WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
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Not always ‘just a bundle of joy’ |
The LGA, which represents more than 370 councils in England & Wales, says it is vital new parents are also signposted to support services if they need further specialist help. Information could include midwives providing mums & dads with leaflets outlining symptoms of depression & anxiety to look out for, as well as where to go if any of these arise. It could also include tips on how to stay mentally well. This comes as the LGA launched a new report “Being mindful of mental health” which sets out the important role councils play in supporting the mental wellbeing of their communities. It includes the LGA’s vision of what a “mentally healthy” place looks like, and highlights the need for better support for new & expectant parents. Only 7% of pregnant women & new mums with mental health problems in the past 5 years were referred to specialist care, highlighting the urgent need to improve maternal mental health, a recent survey revealed. One in five mothers during pregnancy or in their first year experience depression, anxiety or in extreme cases, post-birth psychosis. It also found that 12% of women’s partners experienced a mental health problem during or after the pregnancy and were provided with little support. |
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LGA - New parents need mental health support before leaving hospital To ensure healthy Mother & Baby New Mums can have a tough time mentally When Mother & baby are at their most vulnerable The ‘damage’ will only be recognised in future years Campaigners to protest against plans to slash Humber health visitors by 25% |
A ‘good’ idea may not be always be a ‘legal’ one |
The ICO has ruled the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust failed to comply with the Data Protection Act when it provided patient details to Google DeepMind. The Trust provided personal data of around 1.6m patients as part of a trial to test an alert, diagnosis and detection system for acute kidney injury. But an ICO investigation found several shortcomings in how the data was handled, including that patients were not adequately informed that their data would be used as part of the test. In a second press release the ICO said; But what about the rest of the sector? As organisations increasingly look to unlock the huge potential that creative uses of data can have for patient care, what are the (4) lessons to be learned from this case? *It’s not a choice between privacy or innovation *Don’t dive in too quickly *New cloud processing technologies mean you can, not that you always should *Know the law, and follow it |
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ICO: Royal Free - Google DeepMind trial failed to comply with data protection law ICO: Four lessons NHS Trusts can learn from the Royal Free case National Data Guardian statement on ICO decision on Royal Free Latest Research Paper: The Challenges of Public Sector Data Sharing |
Transitioning for away from the EU DP ‘umbrella’ |
The ICO has published its first ever International Strategy to help it meet overseas data protection challenges, These include increased globalism, changing technology, GDPR and Brexit. The strategy aims to enhance privacy protection for the UK public, no matter where in the world potential threats & risks emanate from. It also commits the ICO to learning about new ideas & developments emerging from other countries. |
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ICO publishes International Strategy to help protect UK public’s personal information in a global environment |
SME Supplier Locator update... |
UK Government and public sector spend with SME’s is continually on the increase and by 2020, it is the stated intent of Cabinet Office that £1 of every £3 spent on government contracts goes to SME’s. The past 5 years have seen government make a priority of getting money through its supply chain into the hands of SMEs, by both setting targets and introducing new procurement mechanisms. Against this backdrop, the WiredGov Supplier Locator service has been developed specifically to embrace the SME Agenda and provide the ideal platform for SME’s to promote their services, solutions, accreditation and success stories directly to our ever increasing audience across all government and public sector verticals and Tier 1 suppliers. |
Still have to prove one made a ‘reasonable’ effort |
Earlier this year, two Court of Appeal judgments clarified that data controllers can take into account difficulties which occur throughout the process of complying with a request, including difficulties in finding the requested information. That doesn’t mean organisations should try to avoid replying to subject access requests. The burden of proof is on you as data controller to show that you have taken all reasonable steps to comply with the SAR, and that it would be disproportionate in all the circumstances of the case for you to take further steps. And even if you can show that supplying a copy of information in permanent form would involve disproportionate effort, you should still try to comply with the request in some other way. |
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ICO: Subject access policy updated after court rulings on disproportionate effort |
‘Private, intimate photos’ should remain private |
A NEW law will make it easier to prosecute people who share intimate images without consent in Scotland. From last week, those convicted of the new offence of ‘disclosing, or threatening to disclose, an intimate photograph or film’ could face up to 5 years imprisonment under the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016. A public awareness campaign will drive home the serious consequences of sharing intimate images or films of a current or former partner without their permission. The campaign has been developed in partnership with Scottish Women’s Aid, Rape Crisis Scotland, Zero Tolerance, Police Scotland and the Crown Office, all of whom are involved in dealing with the crime and its consequences. New research shows 78% of Scottish adults believe it should be illegal for someone to share an intimate image they’ve been sent. This rises to 82% of people in agreement that it should be illegal for someone to share an intimate image they’ve taken of their partner. |
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ScotGov: Sharing images without consent They know ‘How to’, but many lack judgement/knowledge of the risk & dangers |
The ‘heated debate(s)’ will continue well beyond the summer |
Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, has announced that he is putting in place an independent Recovery Taskforce to help the RBKC deal with the longer term recovery of the Grenfell Tower fire. |
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CLG: Independent Recovery Taskforce for Kensington & Chelsea council CLG: Expert panel on safety meets for the first time DCMS: Protection from prosecution for unlawful subletting at Grenfell Tower CLG: Update on Grenfell Tower fire and fire safety CLG: Expert panel recommends further tests on cladding & insulation DH: Public health advice following the Grenfell Tower fire MoJ: Grenfell Tower disaster: David Lidington statement WAG: Residents’ safety & peace of mind is my priority, says Carl Sargeant |
Good news for a few |
Children & adults with a rare inherited bone disease will be able to access a potentially life-enhancing drug, thanks to a deal between NHS England, NICE & manufacturer Alexion. |
A ‘heart-warming’ medical item |
Calon Cardio-Technology is preparing the UK’s first artificial heart pump for a 50-patient clinical trial in 2018. The pioneering medical technology spin-out from Swansea University, based in the Institute of Life Science, has developed a miniaturised ventricular assist device (VAD) to be implanted directly into the left ventricle of a failing heart. Up to 60,000 new cases of advanced chronic heart failure are diagnosed every year in the UK, and 40% of those diagnosed die within 12 months. Calon Cardio’s MiniVAD assists the weakened heart rather than replacing it. It could have a dramatic impact on quality of life for a significant number of patients. It can slow or stall heart failure progression and prolong the life of patients waiting for a heart transplant. The MiniVAD is driven by an embedded electric motor and is powered by a battery pack worn by the user. |
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Innovate UK: Miniature pump for failing heart to be trialled with 50 patients |
You don’t want to ‘lose them’ just as they ‘leave the nest’ |
Parents are being reminded this summer to encourage their 18 year old children to get vaccinated against deadly meningitis and septicaemia. Those who are due to leave school this summer, or aged 17 to 18 and are not in school (born between 1 September 1998 and 31 August 1999) are now eligible. The MenACWY jab protects against 4 strains of meningococcal disease which cause meningitis & septicaemia, known as strains A, C, W and Y. MenW is one of the most aggressive and life threatening forms and meningococcal disease can be fatal. Many survivors are left with life changing disabilities, including brain damage and loss of limbs. Young people are particularly at risk as they are carriers of the disease. Being in confined environments with close contact, such as university halls, hostels when travelling, or attending festivals, increase the chances of infection if unprotected. New entrants to higher education (university ‘freshers’) are also eligible. Anyone who is eligible and has missed vaccination in previous years remains eligible up to their 25th birthday and is urged to have the MenACWY vaccine. |
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DH: Parents urged to remind teenagers to get MenACWY vaccine |
Sunburn is a minor problem compared to malaria |
Maloff Protect anti-malarial tablets will shortly be available to buy from pharmacies, after previously only being available to purchase with a prescription. Maloff Protect will be sold at pharmacies after a discussion with the pharmacist. They will be made available to adults aged over 18, weighing more than 40kg, travelling to areas affected by malaria and where the malaria parasite is not resistant to the Maloff Protect ingredients. Make sure you tell your pharmacist which countries you will be visiting: it is essential that you take an antimalarial that will be effective in those areas. You will need to start the tablets before arriving in a malaria-endemic area and to continue taking them for 7 days after leaving. |
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MHRA: Maloff Protect antimalarial tablets to be available to buy from pharmacies |
Be ‘proactive’, not ‘reactive’ when protecting your website |
The NCSC has come up with 4 simple & free measures for government departments to improve basic cyber security, which are ready to be implemented immediately by departments & their arm’s-length bodies. None of them require additional money to implement. Nor are they overly technically complex to implement. The 4 measures in lay person’s terms are: *Blocking bad stuff from being accessed from government systems (Protected DNS) *Blocking bad emails pretending to be from government (DMARC anti-spoofing) *Helping public bodies fix bad things on their website (WebCheck) *Removing bad things from the Internet (phishing and malware mitigation) |
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NCSC rolls out free and easy steps to improve public sector cyber security Let us hope that they act proactively this time techUK: British Retail Consortium launches cyber security toolkit The Hacker Hardened Public Sector Enterprise: Practical Steps to Real Cyber Security One-Click Website Vulnerability Healthcheck: How Safe & Secure is Your Website? |
Inevitably History repeats itself, as we ‘send’ our youth into ‘battle’ again |
The National Cyber Security Centre is turning teenagers’ natural interest in technology into mainstream careers. Long gone are the days when teenagers aspired to simply be footballers, film stars or fashion designers. A new generation is growing up with far loftier dreams – to help the fight against the risks to our digital society, cyber crime. The growing legion of teenage boys & girls often self-identified as ‘cyberists’ are intrigued by unexplored technology. As our digital age enhances more of daily life, cyberists will be the ones who safeguard it from all manner of threats. |
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NCSC nurturing tech-savvy teens to help fight against cyber crime ICT security costs money, but lack of it costs even more Many more than 23 Apprentices will be required to meet the UK’s need for cyber security experts |
Annoying for millions and costly for thousands |
4 people have been arrested as the result of 2 years of work from Microsoft & the City of London Police into the global problem of computer software service fraud. The arrests have come about as a result of work by the City of London Police and forensic & investigative services provided by Microsoft analysing tens of thousands of Action Fraud reports and working with other affected organisations, such as BT and TalkTalk, to attempt to trace the source of the problem. This analysis & enquiries undertaken by the City of London Police have shown that many of the calls originate in India and that the worldwide losses from victims are thought to be in the hundreds of £ms. For the financial year 2016/17, there were 34,504 computer software service fraud reports made to Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber reporting centre, with attributed losses of £20,698,859. This accounts for 12% of all reports to Action Fraud, making it the third most reported fraud type. The average loss suffered by victims is £600 and the average age of victims is 62. Despite these losses the number of victims is thought to be much higher as analysis shows many fail to report. |
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Still a need for social housing |
A new report published by the Social Mobility Commission finds that many low-cost government backed home ownership schemes are most likely to benefit better-off buyers.
Social Mobility Commission: Government housing schemes have little impact on social mobility |
Workers need to be able to live close to their employment |
Residents in the Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Oxford Growth Corridor have the chance to create a vision for the future of their area, through a new competition launched recently National Infrastructure Commission: Help shape the future of the UK’s ‘Growth Corridor’ |
Hidden lives |
The FCO has published a new booklet which for the first time provides insight into one of the most controversial parts of its history - the ban on diplomats being homosexual which was only lifted in 1991. FCO: New Foreign Office booklet published on its historic ban on homosexuality |
Shining a light on a problem |
People with claustrophobia or other anxiety conditions could find their journeys less stressful as TfL has launched a new map that shows which stations & sections of the TfL network are underground. It shows them routes they can take to avoid areas with large stretches of tunnels. TfL: New map to help people with claustrophobia and anxiety |
Ending a ‘rip-off’ |
Cancellation fees charged by airline companies may be assessed for ‘‘unfairness’. In addition, the various items which make up the final price to be paid to the airline companies must be indicated separately. CJEU: Cancellation fees charged by airline companies may be assessed for unfairness |
They won’t be able to ‘blame’ Westminster! |
Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford has kick-started a national debate about ideas for potential new Welsh taxes. He is urging people & organisations to come forward with ideas which could be developed into new Welsh taxes. He also suggested that taxation could be used to change behaviours or to discourage activity which has negative social impacts. WAG: Have your say in the development of potential new Welsh taxes |
Why the ‘sky didn’t fall on our heads’ |
A NAO review looks at the Treasury’s processes & procedures for forecasting the economic impact of leaving the EU. NAO: HM Treasury’s economic analysis in the lead-up to the referendum on EU membership |
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Still a ‘hot topic’, with widely spread views, for those who put fingers to keyboard in order to ‘share their views’: |
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PC&PE: Brexit: acquired rights report debated by Lords PC&PE: Report on EU Committee's work during 2016-17 published NAO: HM Treasury’s economic analysis in the lead-up to the referendum on EU membership techUK: Andrew Bailey, CEO of FCA, opines on Brexit Open Europe: Fishing might be one area where the Opposition won’t want to oppose Brexit Open Europe: Can the UK and Germany speak the same language on Brexit? Open Europe: “Ridiculous” spat between EC and Parliament shows where EU power lies Open Europe: What to expect when the Repeal Bill lands in the Commons next week CBI: Stay in Single Market and a Customs Union until final EU deal in force |
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