Jun132017

News story: David Mundell MP reappointed Secretary of State for Scotland

HM Government

The Rt Hon David Mundell MP has been reappointed as Secretary of State for Scotland.

The Secretary of State said:

“I am delighted and honoured to have been reappointed Secretary of State for Scotland.

“The Scotland Office has a key role to play as we face the huge tasks that lie ahead of us.

“We need to secure the right Brexit deal for Scotland and the whole of the UK, and we also need focus on how we bring back powers from Brussels in a way that works best for the Scottish economy.

“We need to work closely with the Scottish Government, and to do that effectively we will need to forge a much more constructive relationship, one based not on politics and press releases but on what is best for Scotland. I’m confident that can happen. My door is open and I hope, now the election is over, we can reset the relationship between Scotland’s two governments.

“As before, my door also remains open to all those interest groups and business sectors that have a stake in Scotland’s success. I’m looking forward to working with everyone as we look to the future together.”

Jun132017

News story: UAE delegation visits pioneering UK drug rehabilitation services

HM Government

Leaders from the United Arab Emirates’ National Rehabilitation Centre inspect additional UK centres of excellence looking to do business.

A delegation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to UK drug rehabilitation services has resulted in the Director General of the UAE’s National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) appointing teams to drive forward detailed negotiations. The UAE intention is to secure active partnerships with the UK this financial year.

UK expertise in drug rehabilitation attracts repeat visits from UAE

This was the second visit recently from senior staff at the National Rehabilitation Centre in Abu Dhabi to see UK drug rehabilitation expertise and services.

Hosted and planned by Healthcare UK, this visit was led by His Excellency Dr. Hamad Al Ghaferi, Director General of the UAE’s National Rehabilitation Centre. The mission included:

  • Head of Nursing Dr. Samya Al Mamari
  • Dr Shamil Wanigaratne, adviser to His Excellency and clinical psychologist.

UK healthcare centres of excellence

The mission team visited a selection of centres of excellence in the UK drug rehabilitation sector, including:

Contact us at healthcare.uk@trade.gov.uk for more information about UK drug rehabilitation services or to discuss support with exporting.

Jun132017

News story: UK digital health sector sets up wins in Brazil at Hospitalar

HM Government

In May Healthcare UK and NHS Digital helped build new relationships and trade openings in Brazil when they jointly led an 8 company mission to Sao Paulo to take part in Hospitalar, the biggest healthcare trade event in Latin America.

Following the event, a number of contract negotiations are currently close to completion. Hospitalar 2017 had a strong focus on digital health, and the 8 companies in the UK mission were selected for their strength in this highly innovative, competitive and fast-moving area:

Brazil’s healthcare market growth driven by digital

With the largest healthcare market in Latin America, and seventh largest in the world, Brazil is one of Healthcare UK’s priority markets. Despite the recent economic downturn, the market for healthcare imports is predicted to grow, reaching £52 billion by 2020.

As is the case around the world, demographic changes are driving demand for digital healthcare solutions in the Brazilian market. As the population becomes older and non-communicable diseases continue to rise, it is becoming increasingly urgent for Brazil to identify smarter investments to provide health services to the population.

The Brazilian constitution ensures that everyone must have access to healthcare, and digital and e-health systems are seen to a key way to achieve this without increasing cost.

UK healthcare exhibitors make an impact in Brazil

Headed up by Healthcare UK’s Managing Director, Deborah Kobewka and NHS Digital’s Director of Digital Transformation, Beverley Bryant, the UK presence made a significant impact at Hospitalar. Six of the UK organisations had speaker sessions on the main stage, helping to generate a strong flow of traffic and meetings on the UK stand.

The party had meetings with Brazilian government leaders and health officials at city, state and national level, visited the leading cardiothoracic hospital in Sao Paulo (InCor) and leading private hospital Sirio Libanes.

Contact us at healthcare.uk@trade.gov.uk for more information about UK digital health services and to discuss support with exporting.

Jun132017

BCC: Inflationary pressures continue to mount for business

British Chambers of Commerce

BCC’s Head of Economics, Suren Thiru, comments on the inflation statistics out today which show inflation rose to 2.9% in May 2017.

Commenting on the inflation statistics for May 2017, released today by the Office for National Statistics, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

“Inflation rose for the second successive month, confirming that price growth is firmly on an upward trend. The rise in May mostly reflects increasing prices for recreational and cultural goods and services in the month.

“The continued increase in factory gate prices suggests consumer price growth is likely to maintain its current upward trend for some time to come. Significantly, if the current political uncertainty persists, this is likely to increase the downward pressure on sterling’s value, pushing inflation even higher over the next year.

“Higher inflation is a key business concern as it squeezes margins and weakens their ability to invest, particularly during this time of heightened political uncertainty. The BCC’s Quarterly Economic Survey confirms that businesses continue to feel the inflationary pressures, with a significant proportion of firms struggling to absorb the rising cost of raw materials and other overheads – a task made more challenging by the myriad of upfront costs imposed on businesses. 

“A key focus of the new government must therefore be on easing the current pressure on firms’ cost base by tackling the burden of upfront costs and taxes associated with doing business in the UK. It is also imperative that the MPC provides monetary stability during this period of political instability by continuing to ‘look through’ the expected increases in inflation and keep interest rates on hold.”

Ends

 

Notes to editors:

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) sits at the heart of a powerful network of 52 Accredited Chambers of Commerce across the UK, representing thousands of businesses of all sizes and within all sectors. Our Global Business Network connects exporters with nearly 40 markets around the world. For more information, visit: www.britishchambers.org.uk

Media contacts:

Allan Williams – Senior Press Manager

020 7654 5812 / 07920583381

Orla Hennessy – Press and Communications Officer

020 7654 5813 / 07825746812