Sep52017

News story: India’s major healthcare system development

HM Government

Healthcare UK is supporting a large project in India to create a network of 11 Medicities across the country. The Indo-UK Institute of Health (IUIH) programme is one of the world’s largest healthcare initiatives currently underway. It aims to partner with key NHS providers to transform the provision of quality healthcare and medical education services across India.

The scope of the project

IUIH’s vision is to provide integrated healthcare across India by partnering with global leaders in research, education, technology, manufacturing and health care delivery.

The project led by Dr. Ajay Gupta, Group MD and CEO, IUIH will deliver a staged rollout of healthcare services across 100 cities. It will involve the development of 11 Medicities along with a network of primary care clinics across India. The project is envisaged to take 10 years to complete, with the first phase already underway.

Exporting NHS healthcare services to India

Each Medicity will be developed in partnership with a leading NHS Trust under a commercial contract. This commitment by the Indian government and IUIH has already recorded over £150 million in export wins for the UK since 2015 and continues to grow. The scale of this project signifies significant export opportunities for NHS Trusts and other healthcare services providers throughout India.

The NHS partner for the first 2 sites at Nagpur and Amravati respectively, is Kings College Hospital (KCH). Healthcare UK was responsible for introducing Dr Ajay Gupta (IUIH) to KCH. Lord Kerslake, Chairman of Kings College sees the role of KCH as “bringing healthcare expertise and advice to the project”.

Foundation stone laying ceremonies at 2 major Medicity sites

In the last couple of weeks, high profile foundation stone laying ceremonies have been held at the first 2 Medicity sites at Nagpur and Amravati. This milestone is a major step forward and owes a great deal to 2.5 year’s hard work by Healthcare UK and the Department for International Trade (DIT) India who have provided significant support and guidance to IUIH.

Local press releases cover the stone laying ceremonies in more detail. Chief Ministers of the 2 states where the sites are located attended the ceremonies. These articles show the scale and importance of the project to the development of India’s healthcare system:

Times of India

The Indian Express

Sep52017

NHS vacancies hit new high

Scottish Conservatives

5 Sep 2017

Sthetoscope

The number of nursing and consultancy vacancies in Scotland has reached a record high, new figures have revealed.

ISD Scotland analysis has shown 5.2 per cent of nursing and midwifery posts are now vacant – the equivalent of more than 3200 jobs.

Health visitors and paediatric services have the highest rates, with many having lain empty for more than six months.

It is also the first time ever nursing and midwifery vacancy rates have breached the five per cent mark.

In addition, the 8.5 per cent vacancy rate among consultants is the highest since figures began being published in 2007.

Nearly half of those have been vacant for more than six months, while some disciplines – like clinical radiology – have vacancy rates of almost 15 per cent.

The statistics put more pressure on the SNP, which has been consistently criticised for its stewardship of the NHS over the last decade.

The increase in vacancies means more money has to be spent on expensive bank and agency nurses, with many wards being left under-staffed.

Today, ISD Scotland also revealed that 8.2 per cent of operations were cancelled last month, with a shortage of staff and resources often blamed for the cancellations.

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said:

“This is a problem created by the SNP, which continually gets worse.

“In an organisation the size of the NHS, there will always be a certain number of vacancies.

“But this now accounts for thousands of nurses, midwives and consultants.

“The consequence of that is a huge reduction in the standard of care offered to patients, and a miserable existence for staff left over to pick up the slack.

“Nothing the SNP government is doing to address this appears to be working.

“The nationalists have been in charge of health for a decade, and in that time have presided over failure.

“It’s time for a proper explanation as to why this has been allowed to happen.”

To see the full report, visit:
https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2017-09-05/2017-09-05-Workforce-Report.pdf

Sep52017

Programme for Government must work for the many.

Scottish Labour

5th September 2017 

The Scottish Parliament is one of the most powerful devolved administrations in the world.

It has the ability to make real, radical changes to people’s lives. The SNP can use these powers to stop Tory austerity and change Scotland. 

That's why Labour wants to see today's Programme for Government deliver policies that benefit the many in Scotland, not just the privileged few.

It’s welcome that the SNP has bowed to Labour pressure and look set to lift the public sector pay cap. The Nationalists should adopt more Labour polcies in the Programme for Government, such as: 

• Scrapping the unfair Council Tax and replacing it with a fairer system.

• Using the powers of the Scottish Parliament to increase Child Benefit by £240 per child by 2020.

• Bring Scotland’s railways into public ownership.

• End cuts to schools and local serviices. 

• Increase the top rate of tax to 50p so the richest pay their fair share.

We want to see a Programme for Government that matches the ambition of the people of Scotland. If we don’t then Labour will put our ideas to votes in Parliament and force the SNP to choose – a fairer Scotland with Labour, or more cuts with the Tories.

Sep52017

Statement by Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides on the humanitarian situation in Myanmar

EU

Unrestricted humanitarian access, including for aid workers, is critical to reaching 350,000 vulnerable people in Rakhine State. They must be allowed to do their job to try to prevent the further deterioration of an already serious humanitarian situation.

I call on all sides to de-escalate tensions and fully observe international human rights law, and in particular to refrain from any violence against civilians.

Many Rohingya civilians are suffering greatly and are now fleeing the violence across the border into Bangladesh. They must not be turned back or deported. We greatly appreciate the hospitality extended by the Government and people of Bangladesh for many decades. The assistance and protection of the Bangladeshi authorities regarding these new refugees is crucial until the situation in Rakhine State has stabilised and they can safely return.

The European Union is committed to supporting all efforts to bring a return to aid deliveries in Rakhine State and is working tirelessly with all stakeholders to achieve this.