May22017

Diabetes care for children improving

Welsh Government
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The Annual Statement of Progress for Diabetes highlights that the number of children and young people with Type 1 diabetes achieving blood glucose in the target range has increased from 17.8 % (2014-15) to 27.2% (2015-16).

Meanwhile, the number of these with high blood glucose levels reduced from 21.6% (2014-15) to 18.6% (2015-16).

The rates of young people undergoing essential key care processes such as foot and kidney checks have also improved.

The report also shows:

  • A decrease in the rate of people dying from cardiovascular disease, which has a high prevalence among people with diabetes
  • Improved care for patients in hospital people with diabetes, with a decrease in the average length of stay 
  • Better opportunities for patients to inform diabetes services
  • Improved care for pregnant women with diabetes
  • The success of the diabetic retinopathy screening service 
  • The ‘Think Glucose’ project is supporting quality improvement of patient care whilst in a hospital

The report sets out the progress made against the Diabetes Delivery Plan. Speaking ahead of a debate later today [Tuesday 2 May] on diabetes services in Wales, Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething, said:

“This report demonstrates that paediatric diabetes care has made significant strides in the quality of care and the outcomes being achieved over the past six years. The impact of the improvement in blood glucose levels, as well as those in some essential care processes, will reduce the risk of future complications significantly. This is good news for children and young people.

“As well as the improvements in paediatric diabetes care, we have seen improved hospital care, a decrease in the rate of people dying from cardiovascular disease, and better engagement with patients.

“One of our key aims over the coming years will be to continue to work closely with the public on prevention. While there are no lifestyle factors associated with Type 1 diabetes, we must all reduce our risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by being active,  eating a healthy balanced diet and maintaining a healthy body weight.”  

Dr Andrew Goodall, Chief Executive of NHS Wales, said:

“Diabetes can have a major impact on the physical and psychological well-being of individuals and their families. However with careful management, healthy lifestyle choices and good blood glucose control the risks of complications are markedly reduced. 

“During 2015-16 there was continued progress in the care of patients with diabetes in Wales. At an all Wales level, there have been infrastructure improvements including the creation of a number of national leadership posts and delivery structures.

“However, we continue to work to ensure standards are consistently high across the system and that people get the support they need. Ensuring adults with diabetes receive all eight health checks is a priority, which is why we are working with the NHS to ensure the checks are completed and providing more diabetes education opportunities so people are better able to self-manage their condition.”

May22017

China’s big data regulation to boost healthcare, security

East Asia
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China is to issue its first regulation on how the big data from the health sector is collected, stored and used.

Jin Xiaotao, vice-minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said the regulation will be issued soon, as the nation aims to safeguard public security.

Big data for the health industry includes patients’ basic information and conditions, disease control and prevention, food safety, lifestyles and even genomes.

“This data concerns public health and national biological security,” Jin said. “The new regulation is necessary, especially given that China seeks to develop healthcare data as an asset.”

He said an independent management committee will be set up to ensure data security and that the regulation will define the basic rules on ownership, collection and usage.

The move comes after the State Council issued a multidepartment guideline in June to promote and regulate the use of big data in healthcare.

The guideline states that a centralized, uniform big data platform for healthcare is expected to be established by 2020 to standardize data collection, storage, reporting and security management.

“A central goal of the guideline is to improve people’s health,” said Jin, whose commission was among the departments that produced the document.

The guideline is also expected to play an important role in building a new economic pillar for China involving the application of big data.

Jin said the state-level strategy includes setting up a national healthcare big data center and seven regional centers as well as data research and innovation centers, which will be established with partner institutions from home and abroad.

May22017

Karen Hannah at the Wighton!

Fraser Macpherson
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From Sheena Wellington :
Wednesday 3rd May, Lunchtime Recital  – 1.15pm – 1.45pm.   Admission free
Wighton Heritage Centre, Central Library.
Karen Hannah, fiddle!
The inimitable Karen Hannah will be the guest at the first of the Friends of Wighton May Lunchtime Recitals on Wednesday 3rd.
A fine solo musician with an engaging personality, Karen also plays in several ensembles, including the wonderfully named Nifty Shades of Grey, Sporran Again and Ceilidh Minogue!  She has shared the stage with the finest traditional musicians around and has travelled the world, representing Scotland across Europe and as far afield as New Zealand, and South Korea.
Karen has tutored our fiddle class for ten years, most recently being involved with the formation of Abercraig, bringing young traditional musicians from Tayside together to play, in the first instance, at the televised Scottish Traditional Music Awards at the Caird Hall. 

May22017

News story: Travel advice on EXPO 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan

HM Government
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Expo 2017 is an International Exposition scheduled to take place between 10 June and 10 September 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Dates:

Advice for visitors travelling to Kazakhstan for the Expo 2017 International Exposition in Astana from 10 June to 10 September 10, 2017

Venue:

EXPO 2017 Pavilion in Astana is located between main streets of Astana: Kabanbai batyr avenue, Orynbor street, Hussein bin Talal and Turar Ryskulov streets. * during the exhibition, seven new shuttle-BUS routes will be launched, which will have 250 buses, running from all major points of the city – shopping centres, railway stations and the airport to the territory of the EXPO with a minimum number of stops it can take around 30 minutes to get to the exhibition centre from the city centre * the pavilion is about 3 km from Baiterek City Center, 11 km from the central railway station, 8 km from Astana International airport

Astana, Kazakhstan – Expo 2017 site map can be found here As well as this advice, check out our travel advice for Kazakhstan

Visas and Passports

  • until 31 December 2017 you can travel to Kazakhstan without a visa, provided your stay does not exceed 30 days (the day you arrive counts as day 1, regardless of arrival time).
  • if you wish to stay longer than 30 days, you’ll need a visa. You should contact your nearest Embassy of Kazakhstan for further information.
  • your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of your request for a visa. Your passport should also have at least 1 blank page for your visa
  • your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay
  • if you violate the conditions of your visa, you could face a short term of imprisonment and/or a ban on entry to Kazakhstan for up to 5 years
  • you should carry your passport with you for identification purposes
  • always take care of your passport, as getting a replacement is costly and time-consuming. Keep a photocopy separately from the original document, this will help speed up the replacement process if needed
  • if you lose your passport, you’ll need to get an Emergency Travel Document from the British Embassy, Astana. The service is available within the Embassy working hours

Registration

  • for most visits, British passport holders don’t need to register with the local authorities
  • when entering Kazakhstan, travellers receive a white registration card. You must fill in and retain this card throughout your stay in Kazakhstan.
  • if you don’t need to register with the local OVIR office (the Department for Visas and Registration under the Ministry of Internal Affairs), you must keep your white immigration card stamped by Kazakh Immigration throughout your journey and present it on departure.
  • if you intend to enter through a land or sea border point check with the Kazakhstan Embassy to see whether registration is required.

Insurance

  • take out appropriate travel insurance, even if you’re only going for one night; it could save you a lot of money if you get into difficulties. Note there is no reciprocal healthcare agreement between the UK and Kazakhstan.

Local Information

Personal Security:

  • be prepared for increased controls and security checks
  • most trips are trouble free, however, mugging and theft occur in cities and rural areas foreigners can be targeted.
  • although homosexuality isn’t prohibited by law, public attitudes are less tolerant than in the UK and public displays of affection may attract negative attention. There’s no provision under Kazakhstan legislation guaranteeing freedom from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation
  • look after your personal belongings, in particular your passport and your money
  • smoking and drinking alcohol is prohibited in public places; this includes airport and its areas, transport, bus stops, underground crossings, cultural, sports and governmental establishments, playgrounds and parks
  • don’t get involved with drugs – the penalties are severe

Transportation

  • get information on how to get to the Astana International Airport and Railway Station to the city centre
  • use official taxis which display the name and telephone number of the taxi company. agree a price with the taxi driver for your journey in advance
  • buses are the only public transport; price for one way route is 90 KZT but can be overcrowded at peak times

Disabled Travellers

  • we’ve been advised that Astana EXPO Pavilions will have facilities / access for disabled travellers
  • the rest of Astana has very limited facilities for the disabled traveller – the pavements, even on the main roads can be difficult to negotiate for those with disabilities
  • access to public transport is also difficult

####Currency:

  • the official currency in Kazakhstan is Tenge (KZT). US dollars and Euros are the easiest currency to exchange in Kazakhstan. Sterling may also be exchanged at a more limited number of sites. Scottish and Northern Irish notes aren’t accepted. Use only official exchange booths.
  • ATMs are available and credit cards are widely used in Astana
  • the government of Kazakhstan imposes limits on how much foreign currency can be imported or exported, and certain goods are subject to custom regulations. For further information please visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Climate and Time

  • the average temperature in summer is around 20ºC – 25ºC during the day. Mostly very windy and dry. You can find information on http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/1526273
  • Astana is plus 5 hours BST

Language

  • the main language is Kazakh. Russian is also widely spoken
  • younger generation usually has a good knowledge of English

Religion

  • Kazakhstan has predominantly Muslim (70%) population although there are Orthodox Christians (23%) and Catholics (7%)
  • respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times and be aware of your actions to ensure they do not offend other cultures or religious beliefs

Consular Assistance

If there’s a genuine emergency during your visit to Astana (e.g. one involving accident, injury or loss/theft of your passport) call +7 7172 556 200 and follow the instructions to be put through to a consular officer.

Lost or stolen passports

If your passport is lost or stolen report the loss to the local police as soon as possible and get a copy of the police report. You can’t travel back to the UK without a valid travel document. You’ll need to apply to the Consular Section of the British Embassy Astana for an Emergency Travel Document (ETD). Please see our ETD web page for more information.

For more information visit the British Embassy, Astana Contact the British Embassy Astana 62 Kosmanavtov st, Chubary district Renco Building, 6th floor Telephone: +7 7172 55 62 00 (including out of hours assistance) Email: astana.consular@fco.gov.uk Office hours: Monday-Thursday 9am to 5pm On Friday 9am to 4pm

Emergency services numbers

101 – Fire 102 – Police 103 – Ambulance

Further information

May22017

An agricultural revolution?

John Redwood MP
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One of the drivers of growth and prosperity in eighteenth century England was agricultural advance. Farmers threw capital and technology at the problem of farming. Larger farms were created. Threshing, hoeing and seed drilling were done by newly developed machines. Crop rotations and selective breeding led to big advances in agricultural output.

Today we stand on the threshold of another possible agrarian revolution. The coming of the intelligent tractor with wide arms for spraying, and  capabilities for ploughing, preparing, seeding and tending the crop  is transforming quality of output as well as changing the demand for labour. Drones offer less intrusive ways of watering and spraying selectively as problems and shortages are detected in parts of a field or crop. Raising  animals is becoming more science based, with better information about their health and well being informing choices for their care.

The UK has a great opportunity to grow its agriculture  as we come out of the CAP. The main parties are all ready to continue with subsidy. The government has   promised to carry on with the subsidies farmers were expecting from Brussels this decade.

Some argue the main aim of subsidy should be to remunerate farmers for their role as landscape gardeners on a grand scale. Much of the EU system now is designed to reward environmental work, giving subsidy for keeping land fallow or for nurturing certain types of landscape or nature reserve on or near farmland.  The Swiss system out of the EU is about keeping the unique Swiss mountain landscapes, as an adjunct to tourism and hospitality which feed off the views.

Some argue the main aim should be about food production. Farmers could be rewarded for cutting imports and producing more of the types of food we need and can  grow at home. The EU system used to be more completely based on such an approach.. The policy  was born of post war angst in memory of the dreadful shortages of food that occurred during and in the aftermath of the 2nd world war. Later the EU system evolved to take environmental considerations much more into account.

Do we think current EU policy is well judged? How do farmers want the UK government to develop its own agriculture policy, safe in the knowledge that there is no present threat to the subsidies farmers receive? There is a  big opportunity to grow more at home for the home market, and to invest more in the new husbandry that will raise productivity.