A resource for those working in domiciliary care providing information on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

The UK Government has today (Thursday 19 August) announced a package of up to £1 million of initial support to Haiti, as the country recovers from the recent devastating earthquake.

This is in addition to significant UK contributions to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, the Red Cross Disaster Relief Emergency Fund and the Start Fund, which have allocated funding of £5.8 million, £600,000, and £250,000 respectively.

The Royal Navy ship RFA WAVE KNIGHT will also support the US contribution to the international humanitarian response.

The Wave-class fast fleet tanker – part of the Royal Navy’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) – will serve as a landing pad for US military helicopters responding to the crisis in Haiti.

Following a request for international assistance from the Haitian Government, the UK will send a team of medical experts and a UK humanitarian expert is deploying from the UN to provide support.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

Communities in the Caribbean can rely on the Royal Navy to come to their aid when disaster strikes. The Royal Navy has a proud history of supporting British Overseas Territories and other partners in the Caribbean during hurricane season. I’m proud that the UK can now play a part in the US effort to respond to the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Experts from the UK’s Emergency Medical Team (UK EMT) will be deployed to Haiti this week to assess requirements for medical assistance and identify additional support.

The team of 4 medical experts from the UK, Italy and France specialise in emergency medicine, rehabilitation, and logistics, as well as humanitarian healthcare. They are expected to deploy for up to 2 weeks.

UK Minister for the Caribbean Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon said:

It is at times like this that the international community must come together to help those in crisis. The UK’s support will add to Haiti’s efforts to provide emergency disaster relief to those most vulnerable, including access to vital healthcare and sanitation.

On top of this, a UK humanitarian expert will arrive in Haiti as part of a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) mission, to help assess damage and humanitarian needs resulting from the earthquake.

The UK will also support the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) who will aid the Haiti Civil Protection General Directorate (DGPC) with operations and co-ordination.

Notes to editors

• UK-Med is a frontline medical aid charity that provides the doctors and nurses for the UK EMT. Humanity & Inclusion UK is an international disability charity that provides rehabilitation specialists to the UK EMT.
• The UNDAC team is part of the international emergency response system for sudden-onset emergencies. It is designed to assist the United Nations and governments of disaster-affected countries in meeting international needs for early and qualified information during the first phase of a sudden-onset emergency, as well as in the coordination of incoming international relief at national level and/or at the site of the emergency.
• The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) has agreed a pay out of approximately $40 million to Haiti. The UK is a founding donor, and subsidises Haiti’s subscription as a leading donor to the Caribbean Development Bank.
• The UK is a longstanding supporter of the CERF. In 2020, the UK was one of the largest donors to the Fund, providing £66m ($88.6m) to support responses to humanitarian need across the globe.
• The UK supported the establishment of the Start Fund in 2014 and remains a major contributor to it, committing £49.5m from July 2018 until July 2022.
• The FCDO has committed a £6m UK contribution to the DREF (£1.5m per year 2020-2023).

On RFA WAVE KNIGHT/ HMS MEDWAY

• Two British naval ships – RFA WAVE KNIGHT and HMS MEDWAY – are currently deployed to the Caribbean to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. They have been deployed to the Caribbean since May 2021 to support British Overseas Territories and other partner nations the region throughout hurricane season.
• RFA WAVE KNIGHT arrived off the west coast of Haiti in the early hours of Wednesday (BST). It will allow US helicopters to refuel as they fly to and from the island, extending their range and time available to support the disaster relief efforts.
• The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is the civilian support branch of the Royal Navy, providing vital logistical and operational support to military operations.
• Photography and footage from RFA WAVE KNIGHT is available at www.defenceimagery.mod.uk
• For further updates follow @DefenceHQ/@DefenceHQPress. You can contact the MOD press office on 020 7218 7907.

Competent authorities of exporting countries should use the relevant model health certificate as a template to create a version exporters can apply for to export equines to Great Britain, the Channel Islands or Isle of Man.

A new report published today by the Regulatory Horizons Council (Thursday 19 August) sets out how the UK could strengthen the regulation of medical devices, learning lessons from the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic while boosting the UK’s world-class life sciences sector.

The Regulatory Horizons Council (RHC) is an independent expert committee which identifies the regulation needed to foster technological innovation and provides government with impartial, expert advice on the regulatory reform required to support its rapid and safe introduction. Their new proposals set out how medical devices such as pacemakers or implantable defibrillators should be regulated to ensure we can tackle healthcare challenges effectively, now and in the future.

The report identifies the UK’s departure from the European Union as an opportunity to build a UK-specific regulatory system that puts patients at the heart of decision-making processes – for example by increasing patient representation on expert groups for advice on medical research and devices, and by providing evaluations of medical devices that are easily understandable. It highlights the opportunities now available to the UK, not only to respond more quickly to new advances in technology, but to work with like-minded countries in shaping international regulation.

Life Sciences Minister Nadhim Zahawi said:

Our life sciences industry is at forefront of global, modern regulation, as demonstrated by the speed and flexibility of the UK’s development and rollout of COVID vaccines.

Today’s report supports our ambition to capitalise on the UK’s departure from the European Union and put in place streamlined regulation that will ensure we can bring to market safe and effective medical devices quickly, benefitting patients across the country.

It calls for lessons to be learnt from the UK’s COVID-19 response, including addressing delays in medical device approval so that equipment can be authorised effectively and at speed. It also recommends that pandemic preparedness should include fast-track evaluation of new in vitro diagnostics and that reporting of diagnostic tests be transparent and standardised.

The report also highlights opportunities for the UK to take a leading role in the development of international standards, notably in sectors of importance such as AI, while exploring membership of international programmes such as the Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP).

Innovation Minister Lord Bethell said:

The UK’s brilliant life sciences sector has excelled during the pandemic, pioneering important research and developing vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 which have saved countless lives across the globe.

Our regulator, the MHRA, was the first in the world to approve a COVID-19 vaccine and will soon be outlining proposals for a new regulatory framework for medical devices which will prioritise safety and help UK patients benefit from cutting-edge medical technology. This report is a welcome addition to help shape this area.

It suggests using medical devices as a template to help enable broader UK regulatory reform that improves patient safety and system efficiency by identifying areas where regulatory reform may attract inward investment and growth.

Today’s publication follows the launch of the government’s new Life Sciences Vision, published last month, which outlined ambitions for the sector over the next decade, including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) forthcoming consultation on a new regulatory framework for medical devices.

Earlier this year the Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021, which provides a framework for updating the UK life sciences regime, received Royal Assent. This Act is a milestone in ensuring that after leaving the EU, the UK remains a world-leading regulator by supporting the delivery of the Life Sciences Vision, but also by and ensuring the UK can continue to embrace new health innovations.

The Act allows us to maintain a regulatory system that does what is best for the UK supporting innovation and protecting patient safety. The UK government remains committed to working collaboratively with industry to deliver key ambitions for a future medical devices regime.

Today’s report highlights the opportunity for the UK to show international leadership and become a global centre for medical device regulation.

The Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has written to the Regulatory Horizons Council welcoming the report, and the Department of Health and Social Care will respond in detail to its recommendations following the response to the forthcoming MHRA consultation.

About the Regulatory Horizons Council (RHC)

The Regulatory Horizons Council (RHC) is an independent committee, sponsored by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), that identifies the implications of technological innovation. It provides government with impartial, expert advice on the regulatory reform required to support its rapid and safe introduction of new technologies.

Establishing the RHC was one of the key recommendations from the government’s white paper on Regulating for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The RHC is currently undertaking deep dives with recommendations for government on regulatory reform on:

The Council has decided on its next programme of work for later this year including; principles for pro-innovation regulation, hydrogen, neurotechnology, and artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Learn more about the RHC.