The government is backing plans to create new digital innovation hubs, changing the way scientists access NHS data

• Digital innovation hubs, part of our modern Industrial Strategy, to be created to transform the way researchers and innovators can access data from the NHS
• Innovators will be able to access data more easily and use it in their efforts to find cures and treatments for diseases including cancer and diabetes
• The project may also enable scientists to find ways to diagnose disease earlier, speed up drug development, and give people faster access to more personalised treatments

Plans to transform the way scientists access health data are being backed by £37million of Industrial Strategy Government investment, to pioneer new, faster treatments for patients and new cures for diseases.

The new centres across the UK – known as Digital Innovation Hubs – will enable scientists and innovators to access data from the NHS, universities and social care to deliver more efficient clinical trials. They can use the data to answer the most important and complex questions about people’s health in the future.

The centres will make data accessible from some of the UK’s major health providers in one place for the first time, including the NHS in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These will allow experts to research the factors behind many familiar common diseases and identify revealing data trends which may help with finding cures or treatments.

The information will go through a de-identification and encryption process to preserve privacy.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

Access to anonymised health data has huge potential to allow us to better understand diseases and develop life-saving new drugs and treatments.

The Digital Innovation Hubs, backed by over £37million of Industrial Strategy investment, will ensure researchers, innovators and clinicians can access a large quantity of anonymised data responsibly and ethically – allowing them to pioneer new medicines and treatments.

These hubs are a major part of our modern Industrial Strategy, building on the UK’s world leading life sciences sector and health service to the benefit of researchers, industry and patients.

The project, led by Health Data Research UK (HDR-UK), aims to improve health and care in the UK in areas like speeding up drug development and giving people faster access to more personalised treatments. It also aims to help in diagnosing diseases earlier and help in wider efforts to find cures and treatments, including for conditions such as cancer.

Health Minister Nicola Blackwood said:

It is absolutely crucial that researchers are able to access the NHS’s world-leading anonymised data so they can develop cutting-edge treatments and solutions to some of healthcare’s biggest challenges. This will mean people can receive new medicines quicker and get more timely diagnoses which will ultimately save lives.

As part of our Long Term Plan, we are determined to encourage more innovation in the NHS than ever before so patients benefit from the best medicines and technologies.

A £3 million trial is underway with 10 projects across the UK. In Manchester, patients with already implanted pacemakers and defibrillators will have their health data analysed in real-time to detect signs of deterioration earlier and prevent hospital admissions.

About 1,000 patients with heart failure, being cared for by Manchester Royal Infirmary, already had an implantable device such as a pacemaker or defibrillator which captures information about their health. The project’s clinical team used the data to detect signs of deterioration earlier and to transform care for the patient.

The new centres will be selected through a competition and are expected to be established by the end of this year.

They will also be tasked with ensuring responsible access to anonymised health data in a trustworthy and ethical way, by involving patients to ensure that benefits are returned to the NHS for the greater public good.

The £37.5 million investment in Digital Innovation Hubs is a key part of the modern Industrial Strategy, and its Data to Early Diagnosis and Precision Medicine Challenge. Backed by a total of up to £210million Government investment, it aims to combine data and real-world evidence from across the health service to create new products and services to help diagnose diseases earlier and more efficiently.

This also forms part of wider work to ensure the UK remains a world-leader in the life sciences sector, already worth nearly £74billion to the UK economy. In December 2018, the government agreed a second life sciences sector deal, drawing substantial investment into the sector from across the world, ensuring that the next wave of breakthrough treatments, innovative medical research and technologies, and high skilled jobs are created in Britain.

Professor Andrew Morris, Director of Health Data Research UK, said:

We are excited about the tremendous opportunities that Digital Innovation Hub Programme brings to the future of health research and innovation in the UK. Working closely with UK Research and Innovation, our focus in delivering these new centres of excellence is first and foremost on ensuring that patients reap the rewards and are reassured that all data are used ethically and responsibly.

The UK has a high energy community that brings together leading health experts, entrepreneurs and data scientists. When combined with the UK’s ability to bring data together from hospitals, patients, public health and laboratories, we can power an open innovation platform that improves the health and care of people living with cancer, diabetes and heart disease and make the UK the place for ethical data research.

Notes to Editors

1. The Digital Innovation Hub programme forms part of the modern Industrial Strategy’s Data to Early Diagnosis and Precision Medicine Challenge led on behalf of UK Research and Innovation by Health Data Research UK (HDR UK).

2. The investment in Digital Innovation Hubs builds on smaller UK digital innovation projects currently underway and also funded through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) that show the exciting potential for larger programmes.

3. For further details about the Digital Innovation Hub Programme visit Health Data Research UK’s website https://www.hdruk.ac.uk/digital-innovation-hubs/.

4. For information about the funding opportunity visit the MRC website https://mrc.ukri.org/funding/browse/iscf-dih1/iscf-dih-programme-hubs

Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator launch safer giving campaign

Safer Giving: Ramadan

As Muslims in the UK enter the month of Ramadan, the Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator are encouraging people to take some simple steps to ensure their Zakat donations reach their intended causes.

The Muslim Charities Forum estimates that Muslims across Britain donated around £130 million during Ramadan last year*. This generosity contributes to important work that helps strengthen communities and improve lives. However the regulators are warning that in rare cases, people can seek to take advantage of this generosity and valuable donated funds can end up in the wrong hands.

The Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator have therefore launched a safer giving campaign aiming to help donors continue giving generously to registered charities this Ramadan.

Helen Stephenson CBE, CEO of the Charity Commission said:

All year round, and especially at Ramadan, the generosity of British Muslims has a great impact on so many people’s lives. We know that Zakat is an important and treasured tradition, and so we want to encourage people to be smart, savvy donors. I urge people to follow our simple steps, to help ensure your donations end up in the right hands, and help those in need.

Gerald Oppenheim, CEO of the Fundraising Regulator said:

We want to make sure donations made during Ramadan go to the right place. Unfortunately there are people who will try to take advantage of the generosity of the Muslim community. The fundraiser asking for your money should know where it’s going, so don’t be afraid to ask them. If they’re using the Fundraising Regulator badge on their collection bucket or clothing, their charity should be signed up to good, honest fundraising – you can check this on our website.

Fadi Itani, Chief Executive Officer of the Muslim Charities Forum said:

British Muslims are enormously generous in their charitable giving, which increases during the holy month of Ramadan. Following our research, we know last year’s donations in the month of Ramadan alone were £130m. At the Muslim Charities Forum, we see first-hand the difference these vital donations make. That’s why we are supporting this campaign and are encouraging Muslims to check before you give to ensure you are giving to a genuine registered charity and that your donation is going where it is intended.

The Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator produce a range of resources to encourage safer giving, particularly at key times of the year, such as Christmas, Ramadan, during emergencies and humanitarian crises.

The regulators’ top tips are:

• before giving, check for a charity registration number – you can verify by looking at the charity register www.gov.uk/checkcharity
• be more cautious about people collecting for general charitable causes, such as ‘for sick children’ – make sure you’re giving to a genuine registered charity
• when approached by collectors, check whether they are wearing a proper ID badge and that any collection tin is sealed and undamaged
• if in doubt, ask the collector for more information – a genuine fundraiser should be happy to answer questions and explain more about the work of the charity
• check if a collector has authority to collect – if they’re raising money in a public place, they’ll need a permit or license. Collections in Mosques should be authorised by the trustees of the charity.
• never feel under pressure by a fundraiser into making a donation immediately
• if you want to donate online, type in the charity’s website address from your internet browser
• be careful when responding to emails or clicking links within them – do not click-through from suspicious looking emails
• if donating through an online fundraising platform, check if they’re registered with the Fundraising Regulator

Ends.

Notes to editors

1. *Figures around donations are always estimates. For more information please contact the Muslim Charities Forum.
2. Most fundraising is genuine, however fraudsters and criminals may sometimes take advantage of public generosity at times of increased giving, using various methods such as fake appeal websites, email appeals that falsely use the name of genuine charities, or appeals from fake charities.
3. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator and registrar of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work, see the about us page on GOV.UK.
4. The Fundraising Regulator is the independent voluntary regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It handles complaints from the public about fundraising, sets and maintains the standards in the Code of Fundraising Practice and operates the Fundraising Preference Service.
5. Contact the Fundraising Regulator via its website or via Twitter: @FundrRegulator

Players from the worlds of food retail and hospitality, along with social media influencers and chefs, have been urged to take ground-breaking action to drive down food waste from all sources.

The ask comes from the government’s Food Surplus and Waste Champion Ben Elliot ahead of a major symposium called ‘Step up to the Plate’, which he will host next week alongside Environment Secretary Michael Gove at London’s prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum.

Attendees will be expected to sign up to a number of commitments on measuring and reducing their own food waste and inspiring others to follow their lead.

The full pledge has been published today, giving organisations and people an opportunity to do their bit and sign up to take action.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove and Minister Thérèse Coffey are among the first to sign up to the pledge.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said:

I want to thank our marvellous Food Surplus and Waste Champion Ben Elliot for his brilliant work in bringing together the biggest players from the world of food to commit to tackling food waste.

Together, we must end the moral, economic, and environmental scandal of food waste. The UK is showing real leadership in this area, but I urge businesses to join me in signing the pledge so we can bring about real change.

Every year, around 100,000 tonnes of readily available and perfectly edible food goes uneaten. It’s time to join together and ‘Step up to the Plate’ to stop good food going to waste.

The pledge asks attendees to reduce food waste by:

• setting an ambitious target to halve food waste by 2030 in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3
• adopting the WRAP and IGD Food Waste Reduction Roadmap to have half of all 250 of the of the UK’s largest food businesses measuring, reporting and acting on food waste by 2019
• embracing a Food Conversation week of action in November 2019 to highlight the changes we can all make
• using their voice and profile to empower and encourage citizens, including the younger generation
• changing their habits as an individual to be Food Value Champion at work and at home, buying only what they need and eating what they buy

Food Surplus and Waste Champion Ben Elliot said:

Wasting food is an environmental, moral and financial scandal. We intend for the symposium and pledge to spark action, not just conversation, and inspire us all to champion change.

It’s time to ‘Step up to the Plate’.

Susan Barratt, Chief Executive Officer at Institute of Grocery Distribution, said:

IGD is fully supportive of the ‘Step up to the Plate’ symposium as an important event that will drive awareness of the need to reduce food waste. Some 90 food businesses across the UK have committed to reduce food waste and share their data through the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap developed by WRAP and IGD, but there is more to be done. Our research highlights shopper concern, with 40% seeing the environmental impacts of their food purchases as either very important or extremely important.

The time is right for change, so it is encouraging to see so many representatives from both industry and government coming together to tackle this growing issue.

Helen Munday, Chief Scientific Officer, Food and Drink Federation said:

FDF fully supports the ‘Step up to the Plate’ pledge and the work being done to measure and reduce food waste. We actively encourage our members and the food and drink manufacturing industry as a whole to take advantage of the range of helpful tools available to do so. These include the ‘Target, Measure and Act’ approach set out in the UK Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, of which we are a signatory.

Food Waste is an important issue to FDF members and by working across the value chain, we can make a real change happen on this important social and environmental issue.

Marcus Gover, Chief Executive WRAP, said:

With climate change firmly in the political and social spotlight, it is worth reminding ourselves that unless we fix the world’s food system we will not be able to bring about the reduction in global warming we need to halt the damage to our planet. So we are delighted to pledge WRAP’s support to Ben Elliot’s bold rallying call to ‘Step up to the Plate’. We need to wake up to the amount of food we waste as a nation and take action in our daily lives to stop throwing perfectly good food away.

WRAP’s work through Courtauld Commitment 2025, the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, and the Love Food Hate Waste campaign will support the far-reaching ambition of the pledge and we look forward to working with Ben closely as we join forces to tackle one of the key issues of our generation.

The food waste symposium will run alongside the V&A’s FOOD: Bigger than the Plate exhibition, which will explore similar themes when it opens to the public on Saturday 18 May.

Currently around 43,000 tonnes of surplus food is redistributed from retailers and food manufacturers every year. It is estimated a further 100,000 tonnes of food – equating to 250 million meals a year – is edible and readily available but goes uneaten. Instead, this food is currently sent away for generating energy from waste, anaerobic digestion, or animal feed.

Earlier this year the government launched a £15 million scheme to tackle food waste, building on its landmark Resources and Waste Strategy which sets out how the government will introduce annual reporting of food surplus and waste by food businesses. The first round of successful applicants will be announced shortly. Should progress be insufficient, we will consult on legal powers to introduce mandatory targets for food waste prevention. The Resources and Waste Strategy also sets out how the government will ensure weekly collections of food waste, which is often smelly and unpleasant, for every household – restoring weekly collections in some local authorities, subject to consultation.

The government is committed to supporting the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 2 to end hunger by 2030.

Further information

• The food waste symposium will run alongside the V&A’s FOOD: Bigger than the Plate exhibition, and bring together big players from the worlds of food retail, hospitality, chefs and social media influencers to promote awareness of food waste and help drive it down from all sources.
• In 2017, 205,000 tonnes of surplus food in the retail and food manufacturing sectors was wasted. Some of the surplus is difficult to minimise, costly in that it would need to be reworked or repackaged, and some surplus would not be edible. It is estimated by WRAP that 100,000 tonnes of this is both accessible and edible with the remaining being more difficult to redistribute.
• Food waste in the UK totals 10.2 million tonnes per year, of which 1.8 million tonnes comes from food manufacture, 1 million from the hospitality sector, and 260,000 from retail, with the remainder from households.

‘Step up to the Plate’: My Pledge, April 2019

I _________ will step up to the plate to stop the food waste crisis by adopting the following commitments.

As an Organisation:

Commitment 1: Target Measure Act

My organisation will set an ambitious food waste reduction target, report on progress and prioritise action. We will support collaboration with our partners, playing our part in helping the UK deliver UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 target2, helping to reduce our impact on climate change. As a food business, my organisation will adopt the WRAP and IGD Food Waste Reduction Roadmap.

Commitment 2: Collaborate on tackling citizen food waste

My organisation will embrace a Food Conversation week of action in November 2019 by spearheading activities and engagement with citizens, including the younger generation, to highlight the changes we can all make. In preparation for that week and beyond, we will work with WRAP to develop messaging, coordinate announcements, pilot and implement proven interventions to spark a new movement to change the social norm around valuing food.

As an individual:

Commitment 3: Inspire continued action

I will use my voice and profile to empower and encourage citizens, including the younger generation. I will work alongside Ben Elliot, the Government Food Surplus and Waste Champion, to inspire action to reduce the amount of food being wasted, reaching a crescendo of action during the Food Conversation week and thereafter.

Commitment 4: Change my habits

I will be a Food Value Champion at work and at home, buying only what I need and eating what I buy, wherever I am.

How to guide: Steps to fulfilling the commitments

As an Organisation:

Commitment 1: Target Measure Act

• My food business will set a food waste reduction target for our own UK operations, measure in a consistent way and share what we have learnt, and take action to reduce our own food waste, adopting the WRAP and IGD Food Waste Reduction Roadmap.
• If I am a Hospitality and Food Service business I will amplify WRAP’s Guardians of Grub campaign, and embed the campaign into my organisation’s plans.
• As a non-food business I will set an internal food waste target and take action.

For tips and tools see the Love Food Hate Waste website.

Commitment 2: Collaborate on tackling citizen food waste

• My organisation will work with WRAP to share data from existing interventions and/or pilot new Behaviour Change Interventions.
• My organisation will tie in new and existing announcements and activities into the Food Conversation week in November, to raise the profile of food waste prevention and accelerate serious action.
• My organisation will tailor WRAP/partner developed consumer messaging to resonate with our customers and underpin our own activities during the Food Conversation week, creating a consistent narrative for citizens.
• My marketing team will work closely with WRAP in order to develop activity to provide ongoing support to Love Food Hate Waste and for the Food Conversation week.

As an individual:

Commitment 3: Inspire action

• I will use my influence, through media and during public appearances to promote the value of food and spread the message of prevention to consumers.
• I will use messaging developed by WRAP for the Food Conversation week during all media related activities.
• I will work with Ben Elliot, the Government Food Surplus and Waste Champion, to create content for the Food Conversation week.
• I will embed food waste prevention messages when communicating with my colleagues, and encourage everyone to participate and amplify the Food Conversation week.

Commitment 4: Change my habits

• I will buy only what I need: checking my fridge before I go shopping, using a shopping list and planning my meals.
• I will eat what I buy: storing my food correctly, freezing what I cannot eat and checking my fridge is set at 0 – 5C.
• I will strive to achieve the behaviour I want to see in others.