The discussion focused on several subjects related to putting staff at the forefront of change management as the NHS delivers new hospital design and digital transformation.

A report was written up with the intention to enable estates and workforce teams across the NHS to utilise this thinking in improving the effectiveness of change management with NHS staff. This report also enables the Static Systems Group (SSG) to consider alternative ways of building trusted relationships with potential customers within trusts and at a national level with NHS England, given the proposed centralisation of future decisions with respect to the procurement of systems.

Former Health Minister, Professor Ann Keen and Former Deputy National Medical Director at NHS England, Professor Mike Bewick wrote the foreword of the report as summarised below.

Setting the Scene

In the face of numerous challenges surrounding the construction of new hospitals and the imperative for digital transformation, the insights gathered during the New Hospital Build Programme ‘sprint’ roundtable provide optimism for the modernisation and optimisation of the NHS. Even for existing hospitals, the roundtable participants identified manifold opportunities to enhance and streamline healthcare delivery, ensuring that attendees were armed with ideas to deliver in their respective organisations. We hope this paper is as useful to those who read it as to those who generously
gave up their time for others to benefit.

This report serves as a guide for NHS leaders navigating the intricate landscape of healthcare infrastructure improvement within their local areas. The overarching theme, echoing throughout the discussions, accentuates the significance of prioritising patient and staff needs in both the conception and execution of healthcare facilities.

At its core, the report advocates for the formulation of a national plan for hospital construction, advocating standardised practices over the prior fragmented approach. This strategic initiative aims not only to augment staff recruitment and retention but also to cultivate patient-centric environments. The emphasis on individual bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, while enhancing patient comfort, instigates a critical discussion around visibility and potential isolation. To address these concerns, the report suggests harnessing digitisation and tracking technology to identify and alleviate potential challenges.

The concept of the ‘smart hospital,’ embodying interconnected systems weaving together diverse healthcare entities and services, emerges as a cornerstone for the improvement of patient pathways and communication among patients, families, and healthcare professionals. Overcoming barriers and integrating feedback mechanisms are underscored as indispensable elements for advancing individual patient care.

Crucially, the ‘sprint’ attendees championed the involvement of both staff and patients in the design process, recognising the pivotal role of support staff in healthcare. The nexus between staff wellbeing and enhanced patient outcomes is a recurring theme, with proposals for dedicated spaces and wellbeing centres. This report advocates for a comprehensive approach to digital transformation, acknowledging potential challenges such as staff resistance and the need for robust training programs. Inclusive digital solutions, attuned to the varying digital literacy levels of both staff and patients, are imperative.

Efficient healthcare data utilisation is spotlighted, urging for interconnectivity between systems and organisations to alleviate issues like redundant data entry, fostering improved communication and reducing time wastage. The proposal of a unified patient record system seeks to enhance efficiency and eliminate unnecessary competition among healthcare organisations.

Digital Innovation: A Case Study

The report begins with an innovative case study which stands as an example of the transformative power of strategic thinking in digital healthcare infrastructure. In an era where technological innovation propels the evolution of medical practices, the journey undertaken by Static Systems Group (SSG) offers invaluable insights.

The study underscores the significance of a meticulously planned and phased approach to implementing digital advancements, ensuring not only seamless integration but also a profound understanding by stakeholders. A commitment to flexibility, data analytics, and early stakeholder engagement emerges as a beacon for those navigating the complex landscape of healthcare
transformation.

 By prioritising these principles, the case study showcases not just a successful digital evolution but a
blueprint for how healthcare organisations can navigate change while preserving the integrity of their core operations.

NHS leaders are encouraged to leverage this report as a compass, guiding them in prioritising patient and staff needs, embracing digital transformation, fostering open communication, and exploring innovative solutions. The collective wisdom distilled within these pages stands poised to shape a more resilient and responsive healthcare infrastructure for the benefit of all.

Read the full report here.

If you would like to find out more about SSG, please contact Kate Cassidy, Head of Marketing at katharine.cassidy@staticsystems.co.uk

Key Recommendations:

1. Phased Implementation:

Rather than overwhelming staff with a sudden influx of new features, SSG adopts a phased approach to implement digital changes. This allows for gradual adaptation and ensures that each change is thoroughly understood and integrated into existing workflows.

The emphasis is on a pragmatic pace of implementation, with success measured not by the quantity of technology introduced but by the tangible outcomes delivered.

2. Open Platforms:

SSG work closely with other best-in-class digital technology companies to integrate their technologies, where they can. This simplifies the user experience for patients and their caregivers.

SSG recognise the value of flexibility in integrating enhanced features into the core digital system. For example, the integration of nurse calls with mobile devices and fall sensors will be deferred until the clinical team is comfortable with the core system.

This approach facilitates the addition of advanced features when the time is deemed right, leveraging the existing infrastructure and minimising disruptions.

As technology is developing at such a pace, this approach also acknowledges that technology will be different in 3-5 years and anticipates inevitable change.

3. Incorporation of Analytics:

Acknowledging the pivotal role of data in digital transformation, SSG recommends that each digital implementation includes an analytics module. This commitment to data-driven decision-making allows staff to measure the impact of changes and extract valuable insights for continuous improvement.

4. Stakeholder Engagement:

In large-scale projects, like the New Hospital Programme, involving numerous stakeholders, SSG recognises the potential distance between clinical staff and technology suppliers. To mitigate this, early engagement with clinical staff is prioritised.

Early engagement enables the identification of specific needs, such as the requirement for two-way speech at the bedside in response to the high volume of single rooms at the forthcoming new Midland Metropolitan Hospital. This collaboration ensures alignment with the digital strategy of the Trust and led to the inclusion of two-way speech in the project specification.

Results: SSG’s strategic approach to digital infrastructure implementation is yielding positive outcomes, including

• The seamless integration of core digital features without disrupting daily operations
• The gradual adoption of enhanced features based on staff familiarity and readiness
• Data-driven decision-making facilitated by the incorporation of analytics modules
• Early stakeholder engagement, leading to the identification of specific needs and successful alignment with a healthcare organisation’s digital strategy

This illustrates the significance of a well-thought-out strategy in implementing digital infrastructure in healthcare. By prioritising phased implementation, flexibility, data analytics, and stakeholder engagement, SSG is using digital technology to transform workflow and improve patient safety, whilst minimising disruption to patients and staff.

By prioritising these principles, the case study showcases not just a successful digital evolution but a blueprint for how healthcare organisations can navigate change while preserving the integrity of their core operations.

NHS leaders are encouraged to leverage this report as a compass, guiding them in prioritising patient and staff needs, embracing digital transformation, fostering open communication, and exploring innovative solutions. The collective wisdom distilled within these pages stands poised to shape a more resilient and responsive healthcare infrastructure for the benefit of all.

Curia’s NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission

Independent, cross-party, and not-for-profit, as a policy institute Curia turns policy into practice as the UK’s first “do tank”.

Jointly chaired by former Life Sciences and Innovation Minister, Lord James O’Shaughnessy and former Deputy Medical Director at NHS England Professor Mike Bewick, the NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission seeks to identify examples of good practice in innovation, draw learning and consider how implementation plans across the sector can improve the lives of patients. By bringing together key strands of policy and developing effective implementation strategies through extensive research, the Commission seeks to see change at every level within the NHS.

This is just one of the articles that features in the new edition of our journal. To get access to more op-ed’s, please click here to subscribe for an online copy, or please click here to get a print version.

Home Secretary James Cleverly will hold talks with police chiefs to discuss how to better ensure the safety of MPs.

Additional funding to protect MPs

The funding could be used for the provision of bodyguards for MPs most at risk, as well as increased police patrols in response to heightened community tensions and mass protests since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.

The Home Office said the funding package would be used to increase private sector security provisions for those facing greater risk and to expand cyber security advice to locally elected representatives. It said the money would also ensure all elected representatives and candidates have a dedicated named police contact to liaise with on security matters.

Meanwhile, a new communities fund will be established to allow extra police patrols in England and Wales, with forces able to use the fund to increase police presence in response to specific events.

Last week in the Commons, the Speaker cited the threat to politicians in his controversial handling of a debate on Gaza; a vote on a ceasefire descended into chaos on after he broke with convention to allow MPs to vote on a Labour amendment. He argued that letting MPs vote on a wider range of positions would protect them from threats to their safety, amid heightened scrutiny of their stance on the conflict. Defending his decision, the speaker said some of threats posed to MPs were “absolutely frightening,” but he did not give details of specific threats.

This led to discourse surrounding increasing police powers. Lord Walney, the former Labour MP John Woodcock, was commissioned three years ago to write a review into tackling political violence, which is yet to be published. The Financial Times reported it was set to recommend a widening of police powers to break up protests outside democratic venues.

It said it would recommend extending Expedited Public Space Protection Orders, which can currently be used only to break up protests outside schools and vaccination clinics, to Parliament, MPs’ offices and council buildings. The orders, granted by local authorities, can last up to six months, with fines for those who breach them.

The Public Order Act, passed last year, gave police greater powers to tackle disruption at demonstrations. The government’s Criminal Justice Bill, which is making its way through Parliament, will also give them greater powers.

Responses

Lindsay Hoyle said the money provided “much-needed reassurance. It will enable us to build on the improvements we have made over the past two years, working with the police and Home Office to enhance security at MPs’ homes and offices, and crucially when they are out and about meeting their constituents.”

Former Cabinet minister Sir Robert Buckland also said he welcomed the funding, arguing that if MPs were left concerned about their safety “voices will be muffled”. He said “if we start sequestering politicians away from the public, I’m worried that that Westminster bubble, the ivory tower syndrome, will only get worse and divorce politicians from the people they represent… that’s why safety is a very important consideration.”

Former deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman had suggested particularly vulnerable politicians could be allowed to participate in the House of Commons from home. She said “they could sometimes vote through the division lobbies, or they could sometimes vote online. I think we’ve got a process now that we experimented with during Covid, which we could actually bring that back in.”

However, the prime minister’s deputy spokesperson said Rishi Sunak did not want to see “anything that restricts debate” adding: “MPs should be on the floor of the House having robust debate, expressing their views. That is fundamental to our democracy.”

Final thought

The debate over the safety of MPs was heightened after the murder of Labour’s Jo Cox in 2016 and Conservative Sir David Amess in 2021. The murders prompted a review of security measures, with changes including included improved security at MPs’ homes and offices and additional private sector-delivered security where necessary.

No politician should have their safety threatened but the debate about public engagement with MPs has caused some concern, especially in light of Government efforts to crackdown on the right to protest. Critics have argued that we must not allow this to be a pretext to attack our democratic rights; protests do not necessarily mean threats and it is important that MPs are held to account by the electorate.

Action urgently needed to adopt point of care diagnostics and end years of delay in implementing key recommendations for antimicrobial stewardship.

A cross-sector coalition of health and diagnostics organisations are calling for urgent action to combat the imminent threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Led by the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA) and the former Health Minister, Maggie Throup MP, who was responsible for the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine, the coalition is highlighting missed opportunities to use proven diagnostic technology that can help to reduce prescribing of antibiotics when they are not needed.

Deaths in the UK related to AMR are estimated to stand at 12,000 per year, the equivalent of deaths from breast cancer each year, and more deaths than from suicide (approx. 6,500). Ten million people each year are predicted to die globally from AMR by 2050 unless urgent measures are taken.

Unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions are a significant factor in causing AMR. Whilst there are simple point-of-care tests that can be used to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, these tests are not routinely funded in community and primary care settings. The cross-sector statement urges action in the short, medium and long term to ensure that health systems prioritise funding and adoption of point-of-care testing.

Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been identified as one of the most pressing global challenges we face this century. In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared AMR as one of the top 10 global public health threats, and the Government recognises AMR as a threat equal to climate change. In 2019 there were 4.95 million deaths associated with bacterial AMR across 204 countries, and 1.27 million of those were directly attributed, leading the WHO to declare it a top global public health threat. 

The NHS sets out the following steps as being necessary to tackle AMR:

• early prevention of infections 
• timely, accurate diagnosis 
• appropriate prescribing and use of antimicrobials only when there is an infection for which they are the most appropriate treatment 
• effective management of infections 
• development of alternatives to current antimicrobials 

The use of diagnostics is key to the first four of these steps. This consensus statement sets out clearly how the NHS can achieve this and begin to save money and lives. The statement specifically recognises the immediate impact that C-Reactive Protein testing (CRP) at the point of care (POC) can have on antibiotic prescribing by facilitating decisions to exclude patients from unnecessary antibiotic treatments, contributing significantly to the global fight against AMR and improving patient outcomes. 

In alignment with the UK’s 20-Year Vision for Antimicrobial Resistance and the Government’s upcoming 5-Year Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, BIVDA stresses the importance of policies that actively support the uptake of POCT. This includes measures to integrate POCT seamlessly into existing healthcare frameworks.

Responses

Supporting the coalition, former Minister for Vaccines and Public Health, Maggie Throup MP said “I am deeply concerned about the slow progress that has been made to support the use of point of care tests as part of the UK’s antimicrobial stewardship efforts. AMR is a tremendous threat, and it is critical that we don’t miss opportunities to slow the progress of resistance. That is why we are calling on the government to prioritise the effective adoption of point of care testing in community and primary care settings. The pandemic underlined that the government and health system can move quickly to roll-out diagnostics and respond to major health threats – we must act now, with the same urgency, to tackle the problem of AMR.”

Coming together to set out a call to action for government and the NHS, the cross-sector coalition has expressed concern over the extended delays to implementing key recommendations on using point-of-care tests to tackle AMR. Helen Dent, Chief Executive of BIVDA, commented “It has been almost 8 years since the O’Neill Review made its findings on using rapid diagnostics to tackle AMR and very little progress has been made since then. It’s imperative that we use everything at our disposal to tackle AMR – and that must start with the technologies that are available right now to help reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing. COVID-19 gave a blueprint for rapid action – it shows there is no excuse for the long delays in implementing recommendations that can help slow the progress of AMR.”  

CEO of Antibiotics Research UK, Jonathan Pearce, commented: “Antimicrobial resistance is a major health crisis requiring national and international action. But beyond the numbers, there are already many people battling life-altering infections daily in the UK. Tragically, some face premature, preventable deaths. It’s vital we explore all options to address AMR, including only using antibiotics when they are needed, so that they will be there to save more lives in the future. Urgent government action is needed to protect antibiotics for future generations.”

Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS Services at Community Pharmacy England, noted that “Community Pharmacy England is keen to explore how the Pharmacy First service can be expanded to provide more support for patients, while maintaining excellent antimicrobial stewardship. Proof of concept pilots have already demonstrated that community pharmacies can safely and effectively provide C-Reactive Protein testing using POCT technology, so a logical development would be piloting community pharmacist management of lower respiratory tract infections.”

Susanne Emmerich, Associate Director Medical Affairs, Rapid Diagnostics at global healthcare company Abbott, said: “Antimicrobial resistance is recognised as a national chronic risk in the UK; and doctors, nurses and pharmacists are well-aware of the impact it has on making the most treatable conditions and illnesses, untreatable. Tools, such as rapid diagnostic testing, can help professionals on the front lines make informed decisions in a matter of minutes and reduce unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics. However, despite the introduction of initiatives such as Community Diagnostics Centres, Acute Respiratory Infection Hubs and Pharmacy First, they are not as widely used as they could be. While horizon scanning can help to identify new innovations to support our fight against AMR, we must also consider tools already available and look to remove barriers.”

Paul Ko Ferrigno, CEO of éclateral, a bio-electronics company, commented: “Academics and SMEs up and down the country were inspired by the O’Neill report to devise new tests, many of which are now approaching market readiness. The lack of guidance on point-of-care testing for bacterial infections is creating uncertainty for investors and there is a risk that without the investment needed to get tests through regulatory approvals, many promising innovations will be left in the infamous ‘valley of death’ that separates the R&D lab from patients. This investment will be unlocked as soon as there is a clear market pull with a commitment from government for increased POCT testing.”

You can read the consensus statement here.

BIVDA are available for comment or interview. Please send all media enquiries to pressoffice@bivda.org.uk.  

Empowering local places for health and prosperity

The White Paper titled ‘Empowering local places for health and prosperity: new perspectives from Yorkshire and the Humber’ has been developed by the three partners – Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, Yorkshire Universities and the NHS Confederation – through interviews and roundtable discussions, with a broad cross-section of individuals working at the intersection of health and economic growth, in the region and beyond.

The paper is written in the context of mounting pressure on the health service and wider public sector, an uncertain outlook for the UK economy, and the ongoing impact of the pandemic and puts forward 10 recommendations for national and regional leaders and for business, which build on those set out in our initial 2020 YHealth for Growth report.

The white paper argues that a place-led approach to addressing health and economic outcomes that responds to the specific needs and characteristics of the people within those places, is the best way to close health and economic disparities.

Broadly the recommendations are:

• National government to empower local leaders to lead by devolving meaningful investment and powers to local places, allowing them to set targets and direct investment according to local need.
• NHS to maximise the opportunities of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) for local people and places by fully embracing the potential of ICS’s “fourth purpose”.
• Regional leaders and anchor institutions to leverage their scale and convening power to develop a shared vision for health and economic partners, galvanise partnerships and empower communities to deliver it.
• Business to recognise the ability to positively affect the health and economic prosperity of the region and take appropriate action.

More information about the YHealth for Growth campaign can be found here microsite

Curia’s NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission

Independent, cross-party, and not-for-profit, as a policy institute Curia turns policy into practice as the UK’s first “do tank”.

Jointly chaired by former Life Sciences and Innovation Minister, Lord James O’Shaughnessy and former Deputy Medical Director at NHS England Professor Mike Bewick, the NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission seeks to identify examples of good practice in innovation, draw learning and consider how implementation plans across the sector can improve the lives of patients. By bringing together key strands of policy and developing effective implementation strategies through extensive research, the Commission seeks to see change at every level within the NHS.

The Government is also considering announcing a new tax on vapes. Currently, vaping products are subject to VAT – but unlike tobacco, they are not also subject to a dedicated levy. Tobacco duty could also be increased to make sure vaping remains cheaper.

The Budget

Each year, the chancellor of the exchequer makes a Budget statement in the House of Commons. This outlines the Government’s plans for raising or lowering taxes and sets out its spending commitments for health, schools, police and other public services.

The Treasury publishes a report alongside the Budget, which sets out further details about the measures and what they will cost. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) – which monitors Government spending – also assesses the plans.

The Labour Leader of the Opposition, Keir Starmer, will respond to the Budget. MPs will then debate the contents, before the government introduces a Finance Bill to turn the Budget proposals into law.

Tax Cuts

Jeremy Hunt faces continued pressure from Conservatives to cut taxes when he delivers what is likely to be his final Budget before the next election, as the overall tax burden approaches record levels.

The IFS warned on Tuesday that current post-election spending plans already meant further cuts to unprotected public services – such as local government and the court system – which reducing taxes would only exacerbate. The IFS said failing to set out exactly what spending cuts would be used to “pay for” tax cuts would “lack credibility and transparency”.

In analysis published ahead of next week’s Budget, the IFS suggested the budget deficit may be around £11 billion smaller than it was forecast to be in November, but still much higher than it was forecast to be in March 2022. The IFS also said the faster population growth projected by the ONS could boost revenues, but also meant current plans would see per-person spending rise by just 0.2% per year after the election.

Factoring in likely spending plans for the NHS, defence, schools and childcare meant other departments would see around £20 billion per year in real-terms cuts by 2028-29, with another £20 billion per year set to be taken out of investment spending.

Both the IFS and Office for Budget Responsibility have previously expressed scepticism that the spending cuts pencilled in for after the election will be delivered, with IFS director Paul Johnson telling reporters the Chancellor was “to some extent … gaming his own fiscal rules”.

The Growth Commission

The Chancellor faces demands from sections of the Conservative Party, demonstrated by proposals put forward by the Liz Truss-backed Growth Commission on Tuesday. The commission, set up by the former prime minister to push policies for economic growth, recommended a wide range of tax cuts including abolishing inheritance tax, cutting corporation tax and unfreezing personal income tax allowances.

The group claimed this would boost GDP per capita by 5.7% over the next 20 years, and also recommended radical reform to planning laws, eliminating restrictions on overtime work, making it easier for companies to sack workers, freezing the minimum wage and imposing even stricter requirements for receiving welfare payments.

Launching the proposals, Growth Commission director Lucy Harris said: “The approaches that have brought us to stagnation cannot bring us out of it. This is why the work of the Growth Commission is so important. Only by taking a cold, hard look at the economic fundamentals and by adopting our model of the economy which actually confirms the observed human and market behaviour can we come up with the policy responses that actually achieve the fundamental goal of bringing the UK back to growth.”

Responses

Martin Miklos, research economist at the IFS, said: “In November’s autumn statement, the Chancellor ignored the impacts of higher inflation on public service budgets and instead used additional tax revenues to fund eye-catching tax cuts. At next week’s Budget, he might be tempted to try a similar trick, this time banking the higher revenues that come from a larger population while ignoring the additional pressures that a larger population will place on the NHS, local government and other services. He might even be tempted to cut back provisional spending plans for the next Parliament further to create additional space for tax cuts. The Chancellor should resist this temptation. Until the Government is willing to provide more detail on its spending plans in a spending review, it should refrain from providing detail on tax cuts.”

A spokesman for the Treasury, responding to the IFS report, said: “Our responsible action with the public finances meant we could cut taxes for working people and businesses in the autumn statement. We will not comment on speculation over whether further reductions in tax will be affordable in the Budget. We are on track to meet our fiscal rules and total departmental spending will be £85 billion higher after inflation by 2028-29 than at the start of this Parliament, including record funding for the NHS.”

The funding has been earmarked for spending between 2025 and 2032, after the next spending review that sets departmental spending. The period covered would also come after the next general election, which is expected later this year, raising further uncertainty over the plans.

HS2

HS2, which was scrapped in October, intended to link London, the Midlands and the north of England through a new zero carbon, high-speed railway. HS2 became the UK’s flagship transport levelling up project and the biggest rail investment ever made in the North of England, as well as Europe’s largest infrastructure project.

In total, over 250 miles of new high-speed line was planned across the country. Major civil engineering works were underway with £23 billion contracted into the supply chain and around 350 active sites between the West Midlands and London, which the Government claims supported almost 30,000 jobs.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who will hold a cabinet meeting in Yorkshire on Monday, has promised that £36bn will be spent on further transport funding in northern areas of England.

The transport department has disclosed some further details of how it plans to spend the money, including the funding period and a breakdown by individual local authority. Guidance on how the money should be spent would be set out in “due course”, it added, but cited new bus and train stations, roads and mass-transit systems as projects that would be eligible. it also suggested it could also go towards refurbishing bus and trains stations, as well as building charging points for electric cars.

The seven-year funding period mirrors the latest funding allocations to the separate £17bn funding pot for big cities. The department said this would help big-city authorities to work with neighbouring councils in more suburban and rural areas on shared projects. Transport Secretary Mark Harper said confirmation of the spending would be “game-changing” for smaller cities and towns, and enable them to “drive economic growth”.

Criticism

Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, a lobby group for northern businesses, said he was “not particularly excited” by the details shared by ministers. He said that the costs to the north of England incurred by cancelling HS2’s northern legs would be “significantly more than the amounts of money that are going to be allocated” as a result. This has therefore led to questions surrounding the Government’s so-called commitment to levelling up.

Moreover, shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said “The Tories have failed and local people are sick and tired of this government taking them for fools. Only the Conservatives could have the brass neck to promise yet another ‘transformation’ of transport infrastructure in the Midlands and North after 14 years of countless broken promises to do just that.”

Haigh said Labour would give “every community the power to demand London-style services, by taking back control over buses and bring our railways back into public ownership as contracts expire”.

Curia’s Levelling Up Commission

Curia’s Levelling Up Commission is considering how the valuable aims of the levelling up agenda can be achieved from the perspective of local and regional government, as well as service providers across all four areas of public policy detailed below. All too often, levelling up is being done ‘to and for’ communities, rather than in partnership. The Commission intends to ensure this is led locally.

To engage with each issue in-depth, a conceptual understanding of the framework at hand is warranted. As such, the Commission defines levelling up as:

“The process of extending opportunities, improving wellbeing and reducing inequalities to empower citizens across the UK, through reducing disparity in resources and access to services. It involves concerted effort to bridge the gap between different regions and communities, with the ultimate goal of creating a more equitable and prosperous society.”

In particular, the Commission will consider how improved public service and infrastructural provisions can help to drive down regional inequalities across England. Through a series of inquiry sessions, written submissions, regional sprints and quantitative data analysis, the Commission will set out a series of recommendations, and an accompanying implementation plan to consider how regional inequalities can be reduced from the perspective of public service design and provision in four key areas:

• Health and social care
• Education, skills and training
• Housing and homelessness
• Criminal justice and rehabilitation

Calling Islamophobia Out

Some senior Conservative figures have been vocal in their criticism of the “dangerous” discourse promoted by Lee Anderson on Friday. Anderson claimed on GB News that Islamists have got control of Sadiq Khan and that the Mayor has given away the capital to his mates. Following his refusal to apologise, Anderson had the Whip removed on Saturday.

The Prime Minister has since faced pressure to denounce Islamophobia and tackle it within the party. Baroness Warsi, who was a cabinet minister in David Cameron’s government, said Sunak needed to “find the language” to “call Islamophobia Islamophobia”.

In a statement on Sunday, Sunak decried “the explosion in prejudice and antisemitism since the Hamas terrorist attacks on 7 October” in Israel. He did not explicitly refer to Islamophobia. Sadiw Khan criticised the Prime Minister on social media for failing “to mention anti-Muslim hatred at all”.

In an interview this morning, Sunak says Lee Anderson’s comments were ‘not acceptable’, but denies claim Tory party has Islamophobic tendencies. Similarly, the deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden said he did not agree with Anderson’s comments but added: “I don’t believe that Lee Anderson said those remarks intending to be Islamophobic.”

Ministers have also faced questions over why no action had been taken against Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, who wrote an article for the Telegraph saying: “The truth is that the Islamists, the extremists and the antisemites are in charge now.”

Responses

Anneliese Dodds, the Labour party chair and shadow secretary for state for women and equalities, told the Today progamme this morning that the government should adopt the definition of Islamophobia used by Labour and other major parties. This is the definition produced by the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims, which describes Islamophobia as “rooted in racism and a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness”.

In response, Kemi Badenoch said that the Conservatives do use a definition of Islamophobia. “We use the term “Anti-Muslim hatred”. It makes clear the law protects Muslims. In this country, we have a proud tradition of religious freedom AND the freedom to criticise religion. The definition of “Islamophobia” she uses creates a blasphemy law via the back door if adopted”.

“As the minister for the Equality Act, I also know the definition of Islamophobia that @AnnelieseDodds and Labour have adopted is not in line with law as written. Anti-Muslim hatred is more precise and better reflects the UK’s laws” Badenoch continued.

The Muslim Council of Britain, Britain’s largest Muslim body, said the Conservative party should launch an investigation into alleged “structural Islamophobia”. In a letter to the Conservative chairman Richard Holden, MCB secretary general Zara Mohammed said: “Our view is that the Islamophobia in the party is institutional, tolerated by the leadership and seen as acceptable by great swathes of the party membership.”

The request for an investigation into structural Islamophobia in the Conservative Party follows a previous dossier of 300 cases of Islamophobia in the party submitted by the Muslim Council of Britian. The Council asserts that “this week of extremism in the Conservative Party demonstrates that discrimination against Muslims remains strong”.

Final thought

The refusal of some senior Conservative figures to recognise and define islamophobia, let alone call it out, questions the extent to which the Party can claim that anti-Muslim beliefs are not internally rife.

The event was the first in a series of “AI in adult social care” roundtable events organised by Dr Caroline Green at the University of Oxford Institute for Ethics in AI, Reuben College, the Digital Care Hub and Casson Consulting. The aim of the event was to articulate a collective understanding of generative AI’s role in social care settings and to discuss its challenges, benefits and viable use cases. There was a core focus on what would constitute responsible and ethical use of this emerging technology.

Following the event, a statement has been published which organisations such as the National Care Forum (NCF) have endorsed.

Opening up Opportunities through AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers many opportunities and potential benefits to adult social care. Generative AI, such as Large Language Models (LLMs) that power AI chatbots, can aid with various tasks in social care. However, many activities in social care directly touch on peoples’ human rights and wellbeing. At this point of time, there are no guidelines for people using social care services, care providers including family carers, tech developers or organisations integrating AI chatbots into their services, commissioners etc. on what responsible use of generative AI in social care entails.

The statement outlines the need for robust and rapid work to co-produce actional guidelines for appropriate usage and deployment of generative AI in social care. In addition, it commits the group to engaging in a co-production and consultation process drawing in more people and organisations in social care.

Responses

Dr Caroline Green from the Institute for Ethics in AI said: “Adult social care is about supporting people to live independently and to protect fundamental human rights. Generative AI offers many potential benefits and opportunities to adult social care. However, the rapid development and wide availability of generative AI, such as AI chatbots, is a concern when it comes to use cases in adult social care settings because some fundamental values defining what quality care looks like are at stake if such technology is used inappropriately. We therefore need to address the gap of knowledge and guidance around generative AI quickly, involving all groups of people who are affected and working in social care provision”.

Professor Vic Rayner OBE, CEO of National Care Forum said: “AI is impacting on all parts of our lives, and it is right that we take a view on how it can and should be used in the care sector. We need to advance our understanding of the benefits it can bring to care, whilst recognising the need to proceed with caution in some areas. Generative AI is developing incredibly quickly and if we miss the opportunity to capture the good it can do for us, we risk losing out. However, as outlined in the statement, we must
ensure that the human rights of people using care, and the precious relationships the act of caring for someone creates, are not sacrificed in pursuit of the capabilities of Generative AI”.

Curia’s NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission

Independent, cross-party, and not-for-profit, as a policy institute Curia turns policy into practice as the UK’s first “do tank”.

Jointly chaired by former Life Sciences and Innovation Minister, Lord James O’Shaughnessy and former Deputy Medical Director at NHS England Professor Mike Bewick, the NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission seeks to identify examples of good practice in innovation, draw learning and consider how implementation plans across the sector can improve the lives of patients. By bringing together key strands of policy and developing effective implementation strategies through extensive research, the Commission seeks to see change at every level within the NHS.

His comments come after Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle cited the threat to politicians in his controversial handling of a debate on Gaza.

However, Home Secretary, James Cleverly has said that he did not think police needed “significantly greater” powers to tackle demonstrations outside Parliament.

Ceasefire Vote Row

A vote on a ceasefire in Gaza descended into chaos on Wednesday after the Speaker broke with convention to allow MPs to vote on a Labour amendment. He argued that letting MPs vote on a wider range of positions would protect them from threats to their safety, amid heightened scrutiny of their stance on the conflict. Defending his decision, the speaker said some of threats posed to MPs were “absolutely frightening,” but he did not give details of specific threats.

Sir Lindsay has apologised for his handling of the vote, but it has plunged his position into crisis, with the SNP reacting furiously and declaring no confidence in him on Thursday. Several Conservative MPs have questioned his decision to allow Labour’s motion on safety grounds, arguing he was letting Parliament be intimidated by threats of violence. More than 60 Conservative and SNP MPs have signed a Commons motion saying they have no confidence in him.

Police powers

Lord Walney, the former Labour MP John Woodcock, was commissioned three years ago to write a review into tackling political violence, which is yet to be published. The Financial Times reported it was set to recommend a widening of police powers to break up protests outside democratic venues.

It said it would recommend extending Expedited Public Space Protection Orders, which can currently be used only to break up protests outside schools and vaccination clinics, to Parliament, MPs’ offices and council buildings. The orders, granted by local authorities, can last up to six months, with fines for those who breach them.

The Public Order Act, passed last year, gave police greater powers to tackle disruption at demonstrations. The government’s Criminal Justice Bill, which is making its way through Parliament, will also give them greater powers.

Responses

Writing in the Telegraph, former Home Secretary Suella Braverman accused Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer of “bowing to the mob”. Braverman has previously labelled pro-Palestine protests as “hate marches”.

Although James Cleverly has said that he did not think police needed “significantly greater” powers to tackle demonstrations outside Parliament, he has highlighted the need for police to stop protests outside MPs houses and offices. “Where a mob of people are outside someone’s private residence, clearly with the intention of distorting their future votes, that is unacceptable and we expect the police to deal with it.” He said police already have the powers that they need to stop protests outside MPs’ homes and offices, “and we also want them to understand that they have our backing when they use those powers”.

He labelled these protests as “unacceptable” noting that it is “nonsense” for protesters to claim that they are not seeking to intimidate MPs. “The ballot box is where people and organisations should make their views clear” he said.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said Ms Braverman’s comments about Labour were “total nonsense”. However, she said she agreed with tougher action to tackle protests outside MPs’ homes, branding these a “disgrace”.

Final Thought

No politician should have their safety threatened but the debate about public engagement with MPs has caused some concern, especially in light of Government efforts to crackdown on the right to protest. Critics have argued that we must not allow this to be a pretext to attack our democratic rights; protests do not necessarily mean threats and it is important that MPs are held to account by the electorate.

Inspirations and Motivations

Opening the discussion, Yasmin explained how becoming an activist was not something she had planned. Rather, she noticed that there was a lack of black asexual representation; given her substantial following on social media obtained through modelling, she took it upon herself to start using her platform to advocate for the asexual community. Shortly after, people began engaging with Yasmin online and turning to her for information. 

After finishing her master’s degree at University College London (UCL), Yasmin was able to dedicate more time to her online activism and continues to seek to make a positive impact by steering conversations and influencing perceptions of asexuality. One major motivational factor for Yasmin is knowing that through using social media, she can make a difference to lots of people and make her younger self feel proud.

“I was always waiting for someone to do something about that. I thought, well, couldn’t I just do that? I’m already here. I already have a platform. Like, why don’t I just say something and see what happens?”

Yasmin Benoit

Ace Representations in the Media

Regarding the ways that asexual people are presented in the media, Yasmin personally feels that representations are unsatisfactory; not only is there a lack of it but depictions often come in the form of a person who still experiences romantic attraction and seeks relationships. Yasmin asserts that this is often followed by statements of “but don’t worry I still date” as if not doing this would be a bad thing.

Moreover, Yasmin notes how representations of LGBTQIA+ groups are dominated by white people. “It’s not just specifically an asexual thing, it’s symptomatic of our society in terms of who do people want to listen to – who is the most approachable or relatable to an audience that is probably going to be white” she states.

Linking back to her motivations as an activist, Yasmin contends that bringing something different to the table is therefore what she seeks to do.

Discussing the responses Yasmin gets online to her posts, she argues it’s “a very mixed bag” as on the one hand there are people who are grateful to have someone advocating for them and she gets to collaborate with people and organisations, speak at universities and attend events but on the other, she faces backlash for her work on platforms such as X.

The Ace Report

In October 2023, Yasmin launched the Ace in the UK Report in collaboration with Stonewall. This report aims to build a better picture of ace communities’ experiences, needs, and priorities for change. It highlighted for the first time the discrimination asexual people face and the need for better legal and policy protections.

The report’s recommendations include ensuring that asexual people are protected under the Equality Act’s guidance and that ace people’s needs are included in wider LGBTQ+ specific training for healthcare providers. Yasmin notes that the healthcare findings are some of the most important aspects of the report; pointing to the way asexual women are particularly treated by gynaecologists and mental health services, she notes that ace people face conversion therapy too as asexuality is presented as something to be cured.

Discussing engagement with the healthcare sector, Yasmin explains how she has worked with the NHS for a few years and plans to speak with more of the Royal Colleges soon to make a positive difference. “It’s been great having so much interest from healthcare professionals because even if you can’t change what’s written in the books or training, you can still reach them in other ways for sure” she says.

The report also states that ace people make up between 1-2% of the general population but their experiences are not well understood by the public. Yasmin touches on this, asserting that the report enables information on asexuality to be more accessible and therefore increase general awareness but also influence policy implementation. She states that those within the wider LGBTQIA+ community have been interested in the report and she has received positive feedback online.

Discussing working with Stonewall, Yasmin notes that the report is step one in the project as they cannot start campaigning without providing information on why. She explained that her childhood self would feel proud for being able to work with an “iconic organisation”.

Next Steps

Regarding her next steps, Yasmin says that distributing the Ace in the UK Report is currently her priority as she is focused on raising awareness where she can. Following this, she will be working on projects for International Asexuality Day in April and she will be attending the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March as a delegate.

A future aspiration of Yasmin’s may also be to write a book as she states that four publishing companies have approached her. However, Yasmin notes that it is hard to establish future aspirations due to the unique nature of her work. “there’s absolutely no blueprint” she asserts.

Held in partnership with National Gas, the panel featured:

• Jake Tudge – Chair – National Gas 
• Lord Houchen – Mayor of Teesside 
• Cllr Amanda Hopgood – Leader of Country Durham Council 
• Rt Hon Lord Callanan – Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance 
• Alex Cunnigham MP – Shadow Minister and MP for Stockton North 
• Ruth Herbert – Chief Executive, Carbon Capture and Storage Association 

Building on Existing Resources 

Kicking off the discussion, Lord Houchen, Mayor of Teesside said that devolution has played a crucial role in the area’s development over the last six years. As a declining post industrial area, Lord Houchen said a localised approach has allowed the area to build upon existing infrastructure around the River Tees, the chemical and processing industry, and former steel works. He added:

“From an area that was proudly making steel in the 1800s, we can now use those assets to future proof ourselves to move forward with Net Zero.”

Lord Houchen attributed Teesside’s success to its well connected geography, devolved system, and the ability to see market failures, such as the difficulty releasing private sector investment prior to infrastructure being built. Thanks to government funding, Teesside has delivered the world’s largest monopile factory, which has shown the north east as a world leading location.

In order to keep up with the pace of the private sector investment, Lord Houchen said government policy needs to match the speed of development. 

Pace of Decision Making and Policy 

Alex Cunnigham, Shadow Minister and MP for Stockton North, echoed Lord Houchen’s sentiment, that there is a real pace of change and opportunity for the area. However he reiterated that due to the speed of development and interest in the area, there is disparity between the opportunity and decisions being made to bring projects to fruition. 

“Industrialists want to be able to invest here and they want quick decision making – they are annoyed at the slow pace.”

He added that it was imperative to ensure people in the area benefit from its development, and that a level playing field in industry is created. 

Alex also mentioned how the UK is lagging behind other countries in Asia and Europe in terms of investment in chemicals. Alongside these concerns, he raised the staggering cost of industrial electricity prices, which are 86% higher in the UK than France and Germany, which puts our companies at a disadvantage. 

He added:

“The appointment of a Mayor has helped to make areas work together. This is important. Labour wants to work together across political divides and do the best for Tees Valley.”

Carbon Capture Usage and Storage 

Ruth Herbert, Chief Executive of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, discussed the vital role that CCUS will play in the UK achieving Net Zero. CCUS will process emissions from heavy industry, enabling the use of some liquid fuels during the transition, whilst allowing the production of hydrogen at an industrial scale. This technology also supports the decarbonisation of gas by power stations to offer power back up. 

This essential technology creates hydrogen and the high temperatures needed for most industrial processes. Norway has been storing carbon dioxide, previously seen as a waste product, under the seabed  for 20 years, and the UK is only just getting started.

Ruth praised the IDC programme, alongside the cluster programme for driving things forward. Again she mentioned how important pace is in terms of final investment decisions – FIDs – and the delays these can cause. Within the UKs two cluster programmes in the north west and north east, Ruth said, her and her team are focused on receiving these FIDs on the 8 projects. 

“We cannot have a Net Zero strategy without having an industrial strategy, and we cannot have an industrial strategy without an industrial decarbonisation plan – that is the gap I see.

“We hope the government’s 2024 CCUS Vision will address this and show a plan for the whole UK – without that investors are going to be concerned. On the flip side- there is so much opportunity to secure more jobs and attract green businesses to the UK. The window is closing to provide that plan and secure that investment.”

Rest of North East Lagging Behind

The leader of Country Durham Council, Cllr Amanda Hopgood, a representative of the rest of the north east, said they are 6 to 8 years behind Teesside because of politics.

Again she championed devolution as a vital way to achieve carbon neutral goals, due to the mayor’s role not being diluted by public service provision. 

With the North Sea positioned alongside Durham, Amanda said: 

“We have huge opportunities in Teesside and the rest of the north east to achieve things for our communities, but we have got to stand above（political） differences.”

The Black to Green project in Durham is a great example of levelling up by building on the heritage of the area to create green energy. The project is exploring how to utilise the area’s coal mines to produce hot water and heating pumps to manage housing estates. 

In order to keep moving forward, Amanda stressed that funding needs to be diverted to all areas. 

Watch the full video here:

Government Aims

The Rt Hon Lord Callanan agreed that it is a very exciting time for the north and we are in a clean energy revolution, especially with two of the industrial, power and hydrogen businesses aiming to decarbonise operations being in the north. 

He addressed the criticism that more needs to be done in terms of action, saying that the government is “good at strategy” but is taking time to deliver. 

However, he drew attention to the CCS negotiation process which has now begun with contracts being awarded in Quarter 3 of 2024 at the latest. The hydrogen allocation round of projects is also due to begin where the government will commit large sums of money to start producing clean electrolytic hydrogen.

Due to the super successful rollout of offshore wind, prices have now come down and added pressure on the supply chain. This is the latest challenge for the UK. 

Attracting Investment into the North East 

Jake Tudge, discussion chair, asked the panel how Teesside can attract large institutional investors to invest capital in the area. 

Lord Houchen said it is important to build a picture for an investor so they can make a clear choice. These reasons include – Teeswork is the largest brownfield site in western Europe, the River Tees has the required depth, and the area is a freeport and is on parity with European partners in terms of exports. To top it off, the mayorships’ close relationship with Redcar and Cleveland Council means they are able to get approval for huge amounts of manufacturing space. 

This gives investors the confidence to invest. He added, the government needs to act to improve regulation, as currently investor expectation far outstrips the regulations in place. Lord Houchen urged the government to implement a framework regarding final investment decisions. 

Adding to the discussion, Lord Callanan said that planning issues are his biggest frustrations. Judicial reviews take a long time and even if permission is gained, for example for offshore wind turbines, it can be delayed due to residents’ lack of tolerance to the infrastructure on land being built. 

Amanda Hopgood agreed that regulations often slow down or negatively impact developments. She said it would help local authorities if planning rules could be implemented that encouraged house builders to put solar panels on homes, as this would speed up the journey to becoming carbon neutral.

Lord Callanan agreed, however he noted that building regulations are changing and the Future Home Standards 2025 will soon mean all new buildings will be carbon neutral.

Avoiding Brain Drain 

Finally the panel discussed harnessing the skills of the workforce in the region. Amanda spoke about the need to work collaboratively with the public, private and charity sector to pool resources and provide an equality of opportunity for everyone in the north east. 

The need for a skills map to define skills required collectively over the region was also raised. Lord Houchen said that, thanks to devolution, Teesside has been able to streamline the previous 380 providers of education to 24 providers, which has been important. 

In terms of a skills framework, Lord Houchen added that when working with individual big investors, the investors can outline the jobs they need and the mayor’s team can fund and commission the relevant courses. 

He said, however, it is more difficult to do industry-wide and research is still being done on how to bring the entire supply chain together to achieve it. 

He said awareness needs to be raised about the opportunities available within the sector, to attract a diverse workforce and avoid the brain drain, and that it is down to big companies to do that too. 

Amanda added that the public sector needs to work with SMEs and education providers to avoid stereotypes, alongside encouraging those in the existing workforce with transferable skills who want to retrain and reskill. 

Both Zack and Emma are keen supporters of proportional representation (PR) so sat down for a discussion on the issues surrounding electoral reform, particularly in the context of a Labour government.

Proportional Representation in the Next Parliament

To kick off the discussion, Emma and Zack delved into the potential of PR being introduced by the next Government. Emma argues that she does not see it happening and contends that the current nature of our electoral system is undemocratic as “the only votes that count are the votes for the winner”.

Zack posed a more optimistic stance, asserting that the call for PR is now louder today than ever before. Noting people’s disapproval of the two-party system on the doorstep, Zack stated that even when people do not necessarily use terms such as ‘electoral reform’ or ‘proportional representation’, their support for a more democratic and trustworthy political system is apparent.

Moreover, Zack highlighted how the London Assembly, one of the UK’s few political bodies to use PR (along with devolved governments), has Conservative members who are supportive of the way they are elected. He stated “I’d like to think that’s because when you’ve worked within a PR system where people have to compromise and negotiate, there’s not that fear of coalitions or working together. You have to work cross-party; you get less of the tribalism that’s encouraged by first-past-the-post”.

However, Zack noted that there is the fear that the Labour Party would rather maintain the status-quo and “wait their turn” to be in government. He emphasised the need for those who support PR within the Labour Party to look at the bigger picture and fight for a “genuinely democratic system for the future” as change goes wider than simply removing the Conservative Party from power. Off the back of this, Emma noted that if the next Labour government introduced PR, their chances of maintaining power through future elections would be higher.

Facing up to challenges: Extremism, Instability and Tactical Voting

A common criticism of PR is that it would allow small extremist parties into the mainstream political sphere and create unstable coalitions. Discussing this, Emma argued that a system in which represents people’s votes equally and promotes high turn-outs does not have a downside. “If there are people for whom that party speaks, then they should be represented in Parliament, and chances are they will never be a majority party. They would never be in a position where they would be in the driving seat to form a government. But to be honest, if they were, then that would be because people had voted for them, and that’s democracy, so I agree” she asserted.

Emma then pointed to Brexit, a vote she described as deriving from people and communities feeling unheard. “I don’t think Brexit would have happened if we had PR. I think that if you feel you have a Parliament which represents you, then you are less likely to feel disenfranchised” she stated.

Following this, Zack contended that referendums increase political engagement amongst the public. In reference to Brexit, he stated “it was a sense, even for the people who weren’t politically engaged, that for once their vote would count because it was either remain or it was leave, so there was no sense of a wasted vote or your vote won’t count”. This makes a huge change from our general elections as Zack argues the notion of safe seats can lead to a lack of accountability and abuses of political power.

Zack also noted that parties shifting to extreme and polarising positions can happen within unrepresentative systems which he believes has been demonstrated by the current Conservative government. He asserts that those with progressive ideas must support PR as democratic decisions should be made across a more diverse group of voices.

On the issue of tactical voting, Emma speaks from personal experience and argues that people should not have to resort to this as they should be able to vote for a party they want without feeling as though their ballot is wasted. Furthermore, Zack believes that voting Labour is not tactical; to him, the Labour Party does not pose a political alternative in terms of policy and without a commitment to introducing PR, voting Labour is “a vote to maintain the current system”.

“The one thing that depresses me more than anything if I’m out canvassing around the village is people who say to me, what’s the point in voting? And that really makes me sad that there is a great swathe of people who just will not bother turning up and voting, especially when they’re in a safe seat or they perceive it as a safe seat. Because what’s the point? Your vote is just going to go into the bin”.

Emma Kennedy

Looking Forward

Concluding the discussion, Zack and Emma discussed the Labour Party’s current standing. Emma suggests that the leadership are avoiding “big sea change items” to be perceived as inoffensive and non-threatening to the status-quo.

Zack argues that parties such as the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP must stand united on PR so every vote for them is a vote against the two-party system. He says that he understands why people tactically vote, especially in our current political climate, but states “I would always encourage people to vote with their heart. If proportional representation is important to them, if it’s important to see a change to the system, then they have to vote for a party that is going to change the system”.