News story
The AAIB has sent a team to Steyning, West Sussex.
An accident involving a light aircraft which occurred this afternoon near Steyning, West Sussex has been notified to the AAIB. An investigation has been launched and a team of inspectors and support staff have been deployed to the accident site to begin gathering evidence.
Published 11 February 2022
News story
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič spoke about the need for progress on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Statement by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič:
The Foreign Secretary and Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič met on 11 February at Carlton Gardens in London. This was their third in-person meeting.
They agreed on the need for progress in their talks in the interest of people in Northern Ireland, to stay in close touch and that officials will continue intensive discussions in the coming days.
Published 11 February 2022
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm that the monitoring periods, for contacts of the Lassa fever cases who required active monitoring, have now been completed. No further cases have been identified. We would like to thank our partners in the NHS for their prompt action and all of the contacts for their cooperation.
The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that the patient has been discharged.
UKHSA continues to follow up and closely monitor individuals identified as contacts of 3 recently confirmed cases of Lassa fever. No further cases have been identified to date.
NHS Trusts have performed risk assessments on individuals and patients who have worked or stayed in the same ward areas as the Lassa patients. Individuals have been given advice on monitoring and testing. The majority of individuals will complete monitoring by early March.
The risk to the general public remains very low.
UKHSA can confirm that the probable case of Lassa fever under investigation is now confirmed, bringing the total number of cases to 3. Sadly, this individual has died.
We are contacting the individuals who have had close contact with the cases prior to confirmation of their infection, to provide appropriate assessment, support and advice. The risk to the general public remains very low.
A Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:
We confirm the sad death of a patient at our trust, who had confirmed Lassa fever. We send our deepest condolences to their family at this difficult time.
We will continue to support the patient’s family and our staff and are working closely with colleagues from UKHSA to undertake a robust contact tracing exercise.
A further probable case of Lassa fever is under investigation. The cases are within the same family in the East of England and are linked to recent travel to West Africa.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by Lassa virus. People usually become infected with Lassa virus through exposure to food or household items contaminated with urine or faeces of infected rats – present in a number of West African countries where the disease is endemic. The virus can also be spread through infected bodily fluids.
Most people with Lassa fever will make a full recovery, however severe illness can occur in some individuals. One of the cases has recovered, while the other will receive specialist care at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
The probable case is receiving care at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The High Consequence Infectious Disease Network is engaged with their ongoing care.
Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA, said:
We can confirm that 2 cases of Lassa fever have been identified in England, and a further probable case is under investigation. The cases are within the same family and are linked to recent travel to West Africa.
Cases of Lassa fever are rare in the UK and it does not spread easily between people. The overall risk to the public is very low. We are contacting the individuals who have had close contact with the cases prior to confirmation of their infection, to provide appropriate assessment, support and advice.
UKHSA and the NHS have well established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be reinforced.
Prior to these cases, there have been 8 cases of Lassa fever imported to the UK since 1980. The last 2 cases occurred in 2009. There was no evidence of onward transmission from any of these cases.
Dr Sir Michael Jacobs, consultant in infectious diseases at the Royal Free London, said:
The Royal Free Hospital is a specialist centre for treating patients with viral haemorrhagic fevers, including Lassa fever.
Our secure unit is run by a highly-trained and experienced team of doctors, nurses, therapists and laboratory staff and is designed to ensure our staff can safely treat patients with these kind of infections.
People living in endemic areas of West Africa with high populations of rodents are most at risk of Lassa fever. Imported cases rarely occur elsewhere in the world. Such cases are almost exclusively in people who work in endemic areas in high-risk occupations, such as medical or other aid workers.
Press release
Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.
The Prime Minister spoke to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, this afternoon.
He reiterated the strength of our bilateral relationship and committed to further boost investment ties, energy cooperation and people-to-people links.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the UK’s partnership with the Gulf Cooperation Council and intention to agree a new UK-GCC trade deal.
They welcomed defence and security collaboration between the UK and Saudi Arabia, noting ongoing regional challenges in Iran and Yemen.
The Prime Minister and Crown Prince looked forward to meeting in person at the earliest opportunity.
Published 11 February 2022
The UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI), which was published in January 2022, has shown that the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is the highest-rated public sector organisation in the UK, for customer satisfaction.
The index is published twice a year by the Institute of Customer Service, and details an increase in DBS’ customer satisfaction score from January 2021, to January 2022.
Within the report, DBS was benchmarked against 10 other public sector organisations including HM Passport Office, the Environment Agency, and the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency. DBS received a customer satisfaction score of 81.4 out of 100, with the average score for public sector organisations sitting at 76.9.
DBS was also ranked highly by customers in areas such as reputation and trust, and whether they would recommend using DBS services in future.
The independent index is calculated using feedback from around 10,000 consumers in an online survey covering 13 different sectors, and over 260 public and private organisations.
Eric Robinson, CEO of DBS, said:
We are incredibly very proud that DBS has been recognised as the highest-rated public sector organisation for customer satisfaction in the UK. The result demonstrates the organisation’s strong commitment to providing high quality services and the dedication and hard work of DBS staff which has been even more important during the pandemic for the customers we serve.
We welcome feedback from the survey and we will use the findings alongside responses from our own DBS customer survey to ensure we continue to further improve services for our customers.
Jo Causon, CEO of The Institute of Customer Service, added:
Through this challenging period, some businesses have adapted well and responded to changes in their customers’ circumstances and needs. DBS’ strong showing in the UKCSI is encouraging and shows that public sector organisations – much like those in the private sector – who build trust and deliver on their promises will be rewarded with customer loyalty.
The latest UKCSI results incorporate data collected between 8 March to 6 April 2021, and 13 September to 8 October 2021. More information about the index and the main UKCSI report can be found on the Institute of Customer Service website.