Navy’s Theatre Level Exercise, TROPEX 17, gets underway

The Indian Navy’s Annual Theatre Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX) got underway on 24 Jan 17.

Government response: Citizen Go’s campaign about Marie Stopes International (MSI)

The Department of Health’s response to the Citizen Go campaign about Marie Stopes International (MSI).

Ministers agree that Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections and reports have raised considerable concern about compliance by Marie Stopes International (MSI) clinics with requirements set by the Department of Health and the CQC.

Findings of non-compliance related both to practices in the clinics inspected and at a corporate level and were so serious that they led to the suspension of certain services provided by MSI until steps were taken to ensure that these issues had been resolved to the satisfaction of the CQC. The CQC also issued 4 warning notices to MSI in response to regulatory breaches around ‘consent’, ‘safeguarding’, ‘care and treatment’ and ‘governance’, as well as a number of ‘requirement notices’ to support improvement.

The CQC considered MSI to have made sufficient progress and allowed services to be resumed from 7 October 2016. The CQC continues to monitor the progress of MSI and plans to inspect its centres and UK administrative offices again in the near future to ensure that ongoing improvements are made and maintained. The re-inspections will determine exactly how embedded the improvements have been.

The CQC has made clear that it will not hesitate to take further action, if necessary, to guarantee that MSI meets the standard of care it expects and that its patients deserve.

The Department continues to monitor the situation, with particular regard to the statutory approval responsibilities of the Secretary of State.

“Urgent action required” as Theresa May’s NHS Crisis continues – Jonathan Ashworth

New figures published today show that there were 315 cancelled
urgent operations in the NHS in December, including 12 cancelled for the
second or more time.

In total there were 4,093 cancelled urgent operations in 2016,
up from 3779 in 2015 and 3216 in 2014.

The NHS situation report for the week ending 22 January
has been published today, showing further evidence of the strain on the
health service:

51 different trusts reported serious operational
pressures at some point.
11 trusts registered an OPEL 4 incident –
indicating that they were unable to deliver comprehensive care, with
increased potential for patient care and safety to be compromised.
43 temporary diverts from one A&E to another
to provide temporary respite.
18
Trusts had bed occupancy over 99 per cent.

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow
Health Secretary, responding to the latest winter
pressure data, said:

“Theresa May’s NHS crisis continues, and the problems are worse
and more widespread than in previous years. By underfunding and overstretching
the NHS, the Tories have pushed health services to the brink.

“Even urgent operations are now being cancelled in record
numbers – 4,093 in 2016, up 27 per cent in just two years. The Prime
Minister needs to explain what she’s going to do to fix this mess – not just
pass the buck to local health providers. Cuts to social care have left patients
stuck in hospitals across the country even when they are ready to leave, with
knock on effects for those waiting for treatment.

“Urgent action is required and Labour is
calling for a sustainable health and social care package to be brought forward
in the March Budget, so that the NHS and its patients never have to go through
a winter like this again.”

News story: The first English EMFF FLAG launch events get underway

The MMO is delighted to support the launch events of two of our European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs) over the next few days.

The launch events mark the next stage in the process after each of the successful English FLAGs were issued £800,000 under the EMFF scheme to deliver their community led local development strategies in England. The MMO is pleased to be able to attend both events.

Holderness FLAG will hold their launch event on 27 January 2017 at The Spa, Bridlington and Hastings FLAG will launch on 30 January 2017 at The Stade, Hastings.

Commenting on the FLAG launches Andrew Wells (MMO Board Member) said:

“It is very rewarding for the MMO to see Holderness and Hastings formally launch their FLAGs, knowing that they will use the knowledge of local stakeholders to tackle fisheries issues at a local level.

The journey the FLAGs have taken from application to refinement to panel has been a challenging one and it is a testament to the FLAGs that they were successful in securing EMFF funding. They can now use that funding to benefit fisheries communities.

I very much enjoyed reading about the Holderness FLAG journey to this point on our marine developments blog and I am looking forward to attending the Hastings FLAG launch in person on 30 January 2017.”