulting on a draft of the principles during the summer.
Press release ~ A Genetic Health Service? - First annual Gengage conference ~ The Human Genetics Commission ~ ESRC Genomics Policy and Research Forum ~ ESRC Society Today ~ ESRC Genomics Network (EGN)
UKonline: Lord Stephen Carter (Minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting) officially announced the appointment of Martha Lane Fox as the Government’s new Champion for Digital Inclusion and the establishment of a Task Force of 10 expert advisors as part of the launch of the Digital Britain report.
The announcement follows the Digital Britain report’s commitment to do more for the 17m people who are still excluded from digital technology and calls for further action for the 6m who are both digitally & socially excluded.
Press release ~ Delivering Digital Inclusion: Summary of consultation responses ~ Digital Britain report ~ UKonline
Equitable Life compensation: Sir John Chadwick has issued a document that sets out:
* his understanding of the Ombudsman’s Findings of injustice that the Government has accepted
* the approach he intends to adopt over the course of his work – specifically to enable him to reach a view about the relative losses suffered by different classes of policyholder, and
* the specific issues he thinks need to be addressed to enable him to provide advice to the Government in relation to the Equitable Life ex-gratia payment scheme
The document is intended to give interested parties an opportunity to comment on Sir John’s proposed approach. Those wishing to do so should send written comments to the Office of Sir John Chadwick by 17 July 2009. Sir John has established a website, through which interested parties can keep informed of his work as it progresses and make representations to his Office.
In light of any representations and his further work, he expects to make an interim report to Government later this summer. This will contain a definitive statement of his approach for determining relative losses and a definitive list of the specific issues he will address.
Press release ~ Equitable Life ex-gratia payment scheme, My proposals as to the approach to be adopted and the issues to be addressed and other key documents
CWCG: The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is delighted to announce that work to repair damage to the naval war memorial on Plymouth Hoe will take place this week. The Commission was determined to replace the stolen bronze name plaques in time for Armed Forces Day events, following the huge public outcry which followed the thefts.
The first of the plaques, listing the names of Royal Marines who died during the WW2, was stolen just hours after a Veterans' Day event on 29 June 2008. Another three plaques were stolen the following night. Two of the plaques were later sold for scrap, raising just a few hundred pounds, but were recovered. Two others were damaged beyond repair. The cost to replace them is over £17,000.
The names of over 23,000 men & women are recorded on the memorial; of these some 7,000 died during the WW1 and 16,000 during the WW2. All were buried or lost at sea or were otherwise denied, by the fortunes of war, a known and honoured grave.
Press release ~ Commonwealth War Graves Commission ~ Armed Forces Day ~ Naval war memorial on Plymouth Hoe ~ Related news item
BS: Buying Solutions has launched a new collaborative Project Management and Full Design Team Services framework agreement, which could save users more than £70m on the £10bn p.a. that the public sector spends on accommodation, office refurbishments and renovation projects.
The new arrangements have been developed between Buying Solutions and Improvement and Efficiency South East (IESE), and will provide a one-stop-shop solution for major projects or programmes of work. It provides customers with access to a project management & full design team service to take projects through the RIBA Plan of Work Stages and OGC Gateway Review Process when delivering new build schemes, regeneration and major works programmes.
As well as delivering against the Operational Efficiency Programme, the new arrangements also support & embed the Office of Government Commerce’s Construction Policy on High Performing Property, which is expected to achieve £1.5bn in savings by 2013.
Press release ~
CQC: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has urged NHS trusts to do more to comply with essential standards or risk strict conditions being placed on their licence to operate in the future. The regulator will introduce a new registration system from April 2010, meaning all health & adult social care providers, including NHS trusts, must meet new government standards to be allowed to function.
The CQC also recently published information on what the NHS thinks of its compliance against the existing standards. The regulator is concerned that only half of trusts said they met all current standards and that there was significant variation between regions. CQC said compliance with the core standards will be used a key indicator of whether a trust meets the new registration requirements.
In October 2009, information on compliance with the core standards will be considered alongside data about whether trusts are meeting government targets. The Commission will then give a rating for the quality of services at each trust. This year, for the first time, primary care trusts will be given 2 ratings:
* one for the quality of services they provide
* one for the services they commission
Press release ~ Consultation on the Guidance for Registration (closes on 24 August 2009) ~ Consultation events on new registration standards ~ DH: Response to consultation on the framework for the registration of health and adult social care providers and consultation on draft Regulations
LDA: The London Development Agency's (LDA) 2012 London Cultural Skills Fund is offering £1.2m worth of support for strong community-based skills, training & employment support projects aimed at ensuring Londoners can participate in the Cultural Olympiad and other arts related activities in the run up to 2012.
The fund, managed by the Arts Council England, is split into three bidding rounds, with the final round of bidding - offering £500,000 worth of grants – now open. Organisations must register their interest and complete pre-eligibility checks on the CompeteFor website by 3 July, 2009.
Press release ~ London Development Agency's (LDA) 2012 London Cultural Skills Fund ~ Arts Council England
COI: The British Army Recruiting Group is expanding its commitment to digital marketing following the success of its Start Thinking Soldier campaign. To support this work it is seeking a new digital agency, via the Central Office of Information (COI).
The agency will be expected to work alongside Publicis Modem, the architects of the current campaign, who will retain responsibility for the creative digital element of Army Recruitment marketing. The overall aim of the Army Recruitment Marketing Strategy is to inspire & raise awareness of Army careers, guiding and motivating sufficient young people through the recruitment process.
Press release ~ Start Thinking Soldier campaign ~ Army Recruitment Marketing Strategy ~ Central Office of Information (COI) ~ Publicis Modem
HA: New road signs to let drivers know where they are if they break down or want to report a problem on the motorway have been installed by the Highways Agency in parts of north Lancashire and Cumbria. The programme should be completed by autumn 2009 with signs along the rest of the M6 in Cumbria, between junctions 37 and 45 north of Carlisle up to the border with Scotland.
The large yellow-lettering-on-blue-background signs include information which helps the Highways Agency’s Traffic Officer Service and emergency services to pinpoint where people are when they call their control rooms or a recovery service. Lettering & numbering on the signs tell motorway users which motorway they are driving on, the direction they are travelling in and exactly where they are on the motorway.
