UKHSA finds vaccination offers strong protection against monkeypox

This is the strongest UK evidence yet for the effectiveness of the vaccine.

As part of the analysis, monkeypox cases in England and vaccination uptake data between 4 July to 3 November 2022 were reviewed to estimate vaccine effectiveness within the eligible gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men (GBMSM) cohort, with vaccine coverage among cases compared to the wider eligible population.

Out of 363 monkeypox cases in this period, 8 had been vaccinated at least 14 days before and 32 had been vaccinated between 0 to 13 days before. The rest (323) were not vaccinated during this outbreak. This gives an estimate of vaccine effectiveness for a single dose of 78% 14 or more days after vaccination.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will continue to investigate the duration of protection from a single dose and the combined protection of 2 doses.

Jamie Lopez-Bernal, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:

While monkeypox cases are low it remains vital to stay alert to the risks. Thank you to everybody who has come forward for their vaccine already – it is helping to keep numbers low, but we can’t get complacent.

We now know that a single vaccine dose provides strong protection against monkeypox, which shows just how important vaccination is to protect yourself and others. A second dose is expected to offer even greater and longer lasting protection.

Please come forward for your vaccine as soon as possible – don’t put it off. Remember that it takes 2 weeks for the vaccine to have maximum effect so the sooner you get vaccinated, the better.

NHS National Director of Vaccinations and Screening Steve Russell said:

Thanks to hard-working staff, more than 55,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine have been delivered so far, and we now know just how effective the vaccine is, offering 78% protection against the virus from just one dose.

While the risk of monkeypox remains low, we urge anyone eligible to come forward to get their vaccination and with the NHS monkeypox site finder, it’s now easier than ever to book in for a first dose, giving yourself a high level of protection.

Published 22 November 2022
Last updated 22 November 2022 + show all updates

22 November 2022
First published.

Miniature water purification technology ensures safe water for the Armed Forces, at anytime, anyplace

Novus has developed a high speed, low energy, mobile and vehicle-mounted water purifier capable of producing safe, medical grade drinking water
Funded through the DASA Open Call, Novus’ innovation provides the Armed Forces a boost to Force Protection and self-sufficiency
Post-contract support from DASA’s Access to Mentoring and Finance (A2MF) Team is preparing Novus for future investment and market readiness

Clean drinking water is essential for Armed Forces personnel out in the field and is vital for the success of any military or humanitarian mission. However, the transportation, delivery and sourcing of water is a huge logistical burden.

In addition, natural sources of clean water are difficult to find, especially in austere environments, where rivers, wells and lakes often contain harmful contaminants that are difficult to remove with traditional water purifiers.

A lack of readily available clean water not only presents strategic and operational challenges for military personnel, it can also greatly reduce the effectiveness of missions due to illness and dehydration, while also adding avoidable strain on medical facilities and personnel.

Introducing Novus: Water purification specialists

Scotland-based Novus received DASA funding to develop their high speed, low energy water distillation unit that can purify water from practically any source, such as sea water, swamps, wells, floods, rivers, and even waste water.

Novus’ technology utilises innovative high temperature evaporation techniques to evaporate water vapour leaving containments behind, resulting in medical grade water, suitable for drinking, field surgery and wound cleansing.

The purification device is also small, at around the size of two jerry cans, has low power requirements and has no removable parts that need to be maintained or replaced, such as carbon filters or reverse osmosis membranes.

The technology will not only reduce the logistical challenges of transporting bottled water, it will also reduce the risk of waterborne disease affecting mission success and ensure constant clean water supply.

The technology can help Defence by:

enabling personnel to access clean, safe water out in the field, regardless of water source quality
improving force resilience by reducing the logistical burden of transporting and relying on bottled water convoys
enabling scalable water production, with one water purification unit able to create over 100 litres of clean water per day
promoting sustainability, by reducing the demand on local water sources and bottled water
reducing the carbon footprint associated with sourcing, transporting and disposing of bottled water, and traditional water purification filters

Making a big splash: from novel idea to live demonstration

Novus started developing the water distillation technology in 2018. They were at an early stage of development and had successfully tested the technology at The University of Edinburgh, but they had a long way to go towards a final product.

Novus began their journey with DASA after a meeting with Dr Debra Carr, Innovation Partner for Scotland, who encouraged them to submit their idea to the DASA’s Open Call for Innovation. Their proposal was successful and Novus received funding to miniaturise the technology for a military case use.

At the end of the project, Novus demonstrated the water purification technology as part of a DASA hosted Demonstration Day in 2021. The virtual event was attended by senior military personnel in the Army and Royal Marines, who witnessed the innovation in action and were impressed by its capabilities to fulfil the challenge of miniaturising water purification capability, to ensure the self-sufficiency of military operations and to meet humanitarian challenges. Additional feedback from the Demonstration Day revealed wider case uses for the technology, such as:

a vehicle mounted drinking water purifier to extend reconnaissance or mission reach
a sea landing and amphibious vehicle mounted drinking water purifier to minimise water transport
a portable, modular and scalable water purification unit for medical and drinking water at point of use for humanitarian missions
a Royal Navy back up water purification unit for Patrol and Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs)

The DASA Demonstration Day had a huge impact on Novus, highlighting end user interest and providing them with credibility to further develop the technology. It also provided a core direction in which they can steer development technology to meet a clear product design specification.

Duncan Peters, Founder of Novus said:

“The DASA team has been the most supportive I’ve worked with in my 12 year startup career. Their team is high energy, engaging, proactive, and always thinking with our best interest in mind. We’ve worked with them for over two years now, and most recently they have supported us by introducing Novus and our technology to high ranking, potential end users within multiple areas of the UK Armed Forces.

“This wouldn’t have been possible without DASA, and it has resulted in demonstrable support for our technology development. Their team has not only opened their network but also identified unknown funding options to help us bring our technology to market, and they are always looking internally for new ways to support us at every stage of its development. We’ve learned that the MoD really does want to fund new innovation, and working with DASA has been like having an additional member of the team, sitting remotely within the MoD framework.”

As a result of DASA’s support, the Demonstration Day and direct feedback from potential end users, Novus is focused on developing a solution that will aid long range reconnaissance teams to help extend mission capability and self-sufficiency. Novus worked with military stakeholders to take the product to its next phase, towards end user trials, where they successfully received a second round of funding from DASA, after they submitted their idea to the Open Call 2021/2022.

What’s next in the pipeline: Investment Showcase

Novus are using DASA funding to further develop the technology into a commercial solution by making the user experience more intuitive, to promote company growth and to develop more variants of the miniaturised water purifier. They are also expanding their engineering and manufacturing team in Scotland, and aiming to enhance their supply chain and business capabilities, to deliver on market interest.

Further post-contract support from DASA’s Access to Mentoring and Finance (A2MF) Team is preparing Novus for future investment and market readiness, and support navigating military procurement taking the product from project to commercial offering.

As part of this development, the A2MF team is preparing Novus for the DASA Investment Showcase later in November 2022, where innovators will pitch their businesses and novel ideas to investors.

Need help to commercialise your solution?

Read about how DASA’s Access to Mentoring and Finance Service can help you build the business behind your innovation.

Well intervention services deal could result in increased costs for UK oil and gas production

Press release

Baker Hughes’ acquisition of Altus could result in oil and gas operators in the UK facing a worse deal for certain well intervention services.

A boat and oil rig at sea — Image credit: CMA

Well intervention services are essential services used by oil and gas operators to manage well production, provide well diagnostics and modify a well’s state or configuration. Both Baker Hughes and Altus supply various well intervention services in the UK, including to operators active on the UK continental shelf.

The Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) Phase 1 investigation has found that Baker Hughes and Altus are the two largest providers of both coiled tubing and pumping services in the UK and compete very closely in the supply of these services currently. After the deal, Baker Hughes would face competition from only one other major supplier – Halliburton – and a small number of other suppliers that are much weaker competitors in the UK.

The CMA is therefore concerned that the loss of rivalry between the merging companies could lead to higher prices, reduced choice and lower quality services for businesses in the UK that purchase coiled tubing and pumping services.

Colin Raftery, Senior Director of Mergers at the CMA, said:

Well intervention services are an integral part of managing oil and gas wells. Competition is vital to avoid higher prices or poorer quality of services for oil and gas operators active in the UK.

Our investigation showed that Baker Hughes’ purchase of Altus would take out an important supplier and few remaining competitors would be left in the market. We will move to an in-depth investigation unless the companies can address our concerns.

Baker Hughes and Altus have 5 working days to submit proposals to address the CMA’s competition concerns. The CMA would then have a further 5 working days to consider whether to accept these in principle instead of referring the case to a Phase 2 investigation.

For more information, visit the Baker Hughes/ Oz MidCo (Altus) investigation page.

Notes to Editors

‘Baker Hughes’ refers to Baker Hughes Nederland Holdings B.V. and ‘Altus’, or ‘Oz MidCo’, refer to Oz MidCo AS (Altus Intervention).
UK refers to the UK part of the North Sea and UK onshore.
Coiled tubing (CT) refers to a conveyance method which uses a continuous length of small diameter flexible pipe to transport fluids, tools, chemicals or gases down a well.
Pumping refers to the delivery of gases or liquids from the surface into the well. It can be provided as ancillary services to CT or as a standalone service.
All media enquiries should be directed to the CMA press office by email on press@cma.gov.uk, or by phone on 020 3738 6460.

Published 22 November 2022

Award winning project delivery at Sellafield

News story

Sellafield Ltd recognised at global awards for contribution to project management.

From left to right in a line up: Daniel Gilks, Haley Kerr, Helen Ross, Eleanor Ball and Mark Kitchingman — The winning project management team. From left to right: Daniel Gilks, Haley Kerr, Helen Ross, Eleanor Ball and Mark Kitchingman

Our project delivery directorate has been named as a winner at this year’s ‘Association for Project Management (APM) Awards’.

These prestigious awards celebrate project organisations, individuals and projects from across a broad range of sectors and their incredible achievements over the past year.

We have won the ‘contribution to the profession: company or consultancy’ category that recognises the work we do to support our project professionals, apprenticeships, developing an effective career pathway, being granted APM assessor status and the education delivered through ‘A Project Academy’ for Sellafield.

This is the 6th APM Award Sellafield Ltd has won to date.

Sellafield Ltd project director, Andy Sharples said:

Being recognised as a winner in the prestigious APM Awards is a fantastic achievement for Sellafield Ltd. I’m incredibly proud of the team and their hard work that is being recognised.

We’re delivering complex and interesting projects at Sellafield – this level of recognition shows how we’re making a positive impact on our project professionals who are working together to deliver our purpose.

Andrew Tyson, head of project management function, Sellafield Ltd:

Winning an APM Award is brilliant news for the project management function and wider organisation. I’m delighted that the team’s hard work and efforts are being celebrated at this level.

We have fantastic people working at Sellafield and this award is testament to the hard work they do each and every day to create a clean and safe environment for future generations.

Published 22 November 2022

DBS and Ann Craft Trust promote Safeguarding Adults Week 2022

Photograph of a person being supported in a health and social care setting — DBS and Ann Craft Trust promote Safeguarding Adults Week 2022

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Ann Craft Trust have teamed up during National Safeguarding Adults Week to support organisations to develop safer working practices.

DBS supports employers to make safer recruitment decisions by processing and issuing criminal record checks and by maintaining the Adults’ and Children’s Barred Lists. Barred lists are records of people not permitted to work in a regulated activity with vulnerable groups, including children

The Ann Craft Trust – which is hosting Safeguarding Adults Week – is a leading UK authority supporting organisations to safeguard adults and young people at risk.

The two organisations are working together focused on the theme of creating safer organisational cultures, helping organisations understand issues such as where there is a legal duty to refer, and types of checks required when recruiting new employees.

Activities being provided will include:

Dr Suzanne Smith, Barring and Safeguarding Director for the Disclosure and Barring Service, said:

“DBS performs a critical role in helping protect the most vulnerable. We support employers to make safer recruitment decisions informed by our different levels of DBS checks and by barring individuals who pose a risk to vulnerable groups from working in certain roles.

“We are pleased to work alongside the Ann Craft Trust, who share a commitment to safeguarding excellence, and look forward to sharing our expertise with organisations working to protect adults at risk.”

Dr Deborah Kitson, CEO of the Ann Craft Trust, said:

“The Ann Craft Trust is now committed to safeguarding adults at risk and disabled young people of any form of abuse and harm. As part of Safeguarding Adults Week this year, we are pleased to be working with DBS to host a free webinar discussing safe and fair recruitment.”