The partnership is an extension of the successful ‘earn, learn and return’ scheme, which has already seen Indian nurses benefit from NHS work experience.

Registered nurses from Jamaica will undertake work placements in the UK, facilitated by Health Education England, in areas such as emergency medicine and intensive care. They will go back to Jamaica to share their new skills, knowledge and experience with their own healthcare system.

In return, NHS staff will be given the opportunity to travel to Jamaica to share their expertise with the Jamaican health service and help them to improve their care.

The aim of the scheme is to support the Jamaican government in improving the capability and capacity of their nursing workforce, as well as establish a network of professionals from both countries who will continue to share learning and knowledge beyond the scheme itself.

Minister of State for Health Stephen Barclay said:

The NHS is blazing a trail in healthcare across the world and it is testament to the skills and expertise of our dedicated nurses that other countries are vying for their knowledge to help improve their own services.

I’m delighted that we’re partnering with Jamaica in this scheme, which will build on our existing collaboration with India, and further demonstrates the Government’s commitment to forging new international relationships in preparation for the UK to leave the European Union.

This will also form part of the NHS’s commitment to supporting its staff to develop and progress their careers. Offering global health placements within training programmes or as part of continual professional development has shown to have a positive impact on recruitment and retention of staff.

All nurses who come to work for the NHS will be required to meet the standards of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The UK government also recently announced a 25% increase in UK nursing degree training places.

Latest update

Public Health England (PHE) has been investigating a UK case of Neisseria gonorrhoeae acquired in South East Asia which had high-level resistance to the 2 antibiotics, azithromycin and ceftriaxone, which are currently recommended for first-line treatment. The case has now been successfully treated with another antibiotic, ertapenem.

Dr Gwenda Hughes, Consultant Scientist and Head of Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Section at PHE, said:

We are pleased to report that the case of multi-drug resistant gonorrhoea has been successfully treated. Investigations have also revealed there has been no further spread of this infection within the UK. PHE continues to actively monitor and tackle the spread of antibiotic resistance in gonorrhoea and potential treatment failures.

Two similar cases have just been reported in Australia and serve as a timely reminder that we expect to see further cases of multi-drug resistant gonorrhoea in the future. These cases will be challenging for healthcare professionals to manage. We urge the public to avoid getting or passing on gonorrhoea by using condoms consistently and correctly with all new and casual partners. If you think you have been at risk, you should seek an STI screen at a sexual health clinic.

Read the full Multi-drug resistant gonorrhoea in England: 2018 report.

Previous updates

28 March 2018

Dr Gwenda Hughes, Consultant Scientist and Head of Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Section at PHE, said:

We are investigating a case who has gonorrhoea which was acquired abroad and is very resistant to the recommended first line treatment. First line treatment for gonorrhoea is a combination of 2 antibiotics (azithromycin and ceftriaxone). This is the first time a case has displayed such high-level resistance to both of these drugs and to most other commonly used antibiotics.

We are following up this case to ensure that the infection was effectively treated with other options and the risk of any onward transmission is minimised. PHE actively monitors, and acts on, the spread of antibiotic resistance in gonorrhoea and potential treatment failures, and has introduced enhanced surveillance to identify and manage resistant strains of infection promptly to help reduce further spread.

It is better to avoid getting or passing on gonorrhoea in the first place and everyone can significantly reduce their risk by using condoms consistently and correctly with all new and casual partners. Anyone who thinks they may have been at risk should seek an STI screen at a sexual health clinic.

Movements such as #Time’sUp and #MeToo have rightfully moved sexism and discrimination out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

The problems we have in our own country are considerable and we must tackle them – robustly. But issues with gender equality in the UK should not stop or blind us to the flagrant sexism masquerading as ‘tradition’ that is not only holding millions of the world’s poorest girls back but snatching away their futures.

It is sexism that says a girl’s value is based on how many children she has, or the marital match she makes. And it’s sexism that makes some parents invest more in their sons than in their daughters. The fact is patriarchal attitudes are shutting 130 million girls out of the classroom.

There are myriad reasons why in too many countries girls are not allowed to learn. Sometimes it’s because of the chauvinistic attitudes and behaviour that have led to the economic oppression of women. Sometimes it’s because governments lack the mettle to challenge traditions that leave women and girls stuck.

That’s why Britain will lead by example. We will provide 1 million vulnerable girls across the Commonwealth with 12 years of quality education by 2030 and we’re committing £212 million to make this a reality. Educating girls is manifestly in the global interest. It will boost economic growth, curb infant mortality rates, improve child nutrition and release the pressure valve of growing population numbers.

I will use the diplomatic muscle of the Foreign Office to get the world’s poorest girls 12 years of quality education. Why 12 years, you ask? I’ve been inspired by Novel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai’s calls for all girls to have free, safe and quality education. Twelve years is the level of education needed to move a girl from just surviving to truly thriving. And it’s a public commitment that we can’t row back from.

We’ve already made major progress: In 2000, 2 out of every 10 girls of primary school age were out of school. Now it’s below 1 in 10. Simple, practical steps will help girls learn, such as providing solar lamps so that girls can do homework when it’s dark. Or free sanitary products so that girls won’t miss school because they can’t afford them. Even just bringing schools closer to where girls live will make a difference.

I want all 53 Commonwealth countries to commit to this vision because Britain cannot do this alone. It’s not just a question of resources, the Commonwealth is home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies but also half of the world’s out-of-school girls. This is about priorities and countries challenging the sexism that is holding
women and girls back. Imagine the impact if we pulled together.

Good morning and welcome to Windsor Castle; as we’ve seen, a magnificent setting for us to meet, in the best Commonwealth tradition, in the intimacy and privacy of our Retreat.

First let me thank Her Majesty The Queen for her generous invitation into her home, the first time a Heads of Government meeting has been held here in a remarkable history.

I am also struck by the number of Heads of Government we have assembled here today – a powerful demonstration of our commitment to revitalise the Commonwealth, and to tap into its vast potential.

And that vast potential has been clear at the forums this week. Our Commonwealth family has spent the last four days sharing perspectives, and finding ways to make a real difference to people’s lives. I think I speak for everyone around the room when I say that we have all been inspired by what we’ve seen and heard, particularly from our young people.

Yesterday we spoke about our shared challenges as we strive to build a more sustainable, more prosperous, more secure and fairer Commonwealth. Today is a chance to build on that, and for the Commonwealth Heads of Government to talk frankly and openly within the tradition of the Retreat.

Of course a conversation about these challenges cannot ignore the fact that at the very moment international co-operation is so important, some nations are choosing instead to shun the rules-based system that underpins global security and prosperity.

So I look forward to discussing how the Commonwealth can play its part to support this rules-based order, and the very concept of international co-operation.

Today, we also have a number of specific decisions to take, together with a broader conversation about the common future for the Commonwealth that we all want to see.

So I am sure today will be a memorable occasion for all of us, by the end of which I am sure we will all leave even closer friends, and with a unique understanding of each other in ways which cannot be matched by other summits.

A man who killed a highways worker and left another paralysed after speeding while texting has had his sentence increased after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred it for being too low.

Peter Morrison, a 37 year old football agent, hit and killed Adam Gibb, 51, and left his colleague Paul Holroyd, now 53, paralysed from the chest down after losing control of his Mercedes on the M6 in Cumbria.

Morrison had been texting behind the wheel and had been driving at an average speed of 81 mph, when the suggested speed limit was 50 mph, in the period before the collision. His car swerved across three lanes of the carriageway and mounted the crash barrier before rebounding off a rock and hitting the victims.

The two Highways England Officers were overseeing the recovery of vehicles which had crashed earlier in the atrocious weather conditions with strong winds, heavy rain and fog patches causing poor visibility and leaving surface water on some areas of the carriageway.

Morrison had sent a text message 96 seconds before the collision. The last message he received was 45 seconds before it.

Mr Gibb is survived by his wife and young son, who was 15 years old and due to sit his GCSEs at the time. Mr Holroyd suffers long-term effects because of the injuries inflicted by Mr Morrison’s actions.

Morrison pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving but was found guilty by a jury of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving. He was sentenced to a total of 7 years’ imprisonment at Liverpool Crown Court in January.

The Court of Appeal has today increased his sentence to 9 years in prison.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General said:

“Morrison’s deliberate decision to be distracted and drive at excessive speeds in extremely hazardous weather conditions had devastating consequences for two families.

“I am pleased that the Court of Appeal has agreed with me and increased the sentence today.”