WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Hardly ‘Pioneering’! |
Doctors have freed up £ms to fund frontline care by banding together to create a pioneering ‘price match’ scheme that drives down the cost of simple items such as anti-embolism stockings & surgical gloves. The clinician-led scheme in Sheffield saw staff & patients work closely across 7 hospitals to agree on the best product & commit to bulk buy jointly to save money. The hospitals had been using a variety of brands and paying different prices for the same products which all did the same job. Evaluation of the products takes place to ensure there is no difference in the standard of care for patients as a result of a switch to the most cost effective product and robust opportunities for staff to make any concerns heard are in place. By committing to buy a larger quantity of product thanks to the collaboration, 11 products were changed leading to savings of £2m, including a saving of £400,000 alone by switching to one type of examination glove. Back in 2011, the NAO wrote in a report; Some trusts are not getting value for money because they are buying many different types of the same product. For example, trusts bought 21 different types of A4 paper, 652 types of medical gloves and 1,751 different cannulas. There is also a large variation between trusts: one bought 13 different types of glove, whilst another bought 177 different types……. Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said then: "At least 10 per cent of hospitals’ spending on consumables, amounting to some £500 million a year, could be saved if trusts got together to buy products in a more collaborative way. “In the new NHS of constrained budgets, trust chief executives should consider procurement as a strategic priority. Given the scale of the potential savings which the NHS is currently failing to capture, we believe it is important to find effective ways to hold trusts directly to account to Parliament for their procurement practices." |
Editorial Comment: So the NHS could perhaps have saved £3.5bn+ since 02 February 2011 if its Purchasing Officers were regular (for FREE) readers of Wired-Gov.net and kept up with ‘Best Practice’? |
Researched Links: |
NHS England: Pioneering price match scheme frees up £ms for frontline care NAO: The procurement of consumables by NHS acute & Foundation trusts (2011) New Shared Services Strategy to deliver £ms of savings to the taxpayer New contracts anticipated to save over £50m on government travel and venue hire Cross-government copyright deal to save money as part of long-term economic plan Good concept let down by poor implementation? Government trying to stop ‘re-inventing the wheel’ |
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At a time when the NHS is ‘screaming for more funds |
NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has launched a new Construction Consultancy Services Framework, which is expected to save the public sector in the region of £16m over the next 4 years. Enabling organisations in both the NHS and wider public sector to access services such as quantity surveying, civil engineering and architecture, the Framework provides a fully compliant route for public sector purchasing teams to access a comprehensive range of construction consultancy services. The new Framework replaces the current Agreement that has been in place since 2014 and has saved the public sector in excess of £12m, thanks to typical savings of between 10-15% compared with buying direct. |
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New NHS SBS Construction Consultancy Services Framework set to save the public sector millions NHS SBS: Procurement frameworks save £16m for public sector in 2017 Makes a lot of (business) sense |
Russian ‘hit list’; Litvinenko, Georgia, Crimea, East Ukraine, Montenegro, etc. |
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and his counterparts in France, Germany and the United States have issued a joint statement on the anniversary of the Khan Sheikhoun attack |
Researched Links: |
FCO: Joint Statement on anniversary of Khan Sheikhoun attack FCO: Moving from Peacekeeping to Development in Haiti FCO: Protecting Victims of Chemical Weapons Attacks in Syria, Salisbury and Internationally FS Boris Johnson responds to defeat of Russia’s proposals at OPCW Alexander Litvinenko: Profile of murdered Russian spy - BBC News Russian expansion: 'I went to bed in Georgia – and woke up in South ... Photos 'prove' Russia behind Montenegro assassination plot - Sky News |
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. Recent arrivals to the SME Supplier Locator service include:
Click here to find out more. |
That’s a lot of people! |
Almost 9m households in England’s private rented & leasehold sectors will receive stronger protection from unfair rogue letting and managing agents thanks to new government proposals. With thousands of & and leaseholders suffering at the hands of rogue agents every day from unexpected costs, deliberately vague & or poor quality repairs, a new mandatory code of practice is proposed to stop managing & letting agents from flouting the law. To further professionalise both sectors, letting & managing agents will be required to obtain a nationally recognised qualification to practice, with at least 1 person in every organisation required to have a higher qualification. A new independent regulator responsible for working practices of agents will be given strong powers of enforcement for those who break the rules – and agents who fail to comply will not be permitted to trade. Criminal sanctions could also be brought in for those who severely breach the code. |
Researched Links: |
MHCLG: New crackdown on rogue agents to protect renters & leasehold homeowners ~ MHCLG: New boost to rogue landlord crackdown ~ Government action to & letting agent fees ~ Crackdown on unfair managing agents Tougher measures to target rogue landlords CAB: Rogue landlords forcing tenants into a ‘living nightmare’ It's time to ban rip-off letting agency fees, says Citizens Advice Unpaid rent often means fewer properties to rent! |
Time for a re-think? |
The Government’s flagship Right to Rent policy has been attacked as having failed “to demonstrate its worth” in encouraging immigration compliance. Under Right to Rent landlords are responsible for checking the immigration status of their tenants with the prospect of prosecution if they know or have “reasonable cause to believe” that the property they are letting is occupied by someone who does not have the right to rent in the UK. In a foreword to his report on the scheme, published recently, David Bolt, Independent Chief Inspector of Borders & Immigration concludes the policy has; “yet to demonstrate its worth as a tool to encourage immigration compliance” and that the Home Office is “failing to coordinate, maximise or even measure effectively its use, while at the same time doing little to address the concerns of stakeholders.” The RLA is calling for the Right to Rent to be suspended pending a full evaluation of its impact, especially on the ability to rent a property of those who cannot easily prove their identity. |
Researched Links: |
Residential Landlords Association (RLA): Government inspector slams right to rent scheme Discrimination can be an ‘IED’ for Landlords Residential Landlords Association (RLA): Future Renting North: Three weeks ’till take off |
The same law for everyone |
Government review of the law & powers to deal with unauthorised caravan sites & developments has been announced by the Housing Minister. Unauthorised sites can cause significant distress for both the settled & nomadic communities – an issue increasingly raised in Parliament over recent months. Many local residents often raise concerns about anti-social behaviour including fly-tipping & noise, and evidence also shows that living on unauthorised sites can have a negative impact on people’s health & education. Since 2010, the number of traveller caravans on authorised sites has increased. However latest figures show approximately 16% of all caravans – around 3,700 – are on unauthorised sites. |
Researched Links: |
MHCLG: Government to review powers to deal with unauthorised caravan sites |
A touch of sympathy |
The PM has intervened to establish a Funeral Fund for grieving parents who have lost their child. Parents will no longer have to meet the costs of burials or cremations. LA Fees will be met by government funding. |
Bin it! |
Councils now have the power to almost double on-the-spot fines for litter louts, with the maximum on-the-spot fine for littering & graffiti rising from £80 to £150. LAs can also use these littering penalties against vehicle owners. |
Rusting away |
English Heritage has launched an appeal to save some of the nation's historic cannons, which are at risk of damage from sea spray & air at coastal locations around the country. English Heritage: Help Save England's Historic Cannons |
The only way to ultimately protect them |
The Government is publishing the response to its consultation on a UK ivory sales ban, and confirming robust measures that will be brought into force through primary legislation. Defra: Government confirms UK ban on ivory sales |
The ultimate ‘Selfie’ camera! |
A new, UK-built camera which can take over 1,000 images per second and will revolutionise our understanding of stars & black holes has now been fitted to the world’s largest optical telescope. STFC: Revolutionary camera captures images of space in unprecedented detail |
Are you better off? |
Changes in the tax system in April will boost the finances of millions of people in the UK. Here’s a summary of how you might benefit. |
Now here is a brilliant example of Foreign Aid! |
Major Chris Carter not only teaches the next generation of critical care nurses for the British Armed Forces, but also leads a medical programme in Zambia. MoD: Army officer helps Zambia set up health care education programme |
Depressing thought |
A child in England has a tooth removed in hospital every 10 minutes due to preventable tooth decay, according to data published by Public Health England (PHE). With the government’s Soft Drinks Industry Levy now in effect, PHE’s Change4Life campaign is reminding parents that sugary drinks, including juice drinks, energy drinks, cola and other fizzy drinks, are one of the main sources of sugar in children’s diets. |
Researched Links: |
DHSC: Every 10 minutes a child in England has a rotten tooth removed IEA: Sugar taxes have not reduced obesity rates anywhere in the world IEA: Lancet findings ignore the regressive impact of sin taxes HMT: Soft Drinks Industry Levy comes into effect NHS Digital: Hospital admissions where obesity is a factor increased by 18% LGA: 170 operations a day to remove rotten teeth in children |
Some help |
Hundreds of thousands of graduates will save up to £360 a year from the raising of the student loan repayment threshold which came on 6 April. Around 600,000 university leavers will benefit from the change, which means borrowers who have taken out loans since 2012 will not begin paying back their loans until they earn £25,000 a year – up from £21,000. Over the 30 year lifetime of a student loan, after which any outstanding funds are written off by the government, this equates to a potential saving for some graduates of up to £24,000. |
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A slight consolation |
On 6 April the maximum amount the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS) can pay individuals per week increased from £489 to £508. |
Editorial commentary; No mention in press release by ‘Remoaner’ Chair that a large minority 6 – 10) of MPs rejected the findings! |
In this third report of its overarching inquiry into the Article 50 negotiations, the Exiting the European Union Committee sets out key tests by which any deal agreed by October 2018 must be judged. The Chair of the Committee, Hilary Benn MP, said: "Having listened to the evidence, we today offer a series of tests against which any deal reached must be judged. I hope these will assist Parliament when it comes to its meaningful vote at the end of the Article 50 negotiations”. While the (very valid) purpose of these Parliamentary Committees is to scrutinise the government’s plans & actions, there is a danger that they will lose their ‘validity’ if they stop reflecting the views of ALL their members in their reports. This is especially true when the Chair appears to have an agenda of reversing the outcome of a national referendum rather than just a government’s policy. While there may be something ‘buried away’ in the ‘full’ report, the press release certainly does not appear to highlight the fact that a significant minority (6 – 10) of the members did not ‘support’ (all) the final findings / recommendations of this report. So Hilary Benn’s use of the term ‘we today offer a series’ is certainly misleading as the language implies total agreement by all members of the Committee. No one expects total agreement in these committees, but obfuscating the balance of support for the report in such unique circumstances does not enhance one’s belief in Parliamentary democracy! Most people realise that ‘Brexit’ committee membership reflects the fact that most MPs voted ‘Remain’, while the majority of the general public voted in the referendum for ‘Brexit’. This has led to a situation where their reports seem to be proposing a ‘99%’ membership of the EU without the UK having a vote, but still paying in vast sums, accepting free movement of people and EU legislation. This is not what the majority of people voted for and politicians (both elected & unelected) would do well to remember that fact. Parliament has a vital & legitimate scrutiny role, BUT it is not entitled to frustrate the democratic will of the people as expressed by the 2016 referendum. After all Parliament voted to give people the right to choose Brexit or Remain! (EU referendum: MPs support plan for say on Europe - BBC News ~ BfB: Parliament’s Role in Brexit: Vital but Bounded ) STOP PRESS: Will there even be a need for a ‘full-on’ RoI – NI border if a new shipping routes ‘solution’ is combined with the Common Travel Area agreement? (Irish shipping to bypass British ports after Brexit) |
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PC&PE: Future UK-EU relationship report published The Guardian: Brexit - UK should not rule out free trade deal with Europe, say MPs ... DIT: Trade rises on one year to go until Brexit milestone Open Europe: Voting for “blah blah blah” OE: The outline of a future UK-EU economic relationship is emerging |
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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’: |
Researched Links: |
Brexit microsite (Information about the Article 50 process and our negotiations for a new partnership with the EU) DIT: Trade rises on one year to go until Brexit milestone NHS Confed: Brexit rare disease warning from dad hoping to cure sons PC&PE: Future UK-EU relationship report published PC&PE: Post-Brexit failure to replace European Social Fund would be disastrous Open Europe: Voting for “blah blah blah” OE: Macron faces his biggest reform test OE: Eurosceptic or Europhile? Shedding light on the Five Star Movement’s stance towards the EU BfB: EU at clear risk of collapse, warns major new report BfB: Why I have decided to contribute to Briefings for Brexit – Prof Robert Rowthorn |
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More news, opinions, documents, claims & counter-claims; |
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OSSW: New powers model for Wales comes into force on 1 April 2018 |
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