General News

FDA: Public sector unions in Wales - including the FDA - have signed a partnership agreement with public sector employers and the Welsh Assembly Government in order to provide a sector-wide response to the budget cuts and to help minimise job losses in Wales.
 
For individuals losing their jobs, a single point of contact service - Adapt - has been put in place that provides one-to-one careers counselling & guidance, including CV preparation & career search; and a vocational re-training grant.  Additionally, private & third employers can receive a recruitment subsidy and a job-related training grant when recruiting someone who has lost their job in the Welsh public sector.
Press release ~ Adapt.
 
TfL: The Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) have announced £4m funding for Biking Boroughs (BB) to create cycle hubs & cycling communities in Outer London. The funding will help boroughs engage the local community in cycling, create better cycle infrastructure and parking as well as making cycling safer.  13 boroughs were awarded BB status in 2010 with each borough receiving £25,000 to develop their BB strategy.
Press release ~ Biking Boroughs
 
NSG: The National School of Government recently hosted a visit by 3 senior Afghan government officials. The visit formed part of the National School’s contribution, with other UK government departments, to developing the skills & expertise of the Afghan public service.
Press release ~ NSG
 
FSAMorrisons has withdrawn all packs of its Double Chocolate Cupcake Kit, because the product contains milk that is mentioned in the ingredients list but not in the allergy information box. This makes the product a possible health risk for anyone who is allergic to or intolerant of milk. The Food Standards Agency has issued an Allergy Alert.
Press release ~ Morrison Supermarkets recalls all batches of Morrisons Double Chocolate Cupcake Kit due to incomplete allergen labelling of milk ~ Morrisons
 
FSAMorrisons has recalled all packs of its Freefrom Jaffa Cake Slices, because the product contains milk, which is not an intended ingredient. This makes the product a possible health risk for anyone who is allergic to or intolerant of milk. The Food Standards Agency has issued an Allergy Alert.
Press release ~ Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC recalls Morrisons Freefrom Jaffa Cake Slices due to possible cross-contamination with milk
 
OFT: As part of Scams Awareness Month, the Office of Fair Trading has held a day of action at airports in the UK & Spain to warn people about bogus holiday clubs and to inform them of their new consumer rights (as from 23 February 2011) if they purchase membership to a holiday club.
Press release ~ Further information about new consumer rights & holiday clubs ~ 2006 OFT research ~ 'Holiday clubs - how to avoid the pitfalls when joining a holiday club' ~ Guide for business to the requirements of the, Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations 2010
 
STFC: A series of solar flares have been gripping the nation's interest as the sun enters a period of increased activity. The Solar Stormwatch project allows members of the public to use images from the NASA STEREO to spot the explosions from the sun and the resulting clouds of particles as they make their way towards the earth. These particles, at their most disruptive, can cause communications to fail & lead to cuts to power supplies.
Press release and additional links
 
MO: The Met Office are inviting the public to submit their questions about climate change as part of their contribution to the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) project.  Anyone who is confused or curious about climate change can send their questions via the OPAL website. Scientists from the Met Office will publish answers to as many of them as possible online, with particular emphasis on popular or trending topics.
Press release ~ OPAL Climate Centre
 
NHSC: The NHS Confederation says there is significant room to improve hospital food but that the majority people rate their food as 'good' or 'very good'.  Read their full response to Channel 4's Dispatches programme (21 February).
Press release ~ Care Quality Commission ~ Quality and safety ~ Channel 4 Dispatches ~ All Wales food record chart and nutritional care pathway ~ DH – Better Hospital Food programme ~ Council of Europe Alliance (UK) ‘10 Key Characteristics of Good Nutritional Care’ ~ ScotGov: Hospital nutrition care standards ~ National Patient Safety Agency: Patient care and treatment (including nutrition) ~ NPSA: Other Patient safety topics ~ Rehabilitation after critical illness guideline ~ A taste for improving patient safety and quality of life ~ What's food got to do with it? - the Dewsbury Link Nurse Project
 
HO: The Government’s new Independent Reviewer of Counter-Terrorism Legislation took up his post last week. David Anderson QC was appointed by the Home Secretary to review the operation of the UK’s counter-terror legislation and to write annual reports to be placed before Parliament. He takes over the role from Lord Carlile of Berriew QC.
Press release ~ Independent Reviewer of Counter-Terrorism Legislation
 
HMRCTax cheats will face up to 5 years’ detailed scrutiny from the taxman, it was announced last week. Letters will start to land on the doorsteps of 900 tax cheats, telling known evaders that they are now under increased levels of personal scrutiny as part of the new Managing Deliberate Defaulters (MDD) programme.
 
MDD will closely monitor the tax affairs of individuals & businesses who have deliberately evaded tax to ensure that they are complying with their tax obligations and have demonstrated a permanent change in their behaviour.
Press release ~ Managing Deliberate Defaulters Programme
 
DH: A global initiative to establish an international register that will improve the transparency of health research was launched last week by Health Minister, Lord Howe. The register is called PROSPERO, the first online facility to register systematic reviews for research about health & social care from all around the world.
 
The register is completely free & open to the public.  It was started by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) which is funded by the Department of Health. The register is designed to avoid the duplication of health research and will act as a guard against selective reporting of research.
Press release ~ PROSPERO ~ Centre for Reviews and Dissemination ~ National Institute for Health Research
 
FSATesco is recalling 4 of its Tesco finest meals with a ‘use by’ date of 1 March 2011, because the mashed potato used to produce these products contains small pieces of metal. The Food Standards Agency has issued a Product Recall Information Notice.
Press release ~ Tesco Stores Ltd recalls one date code of four Tesco Finest meals due to possible contamination with small pieces of metal
 
Newswire – TUCFalse Economy - the cuts campaign website that formally launches last week - claims that ‘more than 50,000 NHS staff posts are set for the axe, destroying government claims that the NHS is in safe hands’.
 
False Economy's figures have been collated for the most part from NHS trusts themselves under the Freedom of Information Act, but also include figures sourced by the RCN Frontline First campaign, as well as press reports & foundation trusts' annual plans published by the national regulator Monitor.
Press release ~ www.falseeconomy.org.uk ~ RCN Frontline First campaign
 
Newswire – LGA: Councils’ ability to build urgently-needed new housing is at risk of being undermined by too much Treasury interference, local authorities have warned. The Local Government Association, which represents more than 350 councils in England & Wales, is arguing that plans outlined in the Localism Bill to give councils control of their own housing stock do not go far enough.
 
Ministers pledged to allow authorities to keep money raised from rent & sales to invest in new builds and improving existing stock. However, under new rules proposed in the Localism Bill, councils would still be made to give 75% of the money raised from the sale of council houses to the Treasury.
Press release ~ Government's proposed new deal for council housing
 
LBRO: Pilots of a common framework of professional standards have been launched by local authority trading standards & environmental health officers working with the regulatory outcomes experts LBRO.  The transparent competency framework for regulators has already been successfully used by HSE, the Office of Rail Regulation and by health & safety teams in local authorities, and is now being taken forward with supporting development tools for other local regulatory services, and national regulators.
Press release ~ LBRO: Professional Standards of Competency for Regulators
 
DH: An extended list of events that should never happen during care in the NHS has been unveiled along with a powerful financial disincentive, as the Government affirms that sub-standard care will not be tolerated in the NHS.
 
‘Never events’ will be enshrined in the NHS Standard Contract, meaning that payment from GPs or other commissioners will be withheld where care falls short of the acceptable standard.  The measures will help to protect patients and give commissioners the power to take action if unacceptable mistakes do happen.
Press release (includes list of 25 events) ~ NHS Standard Contract
 
ScotGov: A successful knife crime education campaign that has seen knife carrying reduce by 35% during a pilot scheme in Inverclyde is to have its funding doubled. New figures released last week show a second area supported by the No Knives, Better Lives initiative - Renfrewshire - has reported a 29% fall in knife carrying during the period of the scheme in its area.
 
Ministers now want to roll out the same tactics to other parts of Scotland and will be opening discussions with local authorities, including South Lanarkshire, to explore whether the initiative can help achieve similar results in the ongoing fight against knife crime.
Press release ~ No Knives Better Lives
 
DH: A new public health research school designed to build closer relations between researchers & practitioners across Public Health England & Local Authorities was launched last week by Public Health Minister Anne Milton. The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research will aim to increase the evidence base for effective public health practice.
Press release ~ http://www.nihr.ac.uk/
Free, Secure, Compliant UK Public Sector IT Recycling Service