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Tag: 2025

  • PRESS RELEASE : Joint Expeditionary Force activates UK-led reaction system to track threats to undersea infrastructure and monitor Russian shadow fleet [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Joint Expeditionary Force activates UK-led reaction system to track threats to undersea infrastructure and monitor Russian shadow fleet [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 6 January 2025.

    Joint Expeditionary Force partners and NATO will be alerted by the system of any ships deemed a risk to key areas of interest.

    The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) has activated an advanced UK-led reaction system to track potential threats to undersea infrastructure and monitor the Russian shadow fleet, following reported damage to a major undersea cable in the Baltic Sea.

    The 10-nation strong Joint Expeditionary Force, of which the UK is the framework nation, has also released a statement expressing concern at the damage caused to Estlink2 and highlighting the Alliance’s commitment to working together to safeguard shared interests.

    The operation, activated last week and named Nordic Warden, harnesses AI to assess data from a range of sources, including the Automatic Identification System (AIS) ships use to broadcast their position, to calculate the risk posed by each vessel entering areas of interest. The JEF action reinforces existing and planned NATO responses.

    Specific vessels identified as being part of Russia’s shadow fleet have been registered into the system so they can be closely monitored when approaching key areas of interest.

    If a potential risk is assessed, the system will monitor the suspicious vessel in real time and immediately send out a warning, which will be shared with JEF participant nations as well as NATO Allies.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    Growth and national security are vital to our Plan for Change, which is why this government is working closely with our allies to protect critical national infrastructure, such as undersea cables.

    I am pleased we are launching this cutting-edge technology so soon after the JEF Summit to enhance European security and deliver on our Plan for Change.

    Nordic Warden was activated last week under JEF protocols, which provide a series of options to the Alliance that can be activated in order to protect against potential threats. The initiative highlights how the JEF is using innovative technologies to boost collective European security, while supporting and complementing NATO’s own operations.

    It comes following reported damage on Christmas Day to the Estlink2 undersea cable in the Baltic, which authorities in Finland suggest may have been caused by a tanker which forms part of Russia’s shadow fleet of vessels it uses to attempt to bypass international sanctions.

    Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

    The UK and JEF are leading the way in providing support to our Allies to help safeguard the offshore infrastructure we all rely on against potential threats.

    Nordic Warden will help protect against both deliberate acts of sabotage as well as cases of extreme negligence which we have seen cause damage to underwater cables.

    Harnessing the power of AI, this UK-led system is a major innovation which allows us the unprecedented ability to monitor large areas of the sea with a comparatively small number of resources, helping us stay secure at home and strong abroad.

    22 areas of interest – including parts of the English Channel, North Sea, Kattegat, and Baltic Sea, are currently being monitored from the JEF’s operational headquarters in Northwood, where personnel from all JEF nations work side by side.

    Nordic Warden was first trialled during the summer of 2024 and again during the JEF’s Exercise Joint Protector, which saw more than 300 UK personnel deploy to Latvia to demonstrate the ability of the UK to deploy its operational headquarters for JEF abroad at short notice.

    The UK has led international efforts through a global alliance to disrupt the shadow fleet. As part of the initiative launched by the Prime Minister at the European Political Community last year, the UK has sanctioned 93 oil tankers which Putin has been using to soften the blow of sanctions and bankroll his illegal war in Ukraine. Today’s announcement complements last month’s agreement between the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Finland and Estonia to request proof of insurance from suspected shadow vessels as they pass along the Baltic route.

    Commenting on the reported Estlink2 damage, the joint statement from Joint Expeditionary Force members said:

    This is another example of maritime incidents causing direct economic and security implications for Finland and Estonia, highlighting the risks to vital communication and energy networks essential for the security and prosperity of all our nations.

    The JEF commends Finland and Estonia for their decisive actions in dealing with the Estlink-2 power cable incident. We remain committed to supporting Participant Nations, NATO, and Allies in safeguarding our shared interests and regional stability.

    Keeping the country safe is the Government’s first priority, and an integral part of its Plan for Change. The work of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force, is critical to the security and stability of the UK, and Nordic Warden will help protect against threats.

    The Joint Expeditionary Force is comprised of 10 like-minded nations, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Netherlands, Sweden and the UK as the Framework Nation.

    The JEF by design is a high readiness, adaptable force which enhance the ability of the grouping to respond rapidly to threats, anywhere in the world.

  • PRESS RELEASE : We call on the Sudanese authorities to fully cooperate with humanitarian response – UK statement at the UN Security Council [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : We call on the Sudanese authorities to fully cooperate with humanitarian response – UK statement at the UN Security Council [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 January 2025.

    Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the protection of civilians in Sudan.

    First, the United Kingdom expresses its alarm at the latest IPC report confirming that famine is rapidly spreading in Sudan.

    As we’ve heard, children are acutely malnourished, preventable disease is spreading and basic services collapsing. On current projections, over 630,000 people face famine by May 2025.

    Urgent action is needed now or more lives will be lost.

    We are concerned that the Sudanese authorities have halted their participation in the IPC system in response to this report. Continuing to deny the food insecurity spreading across Sudan will only exacerbate suffering.

    We call on the authorities to fully cooperate with the humanitarian response.

    Second, we reiterate our support for bold international action, including by the UN, to tackle the humanitarian crisis.

    In November, the UK doubled its aid commitment to Sudan and the region to almost $140m.

    We call on the international community to step up support to both the UN and Sudanese local responders on the front line.

    Third, President, we know that these devastating IPC figures are driven by the ongoing conflict and poor humanitarian access. It is within the power of the warring parties to prevent a deepening of this man-made crisis.

    We welcome the Sudanese Armed Forces agreement to establish humanitarian supply hubs and extend permissions for the Adre crossing, which should be sustained.

    But humanitarian access needs to be expanded to all civilians in need. This includes enabling other access routes, including through South Sudan and cross-line.

    We also encourage the authorising of further humanitarian hubs, including in areas held by the Rapid Support Forces.

    We urge both sides to lift all bureaucratic impediments and to put in place necessary safety guarantees for aid workers. And we fully condemn the killing of three WFP staff members in December and call for a thorough investigation.

    President, to conclude, with excess deaths potentially reaching into the millions, the latest IPC warning should be a rallying call for action to end this conflict now and to scale up humanitarian support.

    In 2025, this Council and the international community must work together to bring an end to this dark chapter for Sudan and to forge a pathway towards lasting peace.

  • Keir Starmer – 2025 Speech on the NHS

    Keir Starmer – 2025 Speech on the NHS

    The speech made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, at the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre, Epsom on 6 January 2025.

    A happy new year to you all!

    I hope you had a refreshing Christmas break.

    I do recognise and realise that for so many people in the NHS, those words ‘Christmas’ and ‘break’ don’t very often go well together.

    So before I say anything else – can I just say to all of you, and through you to all of your colleagues who work in the NHS. Thank you.

    Thank you for the service to our country. And for the countless lives that you save and change – every single day. A massive thank you to you.

    Now, this year of course is the 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ day.

    And on the 8th of May and the 15th of August we will come together to celebrate the greatest victory of this country and the greatest generation that achieved it.

    It will be a wonderful moment – and we intend to do them proud.

    But what that generation knew is that the strength and prosperity of a nation rests on the security of working people.

    And that the fundamental job of government is to deliver that security so working people can realise their aspirations and drive a country forward.

    And so for this Government that is what this year is about, what next year is about, what every waking moment is about.

    The goal of our Plan for Change. And this year – we will deliver.

    And let me tell you there is no institution more important for the security of our country than the National Health Service built by that generation eight decades ago now.

    It’s the embodiment of British values and humanity.

    Fairness and equal respect.

    But look at it now. And I’m looking at the staff here.

    Because the feeling of record dissatisfaction.

    Millions of people – waiting, waiting, waiting on waiting lists.

    Their lives on hold.

    The potential of the country, if you like – blocked.

    So 2025 is about rebuilding Britain.

    And rebuilding our NHS is the cornerstone of that.

    We will protect the principles we all cherish and that you all work to every day.

    Care – free at the point of use.

    Treatment according to need. Key principles.

    But to catapult the service into the future.

    We need an NHS reformed, from top to bottom.

    Millions of extra appointments signed, sealed and delivered with the plan we are launching today.

    National renewal in action.

    You know, people have long said we couldn’t do this.

    The wallowing in a fatalism about the potential of this country.

    The change we can deliver for working people.

    Well – this plan is a comprehensive rebuttal of that mindset.

    A National Health Service that treats patients more quickly. That is closer to their lives.

    Gives them a level of convenience that they take for granted in nearly every other service they use every day.

    Just think about, every day, with just few swipes of their phone millions of people buy food or clothes for their family. They book holidays. They even find love!

    There’s no good reason why a public, free at the point of use, NHS can’t deliver that kind of convenience.

    In fact – it must.

    And we talked about some of these this morning. We need an NHS hungry for innovation as you are at this centre.

    That is the only way to face up to the challenges of the future.

    The wonder of us living longer and longer.

    And with that hunger – together we will save countless lives.

    Improve care from where it is now, beyond belief.

    Do not doubt this can be done.

    A system like ours with vast amounts of patient data, with scale, with the extraordinary resilience of our NHS staff.

    We are well-placed for the AI revolution in healthcare.

    Trust me – that is coming.

    And Britain is a world leader.

    So we can do this.

    But first – we must confront the reality of what is needed.

    Because the NHS can’t become the national money pit.

    Productivity can’t bump along 11% lower than it was before the pandemic.

    Working people can’t be expected to subsidise the current level of care with ever rising taxes.

    That is the price of ducking reform – and I won’t stand for it.

    I believe in public service, I believe in the NHS, I will fight for it – day and night. But I will never stand for that.

    And look as many of you will know, and as we talked about this morning – my wife, my sister, my mum.

    They all worked or work for the NHS. And as you know nobody works in the NHS for an easy life – you know that and I know that.

    Indeed, I’ve said many, many times before – I wouldn’t be standing here in front of you today if it wasn’t for the NHS.

    Because my Mum had Still’s disease – she was diagnosed when she was eleven. And one of the things she was told was that she would never have children.

    Well the NHS never gave up on her. And that’s why I’m standing here today, so thank you to the NHS – as every family has a story like that to thank the NHS for.

    And every day, in this hospital and throughout the service NHS staff give their all to save lives and look after the families of other people.

    And then just get up the next day and just to do it all again. Every single day.

    So when I think about what they’ve been through over fourteen years.

    It makes me angry.

    I am angry – that you are working harder and harder yet the system just isn’t delivering results that we need for patients or for staff.

    That is the cut and dry argument for reform.

    And it’s not just about money.

    At the budget we invested over £25 billion in the National Health Service.

    A record amount, and rightly so over £1.8 billion since July on cutting waiting times – alone.

    And that’s investment that will deliver 40,000 extra appointments every single week, picking up on some of the techniques that you are using here.

    And that’s an outcome that is wanted by everyone. Wished for by everyone. But it’s only possible because of the difficult choices we confronted.

    But let me be crystal clear that money will not be used, not as it has been in the past just to paper over cracks.

    That’s the definition of the sticking plaster politics that we were elected to change.

    No, this is the year we roll up our sleeves and reform the NHS.

    A new era of convenience in care. Faster treatment – at your fingertips. Patients in control. An NHS fit for the future.

    It’s not just about giving patients greater flexibility over appointments or leveraging the power of the NHS App.

    And we are doing to do that.

    But there’s a bigger principle here.

    It’s about unlocking the huge untapped potential if we organise services around patient control.

    And you see it with Martha’s Rule which was really important.

    It’s about a shift in the balance of power away from a passive deference to doctors and towards patients being able to get that second opinion.

    Play a greater role in deciding their care and treatment.

    And the early results of Martha’s Rule are in.

    Lives of some of the sickest patients in our care:

    Transformed, extended, saved.

    And so it’s a rule that’s now being recognised as a potentially groundbreaking innovation.

    So look – across the NHS we will put patients in control of their care.

    And to meet that demand we will also move care closer to their lives.

    Shift treatment away from hospitals and centres.

    And deliver more care at their GPs, in their community, in their home.

    And you gave me some brilliant examples of what a difference that makes – shifting care towards people’s communities and their homes this morning when we were walking through what you do right here.

    Because as you know – this will make a massive difference to waiting times.

    If we can get more GPs consulting immediately with specialists. Diagnosing even more quickly than that will avoid an extra 800,000 unnecessary referrals and appointments – every single year.

    Another game-changer – community diagnostic centres.

    We will open them, more of them – and they will be seven days a week, twelve hours a day.

    So that if you need a scan or an X-ray, you get it done much more quickly – and at your convenience.

    That alone – will deliver 440,000 extra tests and scans every year.

    We’ll also let patients with long-term conditions monitor themselves at home. Give them the technology to do that.

    That will cut another half a million unnecessary appointments.

    We’ll also reform funding incentives.

    Focus our investment on what will actually cut waiting times.

    Far too much money is wasted on inefficient care. That has to stop. Because we can’t afford it.

    Artificial Intelligence will help us here as well.

    I’ve seen it in action at the hospital I was at the tail end of last year.

    AI-enhanced stethoscopes that can tell, literally in a heartbeat whether you’re at risk of cardiac failure.

    And just think about that.

    A patient saved, in an instant.

    From a possible future that they may have had, where they collapse, possibly more than once.

    Rushed, on trolleys, into acute services in a hospital. All of that avoided because AI was able to pick it up much earlier.

    Think of the impact not just on the individual patient, the person that might happen to, and of course their families, but also on the NHS.

    Artificial intelligence is a technology with almost unlimited power to cut waste, speed things up and save lives. And with this plan – the NHS will harness it properly.

    And finally – to cut waiting times as dramatically as possible our approach must be totally unburdened by dogma.

    Working people would expect nothing less.

    So today – I welcome a new agreement that will expand the relationship between the NHS and the private healthcare sector.

    Make the spaces, facilities and resources of private hospitals more readily available to the NHS.

    That’s more beds, more operations, more care – available to the NHS. Treating patients – free at the point of use. Targeted – at where we need them most.

    A partnership – in the national interest. Cutting waiting times, working for you. Delivering our plan for change.

    I know some people won’t like this, but I make no apologies.

    Change is urgent.

    I’m not interested in putting ideology before patients and I’m not interested in moving at the pace of excuses.

    All through this project that we have been involved in people have been saying – slow down…

    “You won’t win in every nation in Britain…”

    “You won’t deliver that plan…”

    They’ll say it again this year – I have no doubt about that.

    It’s that anthem of decline.

    But they’ve been wrong at every stage so far and they’ll be wrong again.

    Because this year – we will show that Britain can. We can change our country.

    Politics can be a force for good.

    We can unite the NHS behind a plan for reform.

    An NHS that is faster, easier and more convenient with waiting times – cut.

    Patients in control.

    Technology – at your service.

    And outstanding care in your community.

    That is the change we will deliver.

    Another step along the road to a country and a people…

    Strong, secure, confident.

    That the future will be better for their children.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Emma Bunce, Teresa Anderson and Julia Mundy appointed as Trustees of Royal Museums Greenwich [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Emma Bunce, Teresa Anderson and Julia Mundy appointed as Trustees of Royal Museums Greenwich [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 6 January 2025.

    The Prime Minister has appointed Emma Bunce, Teresa Anderson and Julia Mundy as Trustees of Royal Museums Greenwich for four year terms from 20 November 2024 to 19 November 2028.

    Professor Teresa Anderson MBE

    Appointed from 20 November 2024 to 19 November 2028.

    Teresa Anderson is Founder and Director of The University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement and is professor of Cultural and Creative Industries in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures at the University of Manchester. She has a BSc in Physics, an MSc in Instrumentation, a PhD in Electrical Engineering, and a Master’s degree in Fine Art.

    The Centre first opened in 2011 and (pre-COVID) attracted over 150,000 visitors each year, including 25,000 school children, who participate in a curriculum-linked Education programme. The Centre takes innovative approaches to increasing diversity and engaging new audiences with science.

    In 2016, Teresa co-founded the bluedot festival at Jodrell Bank, which brings together science, music, art and culture, breaking down barriers between sectors and celebrating creativity and innovation. The festival typically attracts 25,000 people each year. Teresa also led, together with Tim O’Brien, the ten-year project that resulted in Jodrell Bank being awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2019. In June 2022, the award-winning £21million ‘First Light Pavilion’ was opened at Jodrell Bank. Teresa led and directed the project from inception in 2008 to delivery.

    In 2013 Teresa was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to Astrophysics. In 2014 she was awarded the Institute of Physics Kelvin Medal for Public Engagement with Physics. In 2024 she was named one of the National Lottery’s ‘Heritage Gamechangers’ for her work on the heritage and cultures of science.

    Professor Emma Bunce OBE

    Appointed from 20 November 2024 to 19 November 2028

    Professor Emma Bunce is the Director of the Institute for Space at the University of Leicester and previously Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy. She is Professor of Planetary Plasma Physics, studying the electromagnetic interaction between the Sun and the planets. Emma has worked on multiple international space missions: the NASA Cassini mission to Saturn, the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission to Mercury, and the ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission to Jupiter and Ganymede. She is the Principal Investigator of the only UK science instrument on the BepiColombo mission, and leads the international science team. She is the European Co-Chair of the JUICE-Europa Clipper Joint Steering Committee, aiming to identify opportunities for joint science between these two independent flagship missions.

    Emma was President of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) from 2020-2022, and worked on the Board of Trustees of the National Space Centre from 2014-2023. Emma has received multiple distinctions for her work including the RAS Chapman medal (2018) and the European Geophysical Union David Bates medal (2022) for her “exceptional contribution to planetary science”. In 2023 Emma was awarded an OBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours for “services to Astronomy and Science Education”.

    Dr Julia Mundy

    Appointed from 20 November 2024 to 19 November 2028

    Dr Julia Mundy has attained international recognition for her academic research into strategic risk, accountability, and organisational performance. She is Deputy Director of the Institute for Political Economy, Governance, Risk & Accountability at the University of Greenwich. After a career in financial services, including as an investment analyst, she obtained an MBA in Finance from the Bayes Business School (formerly City University Business School) and a PhD in Accounting from the University of Melbourne. She also qualified as a Chartered Secretary.

    Julia brings extensive committee experience with a government department and other public sector bodies, including regulators. She currently serves on the Audit & Risk Assurance Committee of the UK Statistics Authority (Office for National Statistics and the Office for Statistics Regulation) and on the Financial Conduct Authority’s statutory Consumer Panel where she advises and challenges the FCA in its development of policy and regulation. Julia served for seven years on the Board of Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust, where she was Vice Chair and Senior Independent Director and where she chaired the Audit & Risk Committee and the Finance, Investment & Performance Committee. Other independent roles include the audit committee of a housing association and the Research Advisory Board of the ICAEW.

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    Trustees of Royal Museums Greenwich are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Julia has declared that she canvassed for Rachel Blake MP on two occasions during the 2024 General Election, and held the post of Honorary Treasurer for Labour Humanists from 2009 until 2016. Teresa and Emma have not declared any significant political activity.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Power to patients as government sets out plan to cut waiting lists [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Power to patients as government sets out plan to cut waiting lists [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 6 January 2025.

    Patients will be offered a wider choice of providers and the process of booking treatments and appointments will be made as smooth as possible.

    • An upgraded NHS App will enable patients to choose providers, book appointments in more settings and receive test results, all in one place
    • Proposals are part of the elective reform plan, setting out proposals to cut waiting lists and reduce waiting times to 18 weeks
    • Greater choice and control for patients will sit at heart of reforms, as government delivers on its Plan for Change to rebuild NHS
    • It will establish minimum standards patients should expect as they wait for care

    A revolutionised NHS App is among a raft of proposals aimed at giving patients greater power over how and when they receive elective treatment, as the government sets out its roadmap to cutting waiting times as confirmed in the Plan for Change.

    Currently, less than a quarter of patients recall being offered a choice of hospital for their treatment. Patients have a legal right to choose their provider and the government wants to give them more control over their own care.

    Under measures in the forthcoming elective reform plan, patients will be offered a wider choice of providers and the process of booking treatments and appointments will be made as smooth, supportive and convenient as possible.

    Planned NHS App upgrades will enable patients requiring non-emergency elective treatment to:

    • view and manage appointments at a time and place that is convenient to them, reducing missed appointments, which are costly to the NHS – in 2023 to 2024, there were 8 million missed appointments in elective care
    • choose from a wide range of providers, including in the independent sector
    • book diagnostic tests through the NHS App at convenient locations, such as a community diagnostic centre (CDC) in a local shopping centre
    • receive test results quickly through the app before choosing the next step – whether a remote consultation or surgery – at a convenient time and location

    As a first step, by March 2025, patients at over 85% of acute trusts will be able to view appointment information via the NHS App.

    Patients will also be able to contact their treatment provider at their convenience, and receive clear information and regular updates, including on how long they are likely to wait for their appointment.

    Currently, most patients receive test results through a phone call from a clinician, or a letter with either the result or instructions to book an appointment to discuss them further. This can be a significant time after the diagnostics took place. Enabling patients to receive test results quickly through the app will help address these inefficiencies in the process.

    The proposals are part of the elective reform plan, set to be announced this week, which sets out how the government and NHS will deliver on its Plan for Change to slash the waiting list and cut waiting times to 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament.

    The plan marks the start of a new era for the health service that will put patients in the driving seat and in control of their own care.

    Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said:

    If the wealthy can choose where and when they are treated, then working class patients should be able to as well, and this government will give them that choice.

    Our plan will reform the NHS, so patients are fully informed every step of the way through their care, they are given proper choice to go to a different provider for a shorter wait, and put in control of their own healthcare.

    This government’s reform agenda will take the NHS from a one size fits all, top down, ‘like it or lump it’ service, to a modern service that puts patients in the driving seat and treats them on time – delivering on our Plan for Change to drive a decade of national renewal.

    By bringing our analogue NHS into the digital age, we will cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks and give working class patients the same choice, control and convenience as the wealthy receive.

    The NHS currently lags behind in digital communications, with just 8% of bookings after a referral being made via the NHS App or the Manage Your Referral website. The proposals will drive up this figure by making the NHS App and Manage Your Referral site the default route for patients to choose their provider, or decide not to make that choice themselves.

    Greater choice will be available so people can take control of their health, with strengthened communications to patients through the app, making them aware of the options available to them.

    More widely, the plan establishes minimum standards patients should expect – giving them more power over decision-making and what they can expect to be able to do:

    • choose how they receive follow-ups for care, whether this be digitally or in person
    • receive a shortlist of providers to choose from, have the option to choose an appointment that suits them, and receive information on how to change their appointment
    • decide whether a follow-up appointment is necessary or whether it is more beneficial to continue recovering at home
    • have the ability to contact their provider for any necessary follow-up, rather than being called back at intervals that do not suit their circumstances
    • get clear communications that meet their needs throughout their time on the waiting list – including to check whether they still want to be on the list

    NHS Chief Executive, Amanda Pritchard, said:

    NHS staff are providing record levels of elective care but with too many patients waiting, we know we need to reform further and faster so we can take our progress on the backlog to the next level.

    That is why as part of the elective reform plan we will fully harness the potential of the NHS App, giving patients more information, choice and control over their care while freeing up the time of our staff so they can work more productively too.

    Using technology to revolutionise access to NHS care, alongside offering more availability of tests, checks and scans closer to people’s homes will help us tackle waiting times and put patients in the driving seat of elective care.

    Measures to improve 2-way communication between patients and clinicians, as well as making better use of AI to predict missed appointments, could also save an additional one million missed appointments.

    Missed appointments add significant delay to patients receiving care, increasing pressures on elective services and potentially other areas of the health service. Sending reminders has been shown to reduce missed appointments by up to 80%, and trusts report better results when communication is 2-way with the patient.

    Work is underway to pilot AI services that identify patients more likely to miss appointments and provide support, such as free transport to those most in need.

    And accessible and alternative language, as well as tailored communications, will be made available, particularly in areas of highest inequalities, to ensure all patients have the information they need to take control of their care.

    The plan puts the patient back at the heart, meaning they can receive care that best suits them and their individual needs, by empowering them to take more control over when, where and how they will be treated.

    The plan, Reforming elective care for patients, is available on the NHS England website.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Deal between NHS and independent sector to cut NHS waiting lists [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Deal between NHS and independent sector to cut NHS waiting lists [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 6 January 2025.

    New agreement struck between NHS and independent sector to help tackle waiting lists and give patients greater choice.

    • Specialist areas of treatment to be targeted, including women on gynaecological waiting lists and record numbers of orthopaedics patients
    • Agreement will also benefit patients in deprived areas of the country, enabling a greater choice of providers

    A new agreement has been struck with the independent sector as part of plans to end the hospital waiting list backlog set out by the Prime Minister today (6 January 2025).

    Hitting the 18-week NHS waiting time standard for operations and other planned procedures is a key part of the government’s Plan for Change.

    The new deal will mean the NHS makes better use of the independent sector to tackle waiting lists as well as providing millions more appointments itself.

    The NHS and independent sector partnership agreement will help expand capacity and widen patient choice by setting out how more treatments can be delivered through the independent sector, with care remaining free at the point of use.

    The independent healthcare sector estimate that they have capacity to provide an additional one million appointments a year for NHS patients.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    Mission-led government is about doing things differently. When the waiting lists have ballooned to 7.5 million, we will not let ideology or old ways of doing things stand in the way of getting people’s lives back on track.

    As we deliver our Plan for Change to rebuild the NHS, it would be a dereliction of duty not to use every available resource to get patients the care they so desperately need.

    That’s why this agreement will make sure working people get greater choice over when and where they receive their treatment, and provide more support to the areas in greatest need.

    The new deal will set out how independent sector capacity can be used to tackle some of the longest waits in specialist areas of treatment, such as gynaecology, where there is a backlog of 260,000 women waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment.

    Orthopaedics will also be a key focus, where over 40% of patients are waiting longer than the 18-week target.

    The agreement will also give patients in more deprived areas, where NHS provision is more limited, a greater choice over where they are treated.

    Currently, less than a quarter of patients recall being offered a choice of hospital for their treatment. The government wants all NHS patients to have the opportunity to choose who cares for them, and through the wider elective reform plans set out today will give them more control over their own care.

    Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said:

    Millions of patients are being forced to wait unacceptably long for treatment, failed by 14 years of neglect of the NHS. This government will pull every lever available to get patients treated on time again.

    I’m not going to allow working people to wait longer than is necessary, when we can get them treated sooner in a private hospital, paid for by the NHS. If the wealthy can be treated on time, then so should NHS patients.

    This new agreement will help to cut waiting time faster in parts of the country where the need is greatest, and in gynaecological care where women are left waiting far too long.

    The steps we have already taken in the first 6 months have seen waiting lists begin to fall. The investment and reform we are now making will ensure we deliver on the Plan for Change and cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks.

    The partnership is key to the government’s plans to meet the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients in England will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment. The standard has not been consistently met since 2015.

    As part of the new agreement, NHS England and the independent sector will:

    • work on aligning NHS and independent sector digital systems around a national set of standards so patients can more easily see appointments and results on the NHS App
    • encourage longer-term contractual relationships to be established, enabling further independent sector investment in NHS capacity
    • work together to grow and develop the elective workforce, including ensuring training occurs consistently in the independent sector

    Delivery of extra elective care by the NHS has already been ramping up as the government aims to provide an extra 2 million appointments, scans and operations in its first year to get patients seen more quickly.

    And a renewed relationship with the independent sector will help provide patients with a greater choice of providers for tests or scans, paid for by the NHS, so it remains free at the point of use.

    The agreement has been published alongside the government and NHS’s elective reform plan, which sets out a roadmap to meeting the 18-week standard this Parliament.

    NHS Chief Executive, Amanda Pritchard, said:

    The independent sector is playing a vital role in supporting hospitals to get on top of the backlog, delivering more than 100,000 elective appointment and procedures every week for the NHS – up by more than half since 2021.

    But we are under no illusions that we must go further and faster if we want to get the waiting list down to levels last seen in 2015.

    This new agreement will enable the NHS to make better use of capacity within the private sector where it is needed most, and help us see more patients, free at the point of use.

    David Hare, Chief Executive of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN), said:

    This new agreement is a clear statement from government, the NHS and independent sector that independent providers are a critical part of the NHS’s long-term recovery and renewal.

    Independent providers already treat millions of NHS patients every year, and this agreement builds on these strong foundations by making full use of existing capacity in the sector, ensuring that patients are offered proper choice of provider as well as supporting the sector to invest in, and deliver, an even wider choice of high quality services to NHS patients to bring waiting times down – all delivered free at the point of use and paid for at NHS prices.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer sets out plan to end waiting list backlogs through millions more appointments [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer sets out plan to end waiting list backlogs through millions more appointments [January 2025]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 6 January 2025.

    Millions of patients will be able to access more appointments closer to home and get the treatment they need faster under a new plan to tackle hospital backlogs.

    • Millions more appointments to be created through plan to get people the treatment they need quicker
    • Up to half a million more appointments made available each year thanks to greater access to Community Diagnostic Centres and new or expanded surgical hubs
    • Greater patient choice over follow-up care as part of a drive to open-up one million appointments, alongside better use of tech and other action to save another million missed appointments
    • Reforms mark next step in delivering government’s Plan for Change to deliver for working people

    Millions of patients will be able to access more appointments closer to home and get the treatment they need faster under a new plan to tackle hospital backlogs set out by the PM today [Monday 6th January].

    Tackling the 7.5million strong waiting list inherited by the government so that the NHS once again meets the 18 week standard for planned treatment is a key milestone in the government’s Plan for Change. Restoring this standard will mean millions of patients no longer have to have their lives put on hold.

    Currently, too many patients face long waits for appointments or surgeries and may be referred to hospitals they don’t choose at inconvenient times, while appointments and staff time are being lost to inefficiencies or inconsistencies in care.

    The Elective Reform Plan, published today [Monday 6th January] by NHS England, sets out a whole system approach to hitting the 18-week referral to treatment target by the end of this Parliament. This includes expanded use of Community Diagnostic Centres so that many more people will be able to access tests and checks while going about their daily lives, and the NHS will also increase the number of surgical hubs, which help protect planned care from the impact of seasonal and other pressures.

    The plan will drive forward progress on the government’s first steps commitment to deliver 2 million extra appointments in its first year, equivalent to 40,000 every week. The reforms will put patients first, harness technology to support staff and help the NHS to do things more efficiently.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    This Government promised change and that is what I am fighting every day to deliver.

    NHS backlogs have ballooned in recent years, leaving millions of patients languishing on waiting lists, often in pain or fear. Lives on hold. Potential unfulfilled.

    This elective reform plan will deliver on our promise to end the backlogs. Millions more appointments. Greater choice and convenience for patients. Staff once again able to give the standard of care they desperately want to.

    This is a key plank of our Plan for Change, which will drive growth that puts more money in people’s pockets, secures our borders and makes the NHS fit for the future so what working people live longer, healthier, more prosperous lives.

    Up to half a million more appointments a year are expected to be created in total by opening Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) for longer and bringing 17 new and expanded surgical hubs online. Opening Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) 12 hours a day, seven days a week wherever possible will mean people can access a broader range of more appointments closer to home in their neighbourhoods. This will make sure they are treated more quickly and more conveniently, rather than having to rely on hospitals.

    The plans also involve increasing the availability of same-day tests and consultations so that patients don’t have to wait for weeks in between different stages of care. They will also expand the range of tests available at CDCs so people get better access to treatment, and enabling GPs to direct patients straight to diagnostic testing so that they receive their tests quicker, before having to see a specialist – in turn saving them time and travel.

    Alongside the extended hours for CDCs, 14 new surgical hubs will be created within existing hospitals by June and three others expanded – with more expected in coming years supported by the £1.5bn capital investment confirmed at the Autumn budget. These will bring together the necessary expertise, best practice and tech under one roof to focus on delivering the most common, less complex procedures. The new hubs will be ring-fenced from winter pressures and will cut waiting lists for standard surgeries, in turn freeing up beds in acute wards needed for more complex cases.

    Under the plan, 65% of patients will be treated within 18 weeks by the end of next year. Based on the size of the current waiting list, that would mean a fall of more than 450k people waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

    We inherited record long waiting lists, impacting patients’ lives and their livelihoods. Only the combination of investment and radical reform can turn this around, as we’re setting out today.

    Our Plan for Change set an ambitious target to cut maximum wait times from 18 months to 18 weeks, and we will achieve it by bringing care closer to home and give patients more choice over their treatment.

    The NHS should work around patients’ lives, not the other way around. By opening community diagnostic centres on high streets 12 hours a day, seven days a week, patients will now be able to arrange their tests and scans for when they go to do their weekend shopping, rather than being forced to take time out of work.

    The reforms we’re launching today will free up millions of appointments, so the NHS can be there for us when we need it once again.

    NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said:

    NHS staff have worked tirelessly to bring down the longest waits, treating record numbers of elective patients last year, but with one in nine people currently on a waiting list it is right that we now go further and faster.

    This ambitious blueprint will build on our progress and support hard working NHS staff to deliver faster routine care for patients with the aim of treating nine in 10 within 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament.

    The radical reforms in this plan will not only allow us to deliver millions more tests, appointments and operations, but do things differently too – boosting convenience and putting more power in the hands of patients, especially through the NHS app.

    The reforms set out today are focused on doing things differently by putting patients first, looking at their treatment in the round and empowering them with more choice and control so that care is more convenient and fits better into their lives.

    Further measures include:

    • Using the NHS app to give patients greater choice and control over their treatment. This includes making sure patients can get better access to information via the app, such as the details of their appointments, results and waiting times, and use it to book appointments in the location of their choice, with information about waiting times and patient satisfaction.
    • Preventing unnecessary referrals. GPs will be funded to work with hospital doctors to get specialist advice before making referrals, so that more patients get the care they need without being referred onto the waiting list.
    • Giving patients choice over non essential follow up appointments as part of a drive to free up around 1 million appointments a year for those who need them.
    • Making more appointments available in the community instead of hospitals. More treatment for five specialties with particular pressure on waiting lists will also be made available outside of hospital through targeted reforms, including Ear Nose and Throat services, where around 30% of referrals currently made to secondary care could be provided in the community.
    • Making convenience for patients a priority through the roll out of innovative ‘collective care’ approaches, for example, one stop clinics where patients can be assessed, diagnosed or reviewed on the same day; where appropriate, offering group appointments where patients with long term conditions may benefit from being supported together; opening ‘super clinics’ which bring together a wider range of clinicians to oversee patient care under the oversight of a consultant, increasing the number of patients seen in a day.
    • Driving up patient experience through a set of national standards for elective care. We will publish minimum standards that patients should expect to experience in elective care, including giving patients a shortlist of providers to choose from and clarity on how long they are likely to wait. In turn these standards will make it easier to identify where performance is falling short and how to improve it.

    Harnessing the benefits of new technology and AI is a central part of the government’s mission to rebuild the NHS. Healthcare providers will be supported through these reforms to use technology to tackle inefficiencies holding up appointments.

    For example, focused action across the healthcare system – including drawing on predictions by AI on which appointments are most likely to be missed – will help save up to 1 million missed appointments. Remote monitoring technology – for example, using wearable tech to collect vital health data on patients without them having to see a healthcare professional face to face – will also be deployed more widely to help provide more personalised and more efficient care, ensuring appointments are scheduled because of clinical need, not just at routine intervals.

    Reform will also tackle deep seated structural issues which have held back improvements to date by bringing funding mechanisms, performance oversight and delivery standards together with incentives for positive change. This will ensure the system is set up in a way that rewards and actively drives improvements.

    Trusts who make the fastest improvements in cutting waiting times will be rewarded with additional funding for capital projects tailored to local needs. This could include investment in cutting edge AI diagnostic equipment or hospital ward maintenance.

    There will also be greater transparency on performance and support in place for providers facing the greatest challenges, and new support for clinical and operational leaders on how to deliver more effective elective pathways.

    The plan will also provide greater funding certainty, to help commissioners deliver their operational planning with more stability over their finances.

    Tackling waiting lists is the first step in the government’s mission to build an NHS fit for the future, as set out in the Plan for Change.

    At the heart of this mission are three big reform shifts, which will be central to the 10-Year Health Plan currently being developed in consultation with NHS staff and the wider public and set to be published in spring 2025: hospital to community; analogue to digital; and sickness to prevention.

    These are fundamental and necessary reforms in the way our health services deliver care and address the inherited challenges facing the NHS that Lord Darzi identified in his report published last year.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Jailed Covid fraudster, Ilhan Kekec, ordered to repay Bounce Back Loan in full [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Jailed Covid fraudster, Ilhan Kekec, ordered to repay Bounce Back Loan in full [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 6 January 2025.

    The £30,000 loan was used to pay-off personal debts.

    • Restaurant owner Ilhan Kekec was jailed last year for fraudulently securing a Covid Bounce Back Loan and applying to dissolve his business without informing creditors
    • The 36-year-old overstated his company’s turnover to obtain the £30,000 loan just months into the pandemic
    • Kekec will now have to pay the funds back in full or have his prison sentence extended by 18 months

    A fraudster jailed for illegally obtaining a Covid Bounce Back Loan has been ordered to pay the funds back in full with interest.

    Restaurant owner Ilhan Kekec overstated his company’s turnover to secure a £30,000 loan in May 2020.

    The 36-year-old was jailed for two-and-a-half years in March 2024 following a trial at Isleworth Crown Court.

    Kekec, of Abbotts Drive, Waltham Abbey, Essex, was ordered to repay a total of £37,426 within three months at a confiscation hearing at the same court on Friday 20 December or face an additional 18 months in prison.

    He will still have to repay the loan should his prison sentence be extended.

    Kekec was also ordered to pay £15,900 in costs.

    Alexander Grierson, Head of Asset Recovery at the Insolvency Service, said:

    Ilhan Kekec not only supplied false information to fraudulently acquire £30,000 in taxpayer funds at the start of the pandemic but then proceeded to use the loan to pay off personal debts.

    This was not how the loans were supposed to be used and Kekec himself declared in his application that he would use the money for the economic benefit of his business.

    Securing this confiscation order is important as it means Kekec must pay this money back in full or spend even longer in prison.

    Kekec falsely claimed the turnover of his Hizirali Ltd business was £125,000 when making the application for a Bounce Back Loan in May 2020.

    Hizirali was set up by Kekec to run the Derwish Kebab Restaurant inside the food court of the East Shopping Centre on Green Street in Forest Gate, London.

    Kekec had traded for three years through another company, Helosh Limited, as the Derwish Restaurant on St Albans Road, Watford, before opening this second restaurant.

    However, his new venture only traded for three weeks before the Covid lockdown, and he was unable to open during that period.

    Kekec withdrew the Bounce Back Loan money in cash and later admitted to Insolvency Service investigators that he spent the funds on clearing personal debts.

    He applied to dissolve his company in June 2020, claiming it was no longer economically viable for him to run the restaurant.

    However, he deliberately failed in his statutory duty to inform his creditors within seven days of his voluntary strike-off application with Companies House.

    Kekec was also banned as a company director for three years when he was sentenced for his offences earlier in the year.

    Further information

    • Ilhan Kekec is of Abbotts Drive, Waltham Abbey, Essex. His date of birth is 30 March 1988
    • Sentenced for: Two counts of fraud by false representation, contrary to section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006 and two counts of failure of notification of a voluntary strike-off application to creditors, within the seven-day statutory period contrary to section 1006(1) of the Companies Act 2006
  • PRESS RELEASE : Thousands of British troops to lead major NATO exercise in Eastern Europe [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Thousands of British troops to lead major NATO exercise in Eastern Europe [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 3 January 2025.

    Thousands of UK personnel will continue to deploy to Europe in the next two months to spearhead a major NATO exercise.

    • UK leading contribution with over 2600 personnel and 730 vehicles deploying to NATO’s eastern flank.
    • First deployment under new NATO Allied Reaction Force.
    • Deployment demonstrates UK’s unshakeable commitment to NATO and European Security.

    Thousands of UK personnel will continue to deploy to Europe in the next two months to spearhead a major NATO exercise.

    Leading from the front, the UK is providing the largest contribution of forces with over 2600 personnel, and 730 vehicles deploying to NATO’s eastern flank.

    Throughout January and February 2025, NATO will conduct Exercise Steadfast Dart 25 to practice the deployment of the new Allied Reaction Force, which can rapidly reinforce NATO’s eastern flank. These important exercises will showcase the Alliance’s readiness, capability, and commitment to defend every inch of NATO territory.

    The UK’s 1st Division will be in command of all of NATO’s land forces in the exercise, continuing Britain’s proud tradition of leadership in NATO and demonstrating this government’s unshakeable commitment to the Alliance.

    The exercises will see the UK Armed Forces join thousands of personnel from ten NATO Allies, operating across Romania and Bulgaria coinciding with the anniversary of Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard MP, said:

    This Government wants the UK to be NATO’s leading European nation.

    Exercise Steadfast Dart demonstrates our unshakeable commitment to NATO and highlights the UK key leadership role in the Alliance.

    As we approach the three-year anniversary of Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we must continue to strengthen our collective defences together to deter Putin effectively.

    Keeping the country safe is the Government’s first priority, and an integral part of its Plan for Change. The work of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force, is critical to the security and stability of the UK, supporting all of the Government’s five missions in its plan.

    This exercise will help to improve co-ordination and cooperation between NATO Allies, particularly in the early phases of deployment. The ability of NATO to rapidly deploy is reliant on nations being able to seamlessly operate alongside each other.

    Having a high-readiness forces that can operate across land, air, and sea to respond to emerging threats is a critical component of NATO’s defensive plans. The new Allied Reaction Force will not only support the Alliance’s defence in times of crisis but strengthen deterrence against our adversaries – including Russia.  It will ensure that forces from across the NATO alliance can come together at shorter notice that has ever been possible before.

    730 vehicles including Foxhound and Jackals will deploy by road, air, and sea to Eastern Europe where they will conduct two exercises before returning to the UK at the end of February.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Baroness Louise Casey appointed as Government Lead Non-Executive Director [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Baroness Louise Casey appointed as Government Lead Non-Executive Director [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 3 January 2025.

    The Government Lead Non-Executive will bring non executives from different departments together to ensure cross cutting delivery is pursued across government.

    The Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock DBE, CB, has been appointed by the Prime Minister as the government’s Lead Non-Executive Director (NED).

    Baroness Casey will oversee non-executives from across government to support the delivery of the Plan for Change. Coordinating the substantial experience within departmental boards to deliver cross-government priorities – as we rebuild Britain in a decade of national renewal.

    She will work closely with the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Cabinet Secretary, the Civil Service Chief Operating Officer, and other senior civil servants across government.

    Baroness Casey will also play a key role in recruiting and coordinating non-executive directors, setting cross-cutting NED priorities. She will also support the Cabinet Office and other departments to deliver the Plan for Change: driving economic growth to put more money in working people’s pockets, getting the NHS back on its feet, securing our borders, and rebuilding Britain in a decade of national renewal.

    Baroness Casey has had a varied career both within and outside of government, and currently sits as a cross-bench peer in the House of Lords. She left the Civil Service in 2017 to set up the international homelessness charity, Institute for Global Homelessness. She has a long track record of delivery in government, from tackling rough sleeping to pioneering approaches for helping vulnerable families, as well as leading a number of reviews, including most recently into the standards and culture of the Metropolitan Police.

    Alongside her work as Government Lead NED, it has also been announced today that Baroness Louise Casey will chair an independent Commission to find long-term and sustainable solutions for adult social care in England.

    The Commission, formally launched today by the Prime Minister, will form a key part of the government’s Plan for Change which will turn around health and care services so they are fit for the future.

    Non-Executive Boards Members are drawn from outside government including from business, academia, think tanks and the voluntary sector, to sit on departmental boards. Their role is to support ministers and officials to strengthen the governance of departments, by bringing a commercial or independent perspective. They help provide constructive scrutiny and internal challenge to the work of government.

    Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden said:

    Baroness Casey will bring outstanding experience in tackling some of the most difficult issues facing the country. This will be crucial in coordinating Non-Executive Directors across government to deliver our priorities.

    We have an ambitious programme ahead for us, and I welcome Baroness Casey’s appointment to the role, and look forward to working with her to deliver the Plan for Change.

    Baroness Casey said:

    I am pleased to be appointed by the Prime Minister to be the Government Lead Non-Executive Director.

    I look forward to working with Ministers and senior Civil Service leadership to drive forward the delivery of this Government’s important commitments.

    Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office, Cat Little said:

    Government Non-Executive Directors provide vital scrutiny and challenge to departmental boards, guiding our work and helping us deliver for people across the country.

    Baroness Louise Casey brings extensive experience from leadership roles in and out of the government. I look forward to working with her as Government Lead Non-Executive Director, as we focus all parts of government on delivering the Plan for Change.