This notice was served to Companion Care Orpington by a VMD Inspector during a routine inspection of the veterinary practice.

The following contravened the Veterinary Medicines Regulation (VMR) 2013:

• The administration of a veterinary medicinal product not in accordance with its marketing authorisation, contrary to Regulation 8 (Administration of the product) of the VMR.

The improvements required are:

• The practice must provide procedures they will follow to ensure that broach limits are adhered to in the future.

Published 3 February 2020

Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers has today (3 February) confirmed Sir William Worsley as the new Chair of the Forestry Commission.

The announcement comes as Sir Harry Studholme’s time as Forestry Commission Chair ends after seven years in post.

Sir William will step down as the government’s Tree Champion, a position he has held since June 2018, when he takes on his new role.

Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said:

With his great expertise in forestry and passion for nature and trees, Sir William will play a pivotal role in leading the Forestry Commission at a critical time as it moves into its second century.

Tree planting will play a crucial part in the government’s bold action to combat climate change, and the Forestry Commission has a vital role in delivering our ambitious plans for England’s forests and woodlands.

I also want to thank Sir Harry for his dedication in leading the organisation for the past seven years and wish him all the best in future endeavours.

Trees, woods and forests are so important to us – improving our landscapes, helping capture carbon, improving our general wellbeing and providing a renewable resource in the timber they produce.

It couldn’t be a more exciting time to join the Forestry Commission. As Chair, my aim will be to celebrate, protect and deepen the impact of its excellent work, not only for the sake of our environment but also for the huge benefits that our success brings for society.

Ian Gambles, Chief Executive Officer of Forestry Commission, said:

Sir William’s appointment is great news for the Forestry Commission and the wider forestry sector. He is one of the UK’s most engaged environmental champions for forestry.

I am confident that Sir William will bring the expertise and vision required to set a bold direction for the country’s forests and woodlands and I look forward to working closely with him.

Sir William will take up the role on 10 February and will be in post for three years.

He currently holds the posts of Chair of the National Forest Company as well as Chairman of the Howardian Hills AONB Joint Advisory Committee. He will be standing down from his role as National Forest Company Chair in May to allow for a new Chair to be reappointed.

Once Sir Harry’s term ends, he will be working on a range of projects in alternative energy, carbon capture and climate change mitigation as well as managing his own forestry and farming interests in Devon.

Sir William biography:

• Sir William will be standing down as government-appointed National Tree Champion with confirmation of his appointment. He has been the government’s National Tree Champion since June 2018 and as part of this role, has worked on the developing English Tree Strategy, which will be consulted on in spring, by engaging stakeholders to understand how policy changes can support our trees, woodlands and forests.
• Sir William Worsley is currently the Chair of National Forest Company and will be standing down from this position in May so a new Chair can be recruited.
• He is current Chairman of the Howardian Hills Area of Natural Beauty Joint Advisory Committee and holds several other non-executive positions including previous appointee to the Independent Panel on Forestry.
• He began his career as a chartered surveyor and for several years worked with the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) as former President and Chairman of the board.

The Forestry Commission:

• Established a century ago, the Forestry Commission (FC) is the non-ministerial government department responsible for protecting, expanding and promoting the sustainable management of woodlands.
• The Forestry Commission works with two agencies: Forestry England, which manages the Public Forest Estate, and Forest Research, the principal organisation for forestry and tree related research.
• Forestry is a devolved matter, with a range of agencies leading the sector in the devolved administrations. The Forestry Commission leads the sector in England and looks after the English Public Forest Estate through Forestry England. Forestry Research continues to operate across the whole of Great Britain.
• Further details about the Forestry Commission structure can be seen at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/forestry-commission

Notes to editors:

• Please send any interview bids for Sir William to newsdesk@defra.gov.uk
• All appointments to the Forestry Commission are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. The appointment has been made in accordance with the Ministerial Governance Code on Public Appointments.
• There is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if significant) to be declared. Sir William has declared that he has not taken part in any political activity in the past five years.

See latest information and actions for the public on the outbreak of Wuhan novel coronavirus, including the current situation in the UK and actions taken in the UK and abroad.

7 February 2020

As of Friday 7 February 2020, a total of 620 UK tests have concluded, of which 617 were confirmed negative and 3 positive.

Based on the World Health Organization’s declaration that this is a public health emergency of international concern, the UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the public from low to moderate. This permits the government to plan for all eventualities. The risk to individuals remains low.

If you have travelled from Wuhan or Hubei Province, China to the UK in the last 14 days you should immediately, even if you do not have symptoms of the virus:

• stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu
• call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the area

If you have returned to the UK from China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the last 14 days and develop symptoms of cough or fever or shortness of breath, you should immediately:

In Scotland, phone your GP or NHS 24 on 111 out of hours

If you are in Northern Ireland, call 0300 200 7885.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised UK nationals to leave China where possible. If the situation continues to escalate the pressure on the Chinese health system may intensify, and it may also become harder for people to travel.

28 January 2020

As of Tuesday 28 January 2020, there are currently no confirmed cases in the UK or of UK citizens abroad, and the risk to the public remains low.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) are advising against all but essential travel to the Hubei Province. Anyone travelling to China should remain vigilant and check the latest travel advice on GOV.UK.

We have updated our guidance for individuals who have returned from Wuhan, China as follows:

Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director at PHE, said:

Isolating yourself from other people, like you would with other flu viruses, is in step with the best scientific and expert advice on how to stop the coronavirus from spreading. 

This means taking simple, common sense steps, such as staying at home and avoiding close contact with other people as much as possible.

If you have visited Wuhan and develop a fever, difficulty breathing or a cough within 14 days, you should seek medical attention either in China or on your return to the UK.

In the UK, please stay indoors and avoid contact with others where possible, call your GP or ring 111 informing them of your symptoms and your recent travel to the city.

22 January 2020

UK public health measures are world leading and our excellent NHS is well prepared to manage and treat new diseases. We have been carefully monitoring the situation in Wuhan for some time and are ready to put in place proportionate, precautionary measures.

From today, 22 January 2020, enhanced monitoring will be in place from all direct flights from Wuhan to the UK. The enhanced monitoring package includes a number of measures that will help to provide advice to travellers if they feel unwell.

For those travelling back directly from Wuhan, this includes a Port Health team who will meet each direct flight aircraft to provide advice and support to those that feel unwell. The team will include the Principal Port Medical Inspector, Port Health Doctor, Administrative Support, and Team Leader.

They will check for symptoms of coronavirus and provide information to all passengers about symptoms and what to do if they become ill. Mandarin and Cantonese language support will be available to Public Health England (PHE) and leaflets will be available to passengers.

There are 3 direct flights a week that arrive at Heathrow from Wuhan. The enhanced monitoring of direct flights will be kept under continuous review and expanded to other Chinese departure points if necessary.

Leaflets and information will be made available across all UK airports, advising travellers from China on what do to if they feel unwell.

The risk to the UK population has been assessed as low, based on the emerging evidence regarding case numbers, potential sources and human to human transmission, the risk to travellers to Wuhan is moderate. This has been raised from very low due to current evidence on the likelihood of cases being imported into this country.

There are currently no confirmed cases of this new infection in the UK.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) issued clinical guidance for the detection and diagnosis of Wuhan Novel Coronavirus and PHE has developed a diagnostic test, making the UK one of the first countries outside China to have a prototype specific laboratory test for this novel disease.

Dr Nick Phin, Deputy Director, National Infection Service, Public Health England, said:

This is a new and rapidly evolving situation where information on cases and the virus is being gathered and assessed daily.  Based on the available evidence, the current risk to the UK is considered low. We are working with the WHO and other international partners, have issued advice to the NHS and are keeping the situation under constant review.

 If you are traveling to Wuhan, you should maintain good hand, respiratory and personal hygiene and should avoid visiting animal and bird markets or people who are ill with respiratory symptoms. Individuals should seek medical attention if they develop respiratory symptoms within 14 days of visiting Wuhan, either in China or on their return to the UK. They should phone ahead before attending any health services and mention their recent travel to the city.

Previous updates

20 January 2020

As of Monday 20 January 2020, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission has reported 217 cases of Wuhan Novel Coronavirus. Four of these cases have been diagnosed outside of China – 2 in Thailand, one in Japan and one in South Korea, following travel to Wuhan, China. There have also now been cases in other cities in China. There have been 3 fatalities.

Based on the latest information and analysis, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that there is evidence of limited human to human transmission of the virus.

Currently, the risk to the UK population is very low and the risk to travellers to Wuhan is low, but the situation is under constant review. However, in line with our robust preparedness activities for emerging infections, we have issued clinical guidance for the detection and diagnosis of Wuhan Novel Coronavirus. There are no confirmed cases of this new infection in the UK.

Dr Nick Phin, Deputy Director, National Infection Service, Public Health England, said:

Based on the available evidence, the current risk to the UK is very low. We are working with the WHO and other international partners, have issued advice to the NHS and are keeping the situation under constant review.

People travelling to Wuhan should maintain good hand, respiratory and personal hygiene and should avoid visiting animal and bird markets or people who are ill with respiratory symptoms. Individuals should seek medical attention if they develop respiratory symptoms within 14 days of visiting Wuhan, either in China or on their return to the UK, informing their health service prior to their attendance about their recent travel to the city.

13 January 2020

Public Health England (PHE) is monitoring the situation with international partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO). PHE has also issued advice to travellers ahead of Chinese New Year this month.

The risk to the UK population is very low and the risk to travellers to Wuhan is low, but they are advised to take simple precautions such as practicing good hand and personal hygiene and minimise contact with birds and animals in markets in Wuhan as a further precaution.

The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission has reported 41 cases of the disease so far, the majority of which appear to be connected to a seafood and animal market in the city. There have been no deaths reported and there is no significant evidence of transmission from person to person or any signs of illness among medical and nursing staff.

Dr Nick Phin, National Infection Service Deputy Director at PHE, said on the reported Wuhan novel coronavirus:

Based on the available evidence, the risk to travellers to Wuhan from this disease is low and we are not advising them to change their plans.

In order to minimise the risk of transmission, people travelling to the area should maintain good hand and personal hygiene. Travellers should seek medical attention if they develop respiratory symptoms within 14 days of visiting Wuhan, informing their health service prior to their attendance about their recent travel to the city.

The risk to the UK population is very low. The UK has robust arrangements to manage emerging diseases and we can draw on our experience of developing pioneering diagnostic tests in humans for the coronaviruses – SARS and MERS.

Besides the evolving situation in Wuhan, all travellers should also be aware of the risk of avian flu when visiting China during the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, beginning on 25 January 2020.

Human cases of avian influenza have recently been reported in China, and historically there have been more cases at this time of year. Cases have originated from several provinces and municipalities across mainland China, and there have been a small number of avian influenza cases among Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan residents who have travelled to mainland China.

The majority of reported human cases in China have had close contact with wild birds or poultry. Although the risk is very low, Public Health England and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) are reminding UK travellers to protect themselves from avian flu by minimising exposure to wild birds and poultry.

Dr Phin added on avian flu:

Although the risk of avian flu to UK residents travelling to China remains very low, anyone planning to visit China, Hong Kong SAR or Taiwan should minimise their exposure to any birds such as wild birds or live birds in ‘wet markets’ as a precaution.

We strongly urge people to avoid touching dead or dying birds and maintain good hand and personal hygiene.

Avian influenza remains a risk in a number of parts of China and if travellers experience coughing or difficulty breathing within 14 days of returning from China, they should call their GP or NHS 111 and report their recent travel.

Travellers can check NaTHNaC’s TravelHealthPro website for current travel health recommendations for:

Today (February 3) the Department for International Trade launched two digital tools for businesses exporting goods in and out of the UK market.

The free-to-use tools available on gov.uk detail product-specific and country-specific information on tariffs, regulations and other topics in one place, saving businesses time and making it easier for them to trade.

The ‘Trade with the UK’ tool provides businesses exporting goods into the UK market with detailed and up-to-date information on topics such as tariffs, taxes and rules.

The ‘Check How to Export Goods’ tool provides exporters of goods out of the UK market with information such as duties and customs procedures for over 160 markets around the world. The tool also provides information about the UK border which is sourced from other government departments such as HMRC and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

To receive relevant guidance, businesses need to know what the product is made of and where they are exporting it to or from.

These tools will support existing businesses who are trading internationally and encourage new businesses to start by making it easier for them to find the information they need. All information included in the tools, such as tariffs, taxes and rules, remain the same as we enter the Transition Period.

As we enter a new era in UK trade as an independent trading nation, these tools will support existing businesses who are trading internationally and encourage new businesses to start by making it easier for them to find the information they need.

The digital tools will be updated regularly to reflect any changes.

Summary

At around 19:05 hrs on Saturday 20 April 2019, a tamper, a self-propelled piece of on- track machinery, made an unsignalled and unauthorised move of about 600 metres, passing over Balham Junction, and entering platform 3 at Balham station, south London. The tamper could potentially have collided with a passenger train, which had travelled over the same junction in the opposite direction around 75 seconds earlier. The tamper stopped in the station, when the on-board crew realised that it was in the wrong place. There was no damage or personal injury.

The incident happened at the boundary of an engineering possession, where lines were closed for maintenance purposes. The plans for train movements out of the possession required the tamper, which had been working on the down line, to be crossed over to the adjacent up line while it was still inside the area under possession, and leave the possession on the up line. The crossing over move did not take place, and the tamper left the possession on the wrong line.

This happened because the person in charge of the possession (PICOP) provided incomplete information about the position of the tamper; the tamper driver and conductor driver did not query the instructions provided by the PICOP; and two signallers did not query the instructions provided by another PICOP. The standard of safety critical communications was poor throughout, resulting in no party having a clear understanding of the location of the tamper or the actions to be taken, and Network Rail’s management of the PICOP role has been ineffective. Underlying factors were that the labour supplier which employed the PICOPs had not effectively managed its own policy on monitoring safety critical communications, and that Network Rail’s strategy for improving and maintaining the standard of safety critical communications within the rail industry has been ineffective, and has not changed the work force culture or secured the adoption of good practice in respect of communications with and between signallers and other operations staff.

Recommendations

RAIB has made four recommendations, all addressed to Network Rail. The first calls for a review of the company’s strategy for safety critical communications involving its staff and contractors, to address underlying cultural factors and embed the use of standard communication protocols within the railway industry. The second covers a review of the process of handovers between signallers, during and at the end of shifts, to produce a structure which will give the incoming signaller full awareness of all relevant information about the location and intended movement of trains. The third recommendation relates to the provision of a suitable working environment for PICOPs, and the fourth to a review of that role, including the competency requirements and ongoing professional management of PICOPs. Two learning points relate to the need to test staff involved in safety incidents for drugs and alcohol, and the importance of not using mobile phones while driving road vehicles.

Simon French, Chief Inspector of Rail Accidents said:

Yet again we have investigated an incident in which a poor standard of communications played a crucial part. In this case, the way in which the key individuals talked to each other resulted in a misunderstanding. The consequences of the misunderstanding were that a very large item of yellow plant, a tamping machine, came out of an area where it had been working, onto a line where a passenger train had passed in the opposite direction only a short time before.

The role of person in charge of a possession (PICOP) is an important one. The PICOP controls the movement of trains into, within and out of engineering possessions. There were ten trains working in the possession near Balham, and giving their drivers clear and correct instructions is a vital job. It is not something that should be done from a kitchen table, or while driving a car. PICOPs need to be given adequate facilities for their work, and should make proper use of them.

Our investigation found a culture of poor communications among staff involved with engineering work. People were embarrassed to use the proper protocols when passing messages to colleagues. The aviation industry confronted this problem head-on many years ago, and now any pilot or air traffic controller who does not use the correct form of words and phrases would instantly stand out as less than competent. We found that, while train drivers and signallers have generally achieved a good standard of safety critical communications in recent years, the same cannot be said for engineering operations staff, even when talking to signallers. We are challenging the railway industry to come into line with aviation, and embed the same standards among its people.

In this case several of the people involved did not challenge information or instructions which were confusing, inconsistent with what they had just been told by someone else, or contrary to rules. This is not the first time this has led to trouble, and the consequences can be disastrous. In the collision between two engineering trains in a possession at Logan in 2015, a locomotive and eighteen wagons were derailed and damaged. That accident also arose from a misunderstanding created by poor communications report 13/2016, and we have investigated other collisions in possessions at Badminton report 30/2007, Leigh on Sea report 24/2009, Arley report 12/2013 and Kitchen Hill bulletin B1/2014.

These are all areas in which the industry has previously made efforts to improve, but for whatever reason, lasting change has not happened. I hope that this time implementation of our recommendations will make a real difference.

Notes to editors

1. The sole purpose of RAIB investigations is to prevent future accidents and incidents and improve railway safety. RAIB does not establish blame, liability or carry out prosecutions.
2. RAIB operates, as far as possible, in an open and transparent manner. While our investigations are completely independent of the railway industry, we do maintain close liaison with railway companies and if we discover matters that may affect the safety of the railway, we make sure that information about them is circulated to the right people as soon as possible, and certainly long before publication of our final report.
3. For media enquiries, please call 01932 440015.

Newsdate: 3 February 2020