East Surrey Hospital scores 100 per cent for cleanliness in assessment

By Crawley News  |  Posted: September 06, 2014

KEEP IT CLEAN: East Surrey Hospital has scored 100 per cent for cleanliness after a recent assessment

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EAST Surrey Hospital has scored 100 per cent for cleanliness in a recent assessment, prompting Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to tweet staff a note of congratulation.

East Surrey scored better than ten neighbouring hospitals in the check-up by a patient-led group.

The latest patient-led assessments of the care environment (PLACE) results gave the hospital the score of 100 per cent, up from 97.20 per cent last year.

When the score was announced last Wednesday, Mr Hunt sent a tweet to Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, to congratulate staff.

Ian Mackenzie, director of information and facilities at the hospital, said: "We take great pride in the cleanliness of our hospital, and many visitors often comment on what a good job our housekeeping team do.

"This assessment looked at the whole environment and we are pleased our hard work has been recognised."

The trust also saw an improvement in its scores for food and hydration, and condition, appearance and maintenance of patient areas.

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Croydon Health Services NHS Trust appoint Jayne Black as new chief operating officer

Croydon University Hospital

First published 13:13 Saturday 6 September 2014 in Newsby Tom Gillespie, Reporter

The Croydon Health Services NHS Trust has appointed a new chief operating officer and deputy chief executive, who is expected to improve the level of care across the borough.

Jayne Black will also be expected to provide strategic leadership to the trust’s operational and clinical teams.

Ms Black will be leaving her role as the Director of Strategy and Transformation at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust to take up the appointment.

She said: “Croydon Health Services is leading service change to deliver more and more services closer to home, without having to go to hospital. 

"More than a third of the Trust’s 3,500 healthcare staff are based in the community, working alongside primary care, mental health and social services. 

"The Trust has a clear ambition to provide seamless care at home, in schools, and clinics across Croydon.”

Ms Black will begin her role on November 1.

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World Bellyboard Championships in Cornwall – in pictures

This Sunday, Cornwall’s Chapel Porth beach will be awash with wooden boards and vintage swimwear as hopefuls compete for the World Bellyboarding crown. The event, organised by the National Trust, aims to raise awareness of coastal issues

• theguardian.com, Saturday 6 September 2014 11.30 BST
• Jump to comments (0)

Photograph: Steven Haywood/PR

Photograph: Steven Haywood/PR

Photograph: Steven Haywood/PR

Photograph: Steven Haywood/PR

Photograph: Steven Haywood/PR

Photograph: Steven Haywood/PR

Photograph: Steven Haywood/PR

Photograph: Steven Haywood/PR

Photograph: Steven Haywood/PR

Photograph: Steven Haywood/PR

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Aberdeen oil worker who kept cocaine for his dealer avoids jail

• COCAINE: The drugs were found in Inverurie.

AN OIL worker who agreed to keep more than £4,000 worth of cocaine at his home as a favour to his dealer has avoided jail.

Craig Rankin, 26, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for sentencing after previously admitting being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug at an address on Inverurie Road, Aberdeen on August 24 last year.

The court heard that the combined totals of the drugs found could be worth up to £4,650.

Fiscal Depute Anne Macdonald told the court that Rankin’s offence came to light after police received intelligence that he was in possession of controlled drugs.

Defence agent John Ferrie told the court that Rankin had ordered a smaller amount of cocaine from the dealer for himself. He said: “He had something social that weekend and ordered drugs from the dealer. The dealer turned up and said he was going to meet someone.”

Mr Ferrie said that the dealer told Rankin that if he held on to his drugs for him he would get his own for free.

Rankin, whose address was given in court as 108, Inverurie Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, was ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work to be carried out within 12 months.

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Inspirational Burnley mum in frame for top award

Emma Drabble who has been nominated for a national MS Society Award

• by Hannah Ramsden
• hannah.ramsden@jpress.co.uk

Published on the06September
2014
11:00

An inspirational mum-of-one and fund-raiser from Burnley who suffers from multiple sclerosis could be in line for a national award.

Emma Drabble (30) has been picked as one of three finalists in the MS Fund-raiser of the Year category at the MS Society Awards after being nominated by her husband David.

She was diagnosed with MS eight years ago and had to leave her job shortly afterwards. Emma then became involved with the Burnley branch of the MS Society who gave her a grant for driving lessons so she could get her licence. That prompted Emma to start to fund-raise for the group.

She organised a pie and peas fund-raising event at a friend’s pub and started contacting celebrities on Twitter to see what they could donate to an auction. She received help from a boxer called Brian Rose, who Emma credits as the reason for other boxers donating gifts, including Ricky Hatton.

The event snowballed and gifts also came in from Rod Stewart and Sir Elton John, while it had to be moved from the pub to a hotel due to increased ticket sales.

There were also performances on the night from the dance group Dartversity, trained by Diversity’s Ashley Banjo’s secret dance crew. Emma tweeted throughout the event and managed to raise £8,000.

That was followed by a Cake Break fund-raiser which generated £300, and an event called the “Hairy Bikers Wax” where two local biker groups came together to get waxed.

David said: “Not only is Emma a wife and a mum to our nine-year-old son but also an MS warrior. People would say she was silly to take on these fund-raising challenges but she’s proven so many people wrong.

“She is also slowly getting young people involved in her local branch in addition to fund-raising in her spare time. I’m really proud of her for what she’s achieved in the last two years.”

Emma added: “I was completely gobsmacked when I found out. I had to read the email about 20 times before it could sink in. I was so shocked, I grinned and cried a lot. This really means a lot to me.”

She will attend a glittering awards ceremony hosted by Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, in London on Monday, October 6th.

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Australia and India Seal Civil Nuclear Deal

Australia will export uranium to India for power generation

• 

  By M Rochan
  September 6, 2014 11:29 BST
•   

Australia's prime minister Tony Abbott and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi after a signing agreements in New Delhi.(Reuters)

Australia has sealed a deal to sell uranium to nuclear-armed India for peaceful power generation, and has also offered to increase exports of conventional fuel to help Asia's third-largest economy plug chronic electricity shortages.

India is the first customer to buy Australian uranium without being a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Energy-starved India, where coal-fired power plants supply about 70% of the country's electricity, is looking to reduce its dependence on the fossil fuel.

A nuclear deal will aid New Delhi's efforts to boost nuclear capacity to 63,000 MW by 2032, from 4,780 MW at present, at an estimated cost of $85bn (£52bn, €67bn).

But with latest data showing that half of the country's thermal power plants are down to a week's coal stock, more coal is desperately needed.

"We signed a nuclear cooperation agreement because Australia trusts India to do the right thing in this area, as it has been doing in other areas," Australia prime minister Tony Abbott said after he and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi signed a safeguards pact to sell uranium for power generation.

India fuel imports 'imperative'

"That is why we are happy to trust India with our uranium in months, years and decades," Abbott added, Reuters reported.

A brief description of the accord, issued by India's foreign ministry, said: "The agreement will promote cooperation in the field peaceful uses of nuclear energy. It recognizes India's commitment and use of nuclear energy with a view to achieving sustainable development and strengthening energy security.

"Australia can play the role of a long-term reliable supplies of uranium to India. It provides for the supply of uranium, production of radio isotopes, nuclear safety and other areas of cooperation."

Industry lobby group Assocham's president, Rana Kapoor, said in a statement: "While Coal India can be asked to step up its production, the growing needs make it imperative to go in for more imports… and what better source than Australia whose top leadership is engaged in a strategic relationship with India."

India has nuclear energy pacts with 11 nations and imports uranium from France, Russia and Kazakhstan.

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Benefit claimants will face attitude tests to determine if they are 'apprehensive' about work

Esther McVey's 'segmentation' scheme is being piloted in three job centres

HEATHER SAUL 

 

 

Saturday 06 September 2014

People claiming benefits will be expected to undergo attitude tests to assess if they have a psychological resistance to work under new plans revealed by the employment minister.

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Esther McVey said benefit claimants will be profiled to see if they feel “determined”, “bewildered” or “despondent” at the prospect of employment.

Those who are deemed less mentally prepared for life at work will undergo intensive coaching at the job centre, The Telegraph reports, while people who are judged to be more positive about work will be placed on less rigorous schemes.

 “It will be scales of eager, despondent, maybe apprehensive. There are factors within that: somebody who is apprehensive but willing is different from someone who is reticent but disengaged,” said Ms McVey.

“For a mum coming back to work after a long time, it could be about self-confidence and self-esteem. It is a tailor-made, far more sophisticated system.”

Interviewers will conduct assessments on the attitudes of job seekers and their behavioural norms by asking them to describe their perceived “risks of going to work”, the “value of work” and if they feel confident about finding work.

Esther McVeyAssessors will also produce a profile of their background that will look at factors such as if they come from a troubled family and where they were last employed.

A pilot of the scheme is already happening at three job centres in the UK. If successful, a voluntary trial involving jobseekers from across 27 cities could commence to see if the scheme can predict whether someone will take work.

Ms McVey said she believes her 'segmentation' programme would prevent people from being made to undertake mandatory courses they do not need.

“What we don’t want to do, you’ll have heard in the past of people being put on courses,” she said. “Did they need that course? No, so what were they doing on it? There will be a much more sophisticated placing of people onto the support they need.”

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