The Efficiency Through Technology Fund (ETTF) supports health and social care projects that use innovative technology to improve the efficiency of healthcare services.

Projects that have secured funding include the Public Health Wales led molecular diagnostics project, which will be receiving £2.5m over the next three years to improve methods of diagnosing gastrointestinal infections.

The National Welsh Informatics Service will use £1.18m to lead on a once for Wales approach to e-Forms development to speed up the move towards a digital patient record.

An e-form is a digital version of a paper form. This will be less time consuming to complete and will eliminate  the cost of printing, storing, and distributing pre-printed paperwork. 

Digital records will mean that important information is available at the touch of a screen during consultations. This will improve outcomes for patients by informing the decisions they make with their clinicians, ensuring they receive the most appropriate treatment. The programme will focus on Nursing e-Forms as a priority area.

Another successful project will see the development and implementation of an improved pressure ulcer reporting system within care homes. This will provide an open and transparent reporting system for deep pressure ulcers – one of the recommendations of the Flynn report. 

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CVUHB) has secured funding, with partners, for a system to help reduce frequent attenders calling for ambulances and/or attending A&E department in CVUHB. This project aims to work with frequent attenders to better understand their needs and thereby reduce the costs and resources burden on the CVUHB services.

Powys health board has been successful in their funding bid for a computerised Cognitive Behavioural therapy project, which will support patients with mild and moderate depression by providing quicker access to treatment.

Other projects are:

• Digitalisation of the lung cancer patient pathway record (NWIS)
• Further development and expansion of the existing ETTF Choose Pharmacy platform and roll-out to all community pharmacies in Wales.
• All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre – Virtual Technology Clinics (Cardiff and Vale)
• A national Telehealth Scale up Programme- to reduce hospital and emergency department attendances(ABUHB and ABMUHB)   
• Raman spectroscopy technology for colorectal cancer (AMBU)

Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething said: 

“I am pleased to be able to fund these 11 new projects that aspire to improve the efficiency of our health care services in Wales.  We received 142 applications in this round of funding – the biggest response to this funding stream so far and I want to congratulate those who have been successful amid fierce competition.

“It is fantastic to see organisations coming up with innovative schemes to improve our health care services. I am looking forward to visit some of the projects in the near future to see first hand what they can achieve.”

Update on our work to provide services in the Welsh language.

Lloyd’s Register has signed an agreement with GOSCO, to form a joint venture dedicated to providing well project management, well engineering and associated site survey, geotechnical and rig inspection services, in the territorial waters of the Republic of Ghana.

The aim of the joint venture company, known as ‘Lloyd’s Register Wells Ghana Limited’, is to make available world-class engineering and operations, risk management and performance solutions to support operators deliver safe, cost-effective and compliant E&P activity.

Matt Rothnie, Vice-President for the Wells business at Lloyd’s Register, says: “We have joined forces with GOSCO to set up this joint venture as a response to growing industry interest in Ghana’s oil and gas potential along with the requirement to build capability in the Ghanaian E&P sector. This move is another example of Lloyd’s Register’s strategy to work in partnership with local oil and gas players to benefit from their local experience whilst providing the benefit of Lloyd’s Register’s global knowledge and technical expertise.” The new joint venture will be an indigenous Ghanaian company and based in Accra.

The potential impact of new discoveries on the Ghanaian economy has led to phenomenal interest in Ghana’s petroleum sector both locally and internationally. Amidst the excitement, the key development objective of the government of Ghana remains focused on the growth of the economy to accelerate development and industrialization; the oil and gas industry is proven to contribute significantly to strong growth in producing countries.

However, the discovery of oil in commercial quantities poses a number of challenges that must be addressed. Key of which is the need to establish a robust regulatory framework and institutional capacity in key areas of governance for effective management and oversight of the sector. This is because prudent management and policing of the sector has a significant impact on socio-economic development.

Rothnie highlights: “We believe this joint venture will create good long-term opportunities for Ghana’s E&P industry as we look to collectively achieve the highest levels of safety and performance providing the very latest ‘know-how’ and application of technology for well operations.”

Michael Amoah, CFO of GOSCO says: “We are very pleased to have formed our joint venture with Lloyds Register; we see real opportunities in key aspects of the upstream value chain for joint ventures which bring together the operational experience of Ghanaian companies with the niche high quality skills of an international partner.”

Scottish Development International, the Scottish government’s international arm, helped Lloyd’s Register in the joint venture development.

Gary Soper, Africa Regional Manager for Scottish Development International says: “Working from our West Africa hub in Accra, Ghana, we are well placed to introduce West African companies to Scotland’s oil and gas supply chain to access collaborative opportunities in the region. We are very pleased to see Lloyd’s Register forge this relationship with GOSCO in Ghana and help to develop their plans for current and future African oil and gas fields. Lloyd’s Register has a long tradition and experience in resolving and sharing solutions to complex commercial situations that can only help to bring benefits to the emerging oil and gas markets across the continent, especially at this critical time of low oil prices and the need for quality, independent cost-effective safety and performance solutions.

About Lloyd’s Register

Lloyd’s Register (LR) is a global engineering, technical and business services organisation wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a UK charity dedicated to research and education in science and engineering. Founded in 1760 as a marine classification society, LR now operates across many industry sectors, with over 9000 employees in 78 countries.

Lloyd’s Register has a long-standing reputation for integrity, impartiality and technical excellence. Its compliance, risk and technical consultancy services give clients confidence that their assets and businesses are safe, sustainable and dependable. Through its global technology centres and research network, Lloyd’s Register is at the forefront of understanding the application of new science and technology to future-proof its clients’ businesses.

About GOSCO

GOSCO (www.gosco.com.gh) is an independent Ghanaian E&P services company. We provide services to participants engaged in oil and gas exploration, development and production activities (located onshore and offshore Ghana), including acting as operator in relation to such activities. A key tenet of GOSCO’s business strategy involves partnership arrangements with key international upstream service providers to provide services in areas that local capacity may be lacking within Ghana. These services may include but are not limited to: Seismic Acquisition, Sub-Surface Data Analysis and Interpretation, Drilling, Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Vessels, Environment, Health and Safety.

About Scottish Development International

Scottish Development International (SDI) works to attract inward investment and knowledge to Scotland to help the economy grow. It also helps Scottish based companies to trade overseas and promotes Scotland as a good place to live, work and do business. It is a partnership between the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and its work is guided by the Scottish Government’s strategy for economic development in Scotland.

Jason Knights Global Communications Manager Lloyd’s Register Energy

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7423 1741

Mobile: +44 (0)78 2728 2569

Email: jason.knights@lr.org

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jknights

Lloyd’s Register 71 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4BS, UK

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7709 9166

Email: news@lr.org

http://www.Ir.org

Lloyd’s Register and variants of it are trading names of Lloyd’s Register Group Limited, its subsidiaries and affiliates.

The profession recognises the contribution made by those in public sector organisations.

In his recent blog post, Sir Mark Walport, Head of Profession, says that the board recognises the “valuable contribution made by scientists and engineers working in government arms-length bodies and public research establishments across the country”. He highlights that crown and public servants, “help us to source the best possible advice and evidence to support government decision making”.

Find out more about the GSE Profession board.

Read Sir Mark’s blogpost on welcoming crown and public servants to the GSE profession.

Natural England and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) have launched a new online database and analytical tool called Pantheon, which helps us better understand conservation status and habitat-related traits of invertebrates.

From the weevils perched on the leaves of our trees to worms burrowed deep in the earth beneath our feet, invertebrates play a crucial role to improve the ecology of our natural environment.

James Cross, Chief Executive at Natural England said:

Pantheon is a fantastic example of how we are pushing the boundaries of science and IT to benefit invertebrate conservation. Researchers, ecologists and land managers will have access to a wealth of data.

This database will play an important role in identifying trends to better protect our natural environment.

Pantheon was developed to assist invertebrate nature conservation in England. Users import lists of invertebrates into the database, which then analyses the species, attaching associated habitats, resources and conservation status against them.

This information can then be used to assign quality to sites, assist in management decisions and prompt further other ecological study. This database will help site managers, researchers, ecological consultants and is also available to the public.

With contributions from Buglife and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, this project brings together 10 years’ worth of work by Natural England’s scientists to make it easier than ever to understand the importance of invertebrates in England.

Pantheon can tell users which species are typical of woodland canopies, dead wood and shaded woodland ground layers. It can identify how many species from a selected site are using flower-rich habitat and which specific flowers they need. In the future, Pantheon will also help users understand the impact of climate change on species communities in the wider countryside and protected places, such as National Parks.

Dr Hannah Dean, database and informatics specialist at the CEH, said:

CEH is working to develop innovative, world-class outputs that advance scientific knowledge and understanding. Pantheon combines an extensive online database with a set of analytical tools. Together these deliver vital information on invertebrate species and their habitats, enabling evidence-based decisions that support the conservation of natural resources.

Explore the Pantheon database, which is free to use.