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MERSEYSIDE
SCRIPT INITIATIVE WRITING CALL
THE Merseyside Script
Initiative has launched it's 1st stage challenge with the working
title:- "Public House." To get involved, writers
should produce a 10 minute or 10 page, short play involving just 2
strong and memorable characters. It must be a complete story in a
single scene set in 1 place and within a single time frame. The
writers of the winning scripts will be invited to join 3 or 4 other
winners to write a full length stage play to be performed in the
spring 2014 in front of paying audiences. The contest is free to
enter. Full details of the conditions will be found on the
Merseyside Script Initiative
website. This is a fantastic
opportunity for Merseyside writers to showcase their script writing
abilities. If you enter do not forget to let us know!!!
Appeal after man
punched outside Liverpool Central
ON 27 December 2013, the
British Transport Police (BTP) issued an appeal information after a
man was punched outside Liverpool Central Station. Investigators
have released images of three boys officers would like to identify
in connection with the incident, which took place on Monday, 16
December 2013. PC Rahim Ithnin, the investigating officer, said:-
"The victim, a 32 year old man from Liverpool, saw three boys
throwing objects at passers by onto Ranelagh Street, just outside
the station mall entrance around 3pm. He walked over to intervene
and stop them, but one of the youths punched him in the face. In a
bid to stop the attack, the victim put his arm up to defend himself,
but was attacked again. Luckily, the victim was not seriously
injured as a result of the incident, but police are keen to track
the three youths down." Officers are carrying out a number
of enquiries into the assault, and have today released images of 3
boys they would like to speak to. PC Ithnin added:- "This was
an attack on a concerned member of the public who was simply trying
to stop the youths' anti-social behaviour. If you recognise any of
the boys pictured, or have information which could help, please come
forward." Anyone with information is asked to contact
British Transport Police on:- 0800 40 50 40 quoting background
reference:- NWA/B7 of 27/12/2013. Information can also be passed to
the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on:- 0800 555
111.
Significant
increase in parents' awareness of Type 1 diabetes symptoms
THE proportion of parents
who know the 4 main symptoms of Type 1 diabetes has increased by
over 50% over the last year, according to a new survey commissioned
by Diabetes UK. The survey of 925 parents, carried out by Ipsos
Mori, found that awareness of all 4 symptoms is now 14 per cent,
compared to 9% a year ago. This follows Diabetes UK's campaign to
raise awareness of the 4 Ts of Type 1 diabetes symptoms; toilet,
tired, thirsty and thinner. The campaign was launched last November
to try to reduce the high proportion of children with Type 1
diabetes who become seriously ill because they are not diagnosed
quickly enough. It is thought that this happens in about a quarter
of cases and this is often because parents do not associate their
child's symptoms with Type 1 diabetes. But while Diabetes UK has
welcomed the increase in awareness, it is concerned that most
parents still do not know the 4 symptoms. Of the individual
symptoms, the best known is tiredness, which 63% of parents in the
survey identified as a symptom. The least well known was weight
loss, which just 30% were aware of. Awareness of excessive thirst
was 61% and awareness of the need to urinate was 42%. Barbara Young,
Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said:- "In too many cases,
children with Type 1 diabetes are not diagnosed until they are
seriously ill and in a few tragic cases this delay in diagnosis can
even be fatal. This does not have to happen. By making parents aware
of the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes, we can help make sure children
have the best possible chance of being diagnosed quickly. This is
why it is good news that parents are now more aware of the 4 Ts of
Type 1 diabetes than they were a year ago. But there is still a long
way to go, as parents who are aware of all four symptoms are still
the exception rather than the rule. Because children with Type 1
diabetes might have just one or two of the symptoms, it is important
that parents know them all and also understand that if their child
has any of them then they should take them straight to the GP. Also,
we still hear of cases of GPs prescribing antibiotics or telling
parents to see what happens in the next couple of weeks. But because
children with Type 1 diabetes can become very seriously ill very
quickly, it is really important that parents have the confidence to
politely insist that their child gets a test for Type 1 diabetes
right there and then." For more information on the 4 Ts
campaign, go to:-
diabetes.org.uk/the4Ts. |
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The battle for
NHS 111 - who should run it now?
THE General practitioners
are on a collision course with senior civil servants over plans to
give patients who dial the government's 111 medical triage helpline
the right to demand contact from a GP at their registered practice,
an investigation by the BMJ has found.
Email correspondence between senior figures at NHS England obtained
by the BMJ reveals a desire to insert new clauses into GPs'
contracts, which would allow breach of contract notices to be served
to GPs who fail to see or speak to with patients that have been
diverted from 111 call centres. But GP leaders say plans to alter
their contracts would be strongly resisted, as they would overburden
already overstretched practices, and allow remote lay call handlers
to dictate to clinicians on whether patients should be seen.
The findings come at a crucial juncture for the telephone triage
service, which faced huge problems with staff shortages, treatment
delays and ambulances being summoned unnecessarily when it launched
at Easter 2013. It suffered a further setback in July, when NHS
Direct, which was providing the service to around a third of
England, pulled out of all its contracts, after admitting it could
not afford to operate the service on the contractual terms it had
accepted.
NHS England insists the service has overcome these initial problems,
and is now providing a good service to patients. But the
investigation found that the cost of correcting the initial
mismanagement of the service is likely to run into tens of millions
of pounds.
One commissioning body alone has estimated that its re-procurement
process will cost £500,000, with 13 contracts due to be re-tendered.
NHS England has already invested an additional £15m in funding to
shore up 111 services this winter.
Critics said the cost savings anticipated from awarding contracts to
the apparent lowest bidders will be dwarfed by the cost of propping
up the service and re-procuring contracts. Clinical commissioning
groups have been told not to retender any 111 contracts until 2015,
with contracts previously held by NHS Direct being transferred to
temporary "step in" providers, the majority of which
are ambulance trusts.
The BMJ found this has led to further tensions over the future
running of the service, with GP out-of-hours co-operatives fearing a
land grab from ambulance trusts, which now provide 111 services for
almost 34 million people; some 61% of the population.
GP out-of-hours co-ops said they were better placed to operate the
service, as the majority of calls to 111 are for queries most suited
to being seen in primary care.
As part of its investigation, the BMJ obtained details of the
financial terms offered for 27 of the 46 111 contracts currently in
operation via FOI. A further 16 areas refused to provide data,
citing the need for commercial confidentiality, while the remaining
three areas were unable to provide figures.
Across the 27 areas which did provide data, commissioners awarded
contracts worth more than £320m to service providers. This included
£150m for contracts which began in April, 2013, but which will have
to be re-tendered following NHS Direct's withdrawal. The majority of
this figure is accounted for by former NHS Direct contracts in the
West Midlands (£93m) and the North West (£50.3m), both of which
suffered huge difficulties when the service launched in April.
Peter Holden, lead negotiator on 111 for the GPC, and a GP in
Derbyshire, warned that obliging GPs to see patients directed from
111 could place huge pressure on already overstretched GP practices.
Holden added that GPs would not accept being dictated to by lay call
handlers. "We're already seeing 60 to 70 patients a day. We
cannot do any more safely. We are absolutely saturated. We said
quite clearly, there's no way we are going to be told that we are
obligated [to see patients sent via 111]. What we do is re-triage
[patients] and decide what we're going to do. But we are not going
to have some lay operative working a computer programme telling us
how to practice medicine. We're not having it, end of."
Peter Holden told us.
A spokesperson for NHS England said GPs were required to:-
"care for patients as necessary, as part of their contractual terms.
We are working with the BMA to consider a joint statement which
ensures practices make sure they meet this obligation. This is vital
if a patient has been triaged through the clinical algorithm and the
practice can respond with appropriate and timely clinical response."
Barbara Hakin, NHS England's chief operating officer and deputy
chief executive, said NHS England was examining the issue closely as
part of its wider review of the service.
On the service generally, Hakin said:- "We did have a problem,
there is no question. But that's over now and patients are getting a
good service. We're not complacent; we know we need to support CCGs
to keep this service right over the winter. But 111 is here to stay,
we need to continue to make clinical and practical improvements to
it."
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