WIREDGOV

General Reports and Other Publications

Ofsted: The quality of personal, social & health education (PSHE) has improved steadily in the last five years, but there is still some way to go to ensure that it meets the needs of all pupils, according to a new report from the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted).

Time for Change? Personal, social and health education, finds that pupils’ knowledge & understanding of PSHE has increased and the quality of teaching & learning has improved.  Primary schools have been particularly successful in defining achievement in PSHE more broadly to include pupils’ attitudes & behaviour.    

However, Secondary schools have further to go, as there is still some poor lesson planning & assessment as well as a lack of space in the timetable for PSHE.  It is taught by non-specialists in some schools and too much of this teaching is unsatisfactory.
Press release ~ Time for change? Personal, social and health education ~ Teachernet - PSHE ~ QCA -  About personal, social and health educationPSHE Subject Association ~ BBC - Schools - Keystage 3 Teachers PSHECurriculum Online - Personal, social and health education Home ~ National Curriculum in Action - PSHE Home Page ~ Towards consensus? Citizenship in secondary schools ~ ~

DfT/RAIB: The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has released its report into the derailment at Long Millgate, Manchester on the Metrolink system on 22 March 2006, which caused disruption to tram services in Manchester.

There were no injuries and no damage to the tram, but there was minor damage to the track and the RAIB have made four recommendations to the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) covering the design, maintenance and renewal of the track on the Metrolink system as a result of its investigation.
Press release ~ RAIB - Report on derailment at Long Millgate, Manchester ~ Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) - Metrolink ~ Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority

The NAO report looked at the development, implementation & outcomes of the contract and it also examined whether the public and the NHS are receiving the expected benefits of the contract.  The report concluded that the contract is not yet delivering the value for money to the NHS and patients that was expected from it.
Press release ~ Pay Modernisation: A new contract for NHS consultants in England  ~ Executive Summary ~ Survey of Consultants ~ Survey of NHS Trusts ~ DH – Consultant contract ~ BMA - NHS consultant contract (England)

DH: Every hospital patient should have their own risk assessment for VTE as that will improve patient safety & help save thousands of lives each year, says an expert working group whose report has been launched by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a set of complications that includes blood clots in veins that can break off.  In England around 25,000 people a year die from VTE in hospitals alone.

The government has therefore established an implementation working group which will develop a national risk assessment tool and will also provide leadership both within the NHS and the wider healthcare sector in order to assess what needs to be done to ensure that a VTE risk assessment of every patient on admission to hospital becomes a reality.

Press release ~ Report of the independent expert working group on the prevention of venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients ~ Venous thromboembolism (VTE) ~ National Library for Health

Defra: Defra has published the final epidemiology report into the outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in Suffolk confirmed in February 2007, which sets out the findings of the National Emergency Epidemiology Group who have been investigating the outbreak in close consultation with the European Commission and the Hungarian Authorities.  A Lessons Learned report will follow later in the year.

No specific proven source has been found and the report concludes that the most plausible explanation is that infection was most likely introduced to Britain via the importation of turkey meat from Hungary.  Such meat could have originated from a sub-clinically infected turkey flock in Hungary that had been infected from a wild bird source, which had also infected the two goose farms in Hungary.

Press release ~ Epidemiological report with Executive summary ~ Food Standards AgencyDefra, UK - Avian Influenza ~ DH Flu website ~ DH – Pandemic Flu ~ Bird flu and pandemic influenza: what are the risks? ~ Current Contingency Plan ~