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Policy Statements and Initiatives
DCMS: Coastal towns across 4 different English regions are to benefit from £12m from the Government's Sea Change programme. Southport, Great Yarmouth, Bridlington and Hastings are the latest towns to receive grants from the scheme which aims to boost regeneration in coastal areas through investment in culture and heritage.
The programme, led by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), will give a total of £45m over three years to coastal resorts. Blackpool, Torbay and Dover were the first towns to receive large grants last year.
WAG: A new Welsh Assembly Government funded programme (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition... Do It! or MEND for short), designed to help overweight & obese children manage their weight and become fitter, healthier & happier, is being rolled out across Wales. The £1.4m scheme will target around 2,000 children aged between 7-13 years old and their families over the next 3 years.
By international standards Welsh children are comparatively more overweight or obese than in other nations. Around one in five 13 year olds are overweight or obese and many obese children grow up to be obese adults.
Families will take part in a free 10 week course with others in a similar position, combining practical learning about healthy eating – including shopping on a budget – and stimulating active enjoyment of physical activity.
Rather than focusing on weight loss, the programme uses an interactive learning approach to teach parents, carers and children weight management skills.
Families will take part in a free 10 week course with others in a similar position, combining practical learning about healthy eating – including shopping on a budget – and stimulating active enjoyment of physical activity.
Rather than focusing on weight loss, the programme uses an interactive learning approach to teach parents, carers and children weight management skills.
Press release ~ WAG – Health and social care ~ Mind, Exercise, Nutrition... Do It! or MEND for short ~ NICE guidelines on overweight and obesity ~ Healthy and Active Lifestyles in Wales
DH: A signing ceremony, to mark the launch of the NHS Constitution for England, took place at Downing Street last week. The Constitution is intended to give power to patients & the public by bringing their existing rights together in one place so they know what they are legally entitled to - and how they can exercise their rights, as well as understanding their responsibilities.
It also contains a range of pledges to patients, public and staff, which the NHS is committed to achieving. For NHS staff, the Constitution will mean an NHS-wide commitment to equipping them with the tools, training and support they need to deliver high quality care for patients.
Press release ~ NHS Constitution ~ Patients Forum ~ Constitutional Advisory Forum (CAF) ~ NHS, High Quality Care for All ~ Handbook to the NHS Constitution ~ Statement of NHS Accountability ~ Health Bill
Defra: Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, has announced that £2.3m will be provided to support the work of the National Bee Unit (over the next 2 years) in its efforts to help England's beekeepers deal with the problems facing their bee colonies. This will include identifying all those who keep bees and providing expert advice to them on tackling pests & diseases and applying good husbandry.
In addition, Defra will put an extra £400,000 towards bee health research every year for the next 5 years. This extra funding - a total of £2m - forms part of a comprehensive bee health strategy, which is under development.
Over the last 2 years Britain's bee colonies have suffered significant losses due to a combination of potential issues including the weather, the varroa mite, and other factors requiring further investigation by researchers. Defra will publish its Bee Health strategy and further details of how this funding will be allocated in the coming weeks, after the National Audit Office publish its report on Animal Health.
Press release ~ National Bee Unit ~ Bee Base ~ Defra – Bee health ~ Foul brood disease of honey bees: recognition and control ~ Varroa
ScotGov: A new blueprint for the future of specialist NHS services for some of Scotland's most seriously ill children and young people has been launched as part of the 3-year National Delivery Plan for Children and Young People's Specialist Services, which is backed by £32m of additional investment.
Following the biggest-ever review of these services in Scotland, the Plan details a number of recommendations to improve care for children and young people with conditions such as Cancer, Cystic Fibrosis or gastric disorders like Crohn's Disease.
