Influential investors convened in London to discuss future routes to defence financing.
Government’s record spending uplift and reforms will help unlock private-sector investment into UK defence, Defence Secretary said.
Defence “is an ethical investment” as Government set to back Britain’s high-growth companies with new innovation funding.
Comes alongside up to £250 million of Government investment into UK firm to help boost missile defence.
Major venture capitalists from across Europe can help unlock billions of pounds of private investment into UK technology and defence firms, as part of a “new partnership” between defence and private investors, the Defence Secretary has said today.
In a first-of-its-kind meeting between venture capital firms and a UK Defence Secretary, John Healey MP spoke at a breakfast roundtable at Plural’s offices in central London. The meeting was convened by Plural co-founder Khaled Helioui, and Grace Cassy of Ten Eleven Ventures who has supported the development of the Strategic Defence Review as part of the Defence Review Team.
In a changing world, with increasing threats and war in Europe, the group discussed how to incentivise greater private investment into defence and deep technology, to help deter Britain’s adversaries, secure the UK economy, protect the incomes of hard-working families up and down the country and support European security.
The Defence Secretary set out how the Government’s largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War – with 2.5% of GDP spend by April 2027 and a commitment to hit 3% in the next Parliament – coupled with defence reforms, can unlock private sector investment into high-growth British firms – boosting jobs and delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change by making defence an engine for growth across the UK. This includes:
A new ambition to unlock more private defence investment, supported by long-term certainty of rising Government defence investment over the next decade, alongside the new Government direct expenditure target for SMEs including start-ups and scale-ups to give high-growth companies more certainty and sight of future investment.
Turbocharging innovation with a new £400 million ringfenced budget for UK Defence Innovation, announced by the Chancellor last week, alongside a commitment to spend 10% of the MOD equipment budget on novel technologies.
Making clear that “defence is an ethical investment” in deterring conflict and preventing the huge human and economic costs caused by conflicts such as Ukraine. It comes as some funds look to renegotiated Limited Partner Agreements to better enable investment into defence.
In a sign of the Government backing British firms with long-term public investment, the meeting comes as the Government confirms up to £250 million investment across the next six years with UK defence tech firm Roke – supporting around 150 jobs and delivering analysis, trials and technology development against ballistic and hypersonic missile threats.
Defence Secretary, John Healey MP
Roke – based in Hampshire and focused on innovation and AI development – have been awarded a contract up to six-years in length, known as Science and Technology Oriented Research and development in Missile defence (STORM). The framework streamlines crucial research into innovative technologies, helping enhance the UK’s ability to detect, identify, and defeat ballistic and hypersonic missile threats – work that is essential to safeguarding the UK and its allies.
Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said:
“In this new era of rising threats, national security isn’t just a military imperative. It’s the foundation for economic growth, securing Britain’s future and our Government’s Plan for Change.
“As Defence Secretary, I am determined to bring together investors, innovators and industry in a new partnership that drives British jobs and growth. We want to mobilise private investors to take a fresh look at defence, alongside the certainty of our Government’s record long-term uplift in defence spending.
“With countries across Europe facing new threats stepping up to take more responsibility for our continent’s defence is an ethical investment, and it’s good to see increasing numbers of private investors recognising that. There is no more important investment than in our European security.
“As a government we are determined to tackle any blockers which are preventing private finance from flowing into UK defence, which is why today’s landmark meeting is so important.”
The Defence Secretary also said the government is bringing “a clear mandate to bring innovative technology to the frontline at speed and enable the defence sector to create high-growth British success stories that deliver investor returns and national security.”
Matrix Workforce Management Solutions (in association with The People Space) has today launched its in-depth Unlocking Unseen Talent: The Future of Work whitepaper, following extensive research and a high-level industry debate with leading HR professionals. The whitepaper explores the critical shift towards a blended workforce and the role of AI and workforce agility in shaping the future of employment.
Bringing together insights from industry leaders and working with the HR sector’s editors and reporters, the report highlights the increasing reliance on contingent talent, gig workers and AI to drive business adaptability, efficiency and innovation. With traditional employment models becoming less viable in today’s rapidly evolving economic landscape, the paper’s insight outlines the strategies HR and business leaders must adopt to build resilient, future-proof workforce ecosystems.
The launch follows an exclusive HR Leaders Debate Lunch, where prominent figures in talent strategy, HR and workforce management discussed the challenges and opportunities of a blended workforce. The discussion reaffirmed that businesses must move beyond rigid, permanent hiring structures and embrace new, flexible workforce strategies that integrate technology, data-driven insights and human expertise.
The Future of Work whitepaper outlines several key findings:
The Workforce is No Longer Binary – Businesses that blend full-time employees with contingent workers, gig talent and AI-powered solutions are better positioned to navigate volatility and access the best skills at the right time.
AI is an Enabler, Not a Replacement – The report debunks the myth that AI will replace human workers, instead highlighting its role in augmenting workforce capabilities, improving decision-making and increasing productivity.
Skills Over Roles – Organisations must shift from job-based structures to skills-based workforce planning, ensuring they can deploy the right talent dynamically to match business needs.
Workforce Compliance and Governance Are More Complex Than Ever – As businesses move towards a more flexible talent model, navigating global labour laws, IR35 regulations and AI ethics is essential to mitigate risks.
Speaking on the launch, Mark Inskip, CEO of Matrix, commented: “The world of work is undergoing a profound transformation. Traditional workforce structures are no longer fit for purpose in a world where agility and resilience define business success. Our whitepaper provides a roadmap for HR and business leaders to embrace workforce flexibility, AI-driven decision-making and innovative talent strategies. The insights from this whitepaper reaffirm that businesses must take bold steps today to stay ahead tomorrow.”
The full Future of Work whitepaper is now available for download at landing.teammatrix.com/download-unlocking-unseen-talent offering invaluable guidance for HR leaders, business executives and policymakers looking to adapt to the next era of work.
Stepping Hill Hospital, part of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, has replaced its bedside units with state-of-the art devices running a full range of information, engagement, communications and productivity apps, to demonstrate the potential of digital technology in the NHS
Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport has gone live with the first lighthouse deployment of SPARK TSL’s Fusion platform in the UK.
The hospital, which looks after a population of 350,000 people in Greater Manchester, has replaced its outdated Hospedia bedside units with modern SPARK Fusion Bedside Units running the state-of-the-art infotainment platform.
Peter Hughes
This will give patients access to a greater range of entertainment, information and communications services, while enabling staff to explore the potential of SPARK Fusion’s leading engagement and productivity apps.
Peter Hughes, chief technology officer at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust said: “The Hospedia entertainment solution has remained largely unchanged for the last 10 years and is very limited in what it provides to patients.
“Following consultation with SPARK TSL, it was a no-brainer for us to take advantage of the opportunity to replace all our Hospedia units with the latest, tablet-based devices, of SPARK Fusion. This has not only provided a wider array of entertainment options for patients, but is a medium through which we can deliver targeted information and leverage other digital capabilities, including translation services and meal ordering.
“With an eye on the near-term future and our electronic patient record programme, the ability to leverage devices at the bedside will absolutely improve the availability of the patient record – and potentially dispense with the need for laptops/PCs on trolleys and a wide array of tablets for staff to access various digital systems.”
SPARK TSL is a leading provider of WiFi to retail outlets, transport and conference venues, but it has developed a specialisation in healthcare since it started working with a large London trust in 2005.
In 2020, it became part of the Volaris Group, which acquired legacy bedside unit provider Hospedia the following year. And in 2024, it acquired Sentean Group, which developed the Fusion platform that is already proven in 40% of hospitals in the Netherlands.
SPARK Fusion keeps patients entertained by giving them access to a wide range of television, radio, and magazine content, phone calls and chat. It also supports a wide range of apps, thanks to its adoption of international integration and messaging standards.
The functionality already available includes translation, so patients can communicate effectively with their clinicians, modern nurse call, so patients can indicate their needs and the right person can acknowledge and meet them, and a food ordering app, so patients can choose meals that meet their dietary requirements.
Trusts and health boards can also use the platform to enable patients to complete the Friends and Family Test and other feedback forms, and to make sure patients have proactive information about their condition to promote recovery and reduce readmission rates.
Jane Stephenson
In the Netherlands, patients already use the platform to control aspects of their environment, such as room temperature and lighting, and staff can set door signs electronically: features that align with NHS England’s vision for the ‘digital hospital’ of the future.
SPARK TSL chief executive Jane Stephenson said: “We are passionate about improving patient experience by ensuring patients have access to the information and services they require, and we know what a difference it can make to provide support to the clinical teams delivering those services.
“That’s why we brought SPARK Fusion to the UK and why we’re so pleased to be live at Stepping Hill. The go-live for our first lighthouse project is a tremendous achievement and we are confident that it will be instrumental in helping us to achieve those aims, which I know we share with its dedicated team.”
SPARK Fusion integrates with EPRs using HL7 messaging, so apps can draw on demographic and clinical information in the EPR. It can be used by ambitious trusts to reach Level 7 on the HIMSS EMRAM maturity model: an internationally recognised marker of digital maturity.
At Stepping Hill, the platform will be installed on 500 new devices and bedside units, covering all of the traditional ward spaces in the 740-bed hospital. A second lighthouse trust, to further demonstrate the potential of SPARK’s digital technology, will be announced shortly.
Zhaga, the global lighting-industry consortium, proudly announces the launch of Zhaga Book 21, a new industry-standard specification designed to ensure full interoperability of LED modules in SELV applications. Building on the Zhaga Book 26 for non-SELV applications, which was launched in December 2024, Book 21 further strengthens Zhaga’s mission to promote sustainability, serviceability, and design flexibility in the lighting industry.
Zhaga Book 21 defines electro-mechanical, mechanical, electrical, thermal and photometrical interfaces for fully interoperable LED modules operating at SELV (<60V).
Key features of Zhaga Book 21 include:
Modules can be connected in parallel, with operating currents ranging from 175 to 1750 mA depending on the module length and category.
Different module lengths (1 to 5 ft) with recommended lumen packages
Defined LED board areas for mechanically secure mounting
Two alternative contact areas for electrical connections enabling seamless lighting applications and troffers or linear luminaires for trunking systems
Plug-and-play compatibility
Standardization for a Future-Proof Lighting Industry
Zhaga Books 21 and 26 provide a future-proof solution by enabling OEMs and maintenance personnel to replace and upgrade linear LED modules without compatibility concerns. The standardized interfaces ensure:
Reliable interchangeability of certified LED modules
A cost-effective solution for luminaire assembly, maintenance, and upgrades
Full flexibility in certified connector selection while maintaining interoperability
Seamless integration into different luminaire designs, enhancing product longevity
Driving Sustainability and Service-Based Business Models
As part of Zhaga’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, Books 21 and 26 play a crucial role in transforming the lighting industry toward circular economy principles. The interface standardization of LED modules encourages reusability and upgradability, reducing electronic waste and supporting service-based business models.
Zhaga Certification: Ensuring Compliance and Market Confidence
Certification of LED modules, connectors and luminaires under Zhaga Book 21 and 26 is conducted by independent test centers. Certified products are listed in the Zhaga public database and may display the Zhaga certification logo, ensuring confidence in interoperability.
Benefits of Zhaga certification include:
Interoperability assurance with next-generation LED modules
Trademark-protected certification logos to prevent misuse
Market advantages through a recognized and trusted certification system
Availability of certified components from multiple suppliers, reducing supply chain risks
A Unified Approach to LED Module Design
With the launch of Zhaga Book 21, the industry gains an essential framework for linear socketable LED modules for SELV applications, complementing Book 26, which covers non-SELV applications. Together, these standards provide manufacturers, designers, and facility managers with a cohesive approach to lighting system development and maintenance.
Zhaga Book 21 is now available for Zhaga Regular and Associate Members.
For more information on Zhaga Book 21 and its role in advancing circular economy and sustainable lighting solutions, read the presentation.
For more information on Zhaga Book 26, visit here.
SWSC is an internationally recognised high security printing and identity management solutions provider with a range of award-winning products including passports, identity cards, excise stamps, birth and education certificates. For government and public sector organisations our solutions help secure borders, protect citizens, prevent fraud, generate revenue and enable delivery of frictionless services to citizens. We are a Smurfit Westrock company and can leverage our parent company’s strong international presence and infrastructure.
Where do you operate?
Our head office is in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. We honed our skills and expertise on award winning projects including the Irish Passport and we provide
The Revenue Commissioners (Revenue), the Irish Government agency responsible for customs, excise, taxation and related matters, with tobacco excise stamps – a contract we have held for over 20 years. We now support organisations around the world with current clients in the UK, Europe, Africa, the Middle and Far East and South America.
Peter Thomas, MD, SWSC
What should governments and public sector organisations be aware of?
With the imposition of stricter security regulations and standards globally in recent years, the challenge to provide trustworthy security documents is greater now than ever before. As secure printing technology has improved, so too has the sophistication of the forger, meaning there is an ongoing need to find new ways to protect these documents. Fraud and related counterfeiting is increasingly commonplace often using identity documents such as birth and education certificates.
In addition, the whole world is changing, and every organisation is in the midst of digital transformation as international communities become more connected. Many of the products we supply are still paper based, but the increasing use of mobile digital wallets and online verification is slowly taking the place of physical documents, and we are at the heart of that evolution. Currently the world is straddling both the physical and the digital with different regions at different stages and we need solutions for both.
Why is SWSC a good fit for government and public sector?
We have worked with governments and public sector organisations for over 30 years supporting ambitious programmes of reform in this challenging and ever-changing sector. We understand the unique culture and business processes; the importance of social value; as well as the requirement for accountability and transparency.
Our solutions, which are designed to make the world a safer place, help to protect against criminal elements. We keep up to date with the latest fraud and counterfeit trends, designing products to combat future attacks and address the ever-improving technological techniques used by ‘bad actors’. Our in-depth understanding of data and brand protection is also integral to this. We are meeting today’s challenges head on, leaning on the foundations of our security printing traditions and driving a long-term future into digitised solutions and services.
Finally, tell us what is important to your business.
As a responsible organisation we are committed to strong ESG standards, as part of Smurfit Westrock’s ‘Purpose’ initiative to create, protect and care. This means doing the right thing for our people, communities and the environment, through products and processes that make a real difference for customers and across the entire value chain. Our people are at the heart of our operation and the company is passionate about their wellbeing, which is reflected in the high levels of staff retention resulting in a highly experienced and knowledgeable team enabling consistently high levels of service delivery.
Innovation in UK MedTech, and policy issues including regulation, integration, sustainability, and collaboration, will take centre stage at a new conference in May.
Hosted by trade associations AXREM and the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), ‘The Future of MedTech – Innovating for Tomorrow’, will allow delegates to engage with speakers from the government, NICE, MHRA, and the NHS.
Held at the Mercure Northampton on 13 May 2025, conference organisers have now confirmed health tech specialist agency Highland Marketing as the headline sponsor.
Sally Edgington, chief executive officer, for AXREM, said: “The Future of MedTech conference is a new opportunity for innovators in the sector to engage in close dialogue on key issues at the centre of policy; matters that affect a sector that contributes so much to both the UK economy and health and care services.
“We are pleased to welcome Highland as the lead sponsor of this event, an organisation known for helping health tech companies to propel success stories of innovation, and to scale their success.”
Confirmed speakers include David Lawson, director of medical technology and innovation at the Department of Health and Social Care; Heidi Barnard, head of sustainability at NHS Supply Chain; and Huw Shurmer, AXREM chair.
“We are proud to partner with AXREM to bring together industry leaders and policymakers to explore advancements that will shape the future of medical technology. This is a must-attend event for anyone committed to improving patient outcomes and driving progress in healthcare,” said David Stockdale, chief executive officer, British Healthcare Trades Association.
Mark Venables, chief executive officer for Highland Marketing, also said: “The UK has a vibrant health tech sector, which Highland has been a leading champion for more than two decades. We are privileged to be invited to support The Future of MedTech conference, and we look forward to an engaging discussion on furthering innovation in this space.”
Organisations wishing to find out more about the conference, including details of how to attend, can register online.
FourNet’s digital channel map uncovers crucial demographic trends and analyses tech usage across every council area in England, Wales and Scotland
Alan Linter
The first ever Local Authority Digital Transformation Index (LADiT) has been unveiled today by customer experience and digital transformation specialists, FourNet, to assist councils – many of which are facing reorganisation, budget cuts or shared services – with future investment plans.
The LADiT Index analyses census information across every local authority area in England, Wales and Scotland and, combined with expert customer experience (CX) analysis from FourNet, charts a detailed course for councils embarking on future digital transformation journeys.
The Index reveals that the top three most digital-savvy populations in the UK, ranked as a percentage of the UK average, are City of London (133%), Tower Hamlets (126%) and Lambeth (122%). These council areas have the fewest elderly residents and the highest ratio of so-called “Digital Natives” – those who are comfortable using digital channels – including Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z.
Mapped with FourNet’s expert CX analysis, the Index shows that those three local authorities will need to keep ahead of the digital game when it comes to communicating with local residents – investing in the latest communications tech and considering newer social media platforms like TikTok to engage in future.
The LADiT Index plots the channels which residents are more likely to want to use in each council area – whether landline, mobile phone, chatbot, email or social media – and ranks them with a score for each demographic which will help councils plan for future generations.
At the other end of the Index sits North Norfolk, which has the least digital savvy population in the country (77.6%) with more residents from the Greatest Generation, Silent Generation and Baby Boomers than anywhere else in Britain – less likely to use TikTok, Snapchat, or want to engage with chatbots and more likely to use the postal service or in person appointments.
Alan Linter, FourNet’s Group Consulting Director of Customer Experience, said: “What we’ve designed is a go-to-map for every local authority which is considering next steps in their digital transformation journey. Crucially it comes at a time of council reorganisation, in England, for which many local authorities had to submit proposals to ministers last Friday (21st March).
“What our analysis reveals is the make-up of local populations with data which will be critical for councils to take into account when deciding how to invest in tech and designing their services for the future, particularly as some councils need to save money, while others are likely to become single tier authorities.
“There is a huge difference in the way the majority of people interact with council services from the top of our index to the bottom – and how they will do so in future, and councils ignore that data at their peril.”
Using the LADiT Index, 350 councils will be able to measure the “Digital Maturity” of the local population with the percentage of Digital Natives compared to the UK average – enabling better local and regional investment decisions to be taken.
The Greatest Generation and Silent Generation show a clear preference for more traditional communication methods like landline telephones, postal mail, and in-person visits.
Baby Boomers are transitioning into digital communication but still retain a strong preference for email and telephone.
Generation X is comfortable with both traditional and digital methods, with a significant presence on social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn.
Millennials and Generation Z are highly digital, with strong preferences for instant messaging apps, social media, and chatbots.
Gen Alpha, still very young, is growing up in a world dominated by AI and voice assistants, making them likely to rely heavily on these technologies as they mature.
UK councils are the backbone of local governance, managing £121.7 billion in budgets, supporting over 1.3m employees and providing services to nearly 60 million people.
Understanding the needs of citizens and optimising their customer journey when accessing local services is crucial to local authorities – and FourNet’s new LADiT Index provides key data for that purpose which will furnish digital transformation plans for the future. Contact FourNet for a copy of the LADiT Index – or it is available here
The recent cyberattacks on London councils have exposed a fundamental weakness in today’s cybersecurity strategies. Despite organisations investing heavily in perimeter defences such as firewalls, anti-phishing measures, and zero-trust policies, cybercriminals continue to breach these barriers. The reason? Traditional best practices focus on keeping attackers out, rather than protecting what truly matters; the data itself. Simon Pamplin, Chief Technology Officer atCertes, discusses.
Perimeter defences are no longer enough
Simon Pamplin
The stakes in cybersecurity have never been higher. Attackers no longer rely on brute-force break-ins; instead, they exploit stolen credentials to log in undetected. Studies show that over84% of breaches now involve credential theft, allowing cybercriminals to bypass traditional security measures entirely.
Meanwhile, the financial impact of these breaches is soaring. Ransomwaredemands have skyrocketed, with the average ransom payment now exceeding$2 million; a staggering increase from $400,000 just a year ago. But the costs extend far beyond ransom payments. Organisations face an average of $2.73 million in recovery costs, not to mention the reputational damage that follows, often leading to lost customers and diminished trust.
For public sector organisations, the fallout can be even more severe. Data breaches in government agencies and councils compromise sensitive personal data, eroding public confidence and triggering regulatory scrutiny. Despite these risks, many organisations still rely on outdated security models that focus solely on network protection. But when attackers are logging in rather than breaking in, traditional defences offer little protection.
The business impact: more than just financial losses
Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue; it’s a boardroom crisis. Regulatory bodies such as GDPR, DORA, and NIS2 impose hefty fines on organisations that fail to secure data adequately. For financial institutions, non-compliance with DORA alone can lead to penalties of up to 2% of global revenue.
Beyond financial losses, reputational damage can be devastating. Customers and clients expect their data to be handled securely, and a single breach can drive them away permanently. Operational downtime resulting from an attack can halt productivity, costing millions in lost revenue. Perhaps most concerning, executives now face personal liability for failing to protect sensitive data. CEOs and CISOs are increasingly being held accountable, meaning cybersecurity failures could have career-ending consequences.
The shift to data-centric security
If cybercriminals are after data, why is security still focused on protecting the perimeter? It’s time for organisations to shift their mindset and prioritise a data-centric security approach. The fundamental principle of this approach is simple: assume breaches will happen and ensure that, if they do, the stolen data is worthless to attackers.
This is where solutions like Data Protection and Risk Mitigation (DPRM) become essential. By encrypting, tokenising, or otherwise devaluing sensitive data, organisations can render stolen information unreadable and unusable. Even if attackers successfully infiltrate a network, they won’t be able to exploit the data they access.
Equally important is protecting backups. Many organisations fall into the trap of securing live data but neglecting backup systems. Cybercriminals often target backups in ransomware attacks, leaving businesses with no choice but to pay up. A robust backup protection strategy, incorporating immutable backups and air-gapped storage, is vital in mitigating ransomware risks.
The ultimate defence: a multi-layered approach
Creating an impenetrable defence may seem like a pipe dream, but a multi-layered security model that neutralises threats before they cause harm is achievable. A comprehensive approach should include:
● Proactive security measures: Implementing encryption, tokenisation, and access controls to devalue data.
● Regulatory compliance: Adhering to frameworks like GDPR and DORA to mitigate legal and financial risks.
● Rapid recovery capabilities: Ensuring businesses can resume operations quickly after an attack, minimising downtime and financial losses.
● Advanced threat detection: Using AI-driven analytics to identify and stop threats before they escalate.
By integrating these elements into a unified security strategy, organisations can not only defend against cyber threats but also maintain business continuity and protect their reputations.
The future of cybersecurity: act now or pay later
Ransomware and data breaches are not just technical threats; they represent financial, operational, and reputational crises. The reality is clear: perimeter defences alone are failing, and organisations must act now to protect what truly matters.
Building higher walls will not stop attackers. Instead, businesses and public sector organisations must invest in making the data itself untouchable. By shifting to a data-centric security approach, implementing robust encryption, and ensuring resilience through protected backups, organisations can render cyberattacks ineffective.
Cybersecurity is no longer about preventing breaches altogether—it’s about making stolen data useless. Until organisations embrace this mindset, breaches will remain inevitable. The time to rethink security is now.
Digitised clinical noting at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is creating efficiencies for busy doctors and nurses. The trust’s CCIO Dr Andrew Adair, deputy CCIO Dr John Greenaway, and digital business change manager Niki Idle explain the impact so far and why this crucial component of digital transformation, delivered in partnership with Alcidion, lays the foundations for AI and smart technology.
Individual doctors saving an hour each day on admin. Nurses halving the time spent on handover preparation. And informed staff leveraging key information, whilst eliminating paper. This describes just some of the immediate impact witnessed on the shift from paper records to digital noting at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: results that are enduring as digitisation continues to progress.
Dr Andrew Adair
“The general ward state is undoubtedly more efficient and safer because we now have availability of standardised, legible, and complete notes,” says Dr Andrew Adair, an emergency department consultant and the chief clinical information officer for the trust. “We have links into regional systems, all accessible through one window. Our healthcare teams are not having to leave the electronic patient record to look at x-rays, radiology reports, endoscopy, outpatient letters, or to look at other hospital attendances on the Great North Care Record.”
His comments reflect benefits being realised following a South Tees Hospitals decision to deploy Alcidion’s Miya Precision platform as a trust-wide electronic patient record.
Patient flow, e-observations and assessments, electronic prescribing and medicines administration, and clinical messaging were some of the first priority areas to be digitised in the EPR programme, with significant positive implications for patient care.
But the digitisation of clinical noting that Adair describes has become one of the most significant achievements in the programme to date.
“It’s that visibility right across the system of information for the people who need it, when they need it,” says Niki Idle, digital business change manager.
The trust has so far prevented the creation of 1.8 million paper documents as a result of digitised clinical noting. “That’s 1.8 million documents through the system so far, including 102,000 discharge letters that can automatically be sent to GPs electronically,” says Idle. “We are not building up notes that require physical storage. And other than for business continuity purposes, specialist notebooks that were used to capture notes are not being printed.”
‘I can’t believe we have never had this before’
South Tees Hospitals has worked with Alcidion to effectively reinvent noting at the trust. Intuitive technology has helped with clinical buy-in
“Compared to other digital systems I’ve used, it just looks nice. It has been laid out with clinical teams in mind. It seems like a little thing, but this is important as your first impression of the system as a clinician,” says Adair. He describes Miya Noting, a component of the EPR platform.
Deeper under the hood, nurses and clinicians at the trust have fed back positively on a system built, configured, and deployed around their needs.
“All grades of medical staff, the nursing body, and allied healthcare professionals have all been really receptive of it,” says Dr John Greenaway, a consultant gastroenterologist and the trust’s deputy CCIO.
He recalls that in other trusts clinicians had left their positions at the thought of an EPR deployment. At South Tees Hospitals one clinician who was approaching retirement had voiced similar reservations.
“As we went live, she realised that there wasn’t much she was going to have to do, she saw the advantages of it, and there were big smiles over the next few days,” says Greenaway. “‘I’m not going to retire”, she told us.”
Another nurse, initially fearful about being able to cope with new technology, changed her mind by the end of her first shift. “I can’t believe how we’ve not had this before,” she said.
Now deployed across nearly all of the trust, and with plans to soon deploy to a remaining four areas out of 38 wards, clinical noting has had widespread engagement – with further configuration ongoing to respond to the evolving needs and requests of specialty noting. In the early stages of deployment, Idle recalls how clinical educators who were there to support staff, were told they could leave early because wards intuitively understood the system.
“We’ve been fairly swept away by how people have taken to this”, adds Greenaway. “We’ve not really had the ‘hard time’ often faced in large healthcare IT deployments. That’s partly a testament to the system and partly because clinicians do not find it too painful to input the electronic information that will be so beneficial further down the line.”
Collaboration to reinvent noting
A collaborative approach between the trust and specialists at Alcidion in designing how data is captured, has helped.
The design process delivered alongside frontline clinicians has meant that the noting has been configured around user needs from day one. Comments from staff that the system “lightens the workload”, that it has “made life a lot easier” and has released “far more time to care”, have resulted.
“It feels like you are in it with your mates,” says Greenaway. “We have a common goal, working through things together.”
The intention is that around 70% of the data required on many forms could eventually be auto-populated, either from existing parts of the patient record such as demographics, or pulled through from notes captured at earlier points of the patient’s hospital encounter.
For example, ‘pull through’ of comorbidities data is not only expected to save time, but aide in clinical decisions, and in accurate coding for financial purposes, says Idle: “Every time the patient is admitted, the system will present the clinician with a list of comorbidities, asking ‘are these still all valid and present?’ It’s prompting the clinician with information that already exists.”
“We are taking the brain power out of remembering what to do and where. We get to concentrate on important patient care decisions,” adds Greenaway.
The system has been configured to create efficiencies beyond the point of care too, for example supporting data requirements for national clinical audits. This is expected to prevent the need for clinicians to manually search for information for mandatory audits, so that they can then spend more time on quality improvement.
“We can just pull that data out of the system,” says Idle. “We’ve designed forms to ensure we collect as much pertinent information as possible, rather than somebody sifting through notes to then type into another computer system. This is freeing up time to ensure audits are complete and to address concerns raised in audit data.”
The availability of data for reporting is also supporting patient safety. “Within 14 hours of an emergency admission patients should have a senior clinical review,” Idle explains. “We’ve never been able to quantify that before without searching manually through paper notes. Now we can, just as we can examine where VTE assessments have been completed. We can now pull that data, see where it’s happening, where it isn’t, and then follow up with education.”
AI: The near future
Despite positive results, Greenaway insists more is to come and soon. “I don’t think we are anywhere near realising the benefits of the Alcidion system,” he says.
AI and other smart technologies are expected in the “near future”. “I don’t think this will be long,” says Greenaway. He refers to demonstrations already made to the trust, where a clinician can dictate a summary into a microphone for AI to then populate a form, or a plan, for clinicians to approve. And he describes “ambient listening”, where AI tools can listen to consultations in the background to generate notes.
Initially the trust intends to structure options to allow staff to ask AI to generate a handover document, or a discharge letter, or to pull through certain information from multiple encounters.
Adair concludes: “What we have now is already undoubtedly so much better. Now we are planning to introduce robotic process automation to be able to bring in additional data from our comorbidities system. And we are working to integrate more data from pathology. Not having to go into a separate system for that information – for our clinicians, that’s massive.”
As part of its ongoing commitment to workplace inclusion, Matrix Workforce Management Solutions has been supporting neurodivergent job seekers through a series of workshops with Learning Disability Network London and Resources for Autism. These initiatives aim to equip individuals with the tools and confidence to secure meaningful employment while also guiding employers on creating accessible workplaces.
Neurodiversity Week 2025 (17th – 23rd March) provides an opportunity to spotlight this vital work, reinforcing Matrix’s mission of ‘Connecting People to Work.’ Beyond its external efforts, Matrix is also strengthening its internal commitment to inclusion with an Autism Awareness training session for employees on Thursday, 20th March, building on the success of last year’s programme.
In addition, engagement with Capital City College Group, Matrix also contributed to two webinars during SEND Celebration Week (also known as Neurodiversity Celebration Week), a global initiative that challenges stereotypes about neurological differences and promotes more inclusive cultures. These webinars covered ‘What are reasonable adjustments and how to ask for them’ and ‘How to prepare for successful progression after college’. Matrix has worked with Capital City College Group for several years, particularly supporting SEN learners at the college’s Centre for Lifelong Learning in Finsbury Park.
Jodie Champaneria, senior social value officer at Matrix, commented: “At Matrix, we believe that employment opportunities should be accessible to all. Our partnerships, workshops and training sessions help both job seekers and businesses create environments where neurodivergent individuals can thrive. I’m proud that our Autism Awareness training and wider initiatives continue to drive real impact and it’s really encouraging to see the engagement and impact of inclusivity initiatives across our business and client’s communities.”
As part of its broader social value strategy, Matrix is also working closely with suppliers to promote inclusive hiring practices. The company recently launched an ‘Inclusive Ideas’ series, providing hiring managers with practical guidance on supporting disabled candidates.
Neurodiversity Week serves as an important reminder of the need for more inclusive workplaces. Matrix remains dedicated to championing workplace accessibility, ensuring that neurodivergent individuals not only find employment but also succeed in their careers.
A need to control costs while delivering demanding sustainability improvements is changing thinking about water attenuation.
The conventional approach, to install large tanks to hold water captured in gullies and slot drains, is proving, in many instances, to be no longer fit for purpose.
Climate change, causing more volatile weather, the subsequent need to reduce carbon emissions, a need to redevelop live and brownfield sites with complex ground conditions, and a strong imperative to control costs are stacked against tank systems that have held sway for decades.
Most optimised attenuation
It is why Manchester Airports Group (MAG), the UK’s largest airport group, selected a different approach to attenuation when it upgraded one of its main staff car parks.
Forma has been designed to streamline attenuation. It does it by keeping drainage shallow, creating a hugely flexible and scalable way to manage stormwater at source, without large tanks.
It is the most comprehensive and optimised subbase attenuation system on the market, and is simpler, quicker, less costly and safer to install.
Forma is also much more sustainable, with a carbon footprint a fraction of the size of traditional tank-based attenuation systems.
Forma ‘ticked all boxes’
MAG’s project perfectly demonstrates the advantage of shallow drainage. It needed to resurface and upgrade one of its largest park-and-ride staff car parks at Manchester Airport.
The project was designed by AECOM, the main contractor was Allied Infrastructure Management, part of Colas, and the attenuation installation contractor was SEL Environmental.
MAG had found the existing drainage and tank attenuation system was not holding water consistently.
Replacing it like-for-like would have represented a big proportion of the cost, time and risk associated with the project. So MAG was open to new ideas.
When we presented Forma, it recognised an ideal solution.
Daniel Wilmer, Capital Delivery Project Manager at MAG, said: “My brief was to come up with a solution. We’re all about innovation and sustainability and Forma ticked those boxes.
“I would like to use it across other sites. They’ve taken a lot of stress away and have been really reassuring in terms of what we require.”
Void space to hold water
Central to the Forma solution for MAG’s car park is a product called Formavoid. It’s a modular system made from recycled plastic, here in the UK, designed with extremely strong columns and arches.
Quickly clipped together, fill material can be poured on top of the Formavoid raft, while 60% open ‘void’ space remains below for source control water storage and management.
The interlocked Formavoid modules – just 100mm deep – are positioned on top of a very strong, wedge-welded puncture-resistant geotextile membrane, called Formatextile.
The in situ car park surface and drainage system was removed with a 450mm-deep excavation. The Formavoid enhanced subbase attenuation system was installed across an area of 8,500m².
The system was designed to manage around 1,000 cubic metres of water. It was also more than capable of withstanding loads created by thousands of car movements and bus journeys every day.
Innovative water system
The Forma system was installed in five months by just six operatives in the second half of 2024.
Formavoid modules were integrated with 160mm-diameter plastic transport pipes. Just 100 metres of pipework were needed to collect water from across the carpark and take it to an outfall point.
A key innovation for this project was the use of checkdams within the subbase. This maximised the system’s attenuation volume across sloping ground.
The surfacing was completed with permeable asphalt in the parking areas and impermeable asphalt on the vehicle circulation route.
Right solution ‘critical’ – MAG
The Forma solution is already performing very well. It has exceeded expectations in terms of structural stability, achieving in excess of 80% CBR (a standard aggregate strength test) on top of the subbase.
This is very extremely impressive for a permeable open-graded subbase system, with much of the stability created by the Formavoid raft.
The system is design to attenuate a 1 in 100 year storm with an additional safety factor of 40% for future climate change.
Importantly, the Formavoid subbase is the ideal environment to intercept, contain and biodegrade hydrocarbons, as proven by many studies on pervious pavements.
So pollutants are removed from surface water before it is discharged into the stream, eliminating the need for expensive interceptor tanks.
Olivia Hughes, Senior Project Manager at MAG, pointed out: “Due to the staff car park being adjacent to a site of special scientific interest, it was critical that we did the right thing.
“The Forma system has been beneficial to MAG because it allowed us to only excavate to a shallow depth. It’s also a carbon zero product so we are reducing our emissions.”
Attenuation system of choice
The modular design of Forma will allow MAG to continue to implement the system in phases. For example, the rest of the car park could be upgraded in 2,000m² sections.
This aligns the solution with capital availability allows maximum flexibility to keep car parks operational. Forma is a progressive solution. Every square meter installed is a progressive improvement.
The project has also delivered many other advantages for MAG:
The solution streamlined and simplified all elements of a large attenuation installation project.
Much less material was excavated and moved, which saved significant costs.
It also dramatically collapsed the project’s carbon footprint.
Fewer truck movements meant less air pollution and improved road safety.
The construction method was safer, as well, with no confined space entry.
The project was completed much faster than a traditional tank-based solution.
In limited scenarios, installing large tanks will remain the only water attenuation option available.
However, shallow attenuation, as demonstrated by Formavoid at Manchester Airport, is ready for take-off. And will be the attenuation system of choice. For a lot of very good reasons.
Giving SuDS compliance a sporting chance
The Forma system is not just changing minds about water attenuation in the world of airport management or car park design.
It can be applied to many other water management challenges. For example, a Formavoid raft has been installed below the playing surface in a new stadium belonging to one of the UK’s most prestigious sports clubs.
Forma, based in Blackpool, Lancashire, is working with partners to widen its use to create the perfect drainage systems for the most high-profile sporting arenas across the world.
Storing water for reuse
Forma Director Jack Shuttleworth said: “The technology is ideal for controlling conditions needed to optimise grass growth and health, as well as installing modern hybrid playing surfaces that combine grass and other materials.
“Forma attenuation systems can also be combined with a wide range of permeable and non-permeable surfaces in public spaces, like school playgrounds and play areas, sports centres, parks, and city squares.”
What is more, the water can be stored and reused, for sports pitch, lawn, or plant bedding irrigation, or for use in public toilets.
Shallow attenuation represents an ideal response to Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
This now requires developments to be authorised by local Sustainable Drainage System Approval Bodies (SABs) before they are granted planning permission.
The four main pillars of SuDS are:
Quantity – the system must manage the expected volumes of water
Quality – water must be fit to discharge
Amenity – rainwater must, where possible, be usable
Biodiversity – water should be used to support biodiversity
Jack Shuttleworth said: “Shallow attenuation adds a fifth pillar: true sustainability. It’s less costly, less disruptive, and is easier and safer to install, with a smaller carbon footprint than tank systems.”
Find out more
Forma has CPD programme to explain shallow attenuation to ground engineering and design consultancies, architects, and government planning teams.
Green Book: if you’re a film buff, it represents the Oscar winning screenplay by Pete Farrelly. For medical folk, it provides the latest information on vaccines. But for us economic development professionals, the Green Book often means only one thing…how do I get my project approved?
When I was a young cub starting my career in Whitehall back in the 1990s, and Joseph Lowe was still roaming the corridors of Treasury, I was given a forest of paper documents to devour. One of the tomes was a gleaming, bound(!) copy of the Green Book (to the unversed, yes, it’s actually green, dark green to be precise). Though the years have inevitably meant less paper copies are in circulation, and thankfully less woodland is destroyed, it’s importance in the public sphere has only soared. Since time immemorial, a project sponsor’s heart will skip a beat with those dreaded words “is this proposal Green Book-compliant?”
Back to the present day, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer has initiated a review of the Green Book. To use Rachel Reeves exact words “(we) will review the Green Book in order to support decisions on public investment across the country, including outside London and the Southeast.” Though the Chancellor hasn’t released formal terms of reference for the review, the statement “including outside London and the Southeast” is rather telling. Certainly, that’s the message being broadcast to the northern heartlands, with organs like the Yorkshire Post proclaiming that “(changing) Treasury rules around infrastructure project spending could unlock billions of pounds of investment for the North.”
Thumbing through my dusty files, I managed to locate the Treasury slides outlining the scope for the 2020 Green Book review. It was noted at the time that any re-assessment should, to quote directly “(address the alleged) systematic bias towards London and the Southeast” plus, and rather emotively, the “tyranny of BCRs” (Benefit Cost Ratios). Sound familiar?
So, what’s at the heart of the issue?
To answer this question, we need to ask another one, this time rhetorical. Surely one of the accepted roles of the state is redistribution and, by association, regeneration? As economic development specialists, we know the market alone will not bring forward some of the more challenging corners of the country. It would be naive to suggest a private sector developer looks at, say, Burnley in the same way as, perhaps, Sevenoaks. We know that depressed values and challenging viability mean developers often need the public sector to take a supporting role to break the stalemate.
The crux of the argument is, disappointingly, rather techy. So, grab a strong coffee and buckle-up. Over the years, an appraisal technique emanating from our transport cousins and their sacred TAG guidance has migrated across to economic development. What is this technique I hear you cry? Land value uplift, of course! The practice used by DfT analysts to capture the uptick in values due to road improvements, is now the principal economic benefit used to justify a property-based renewal project, be it in Burnley or anywhere else.
The gripe from Metro Mayors and others is that land values – especially housing ones – are significantly higher in the south of the country, than, say, in the north. This means a Green Book orthodoxy which relies exclusively on “LVU” will always have a natural bent towards Sevenoaks rather than Burnley. To give you a flavour of the difference in residential values, using MHCLG’s own ‘Land value estimates for policy appraisal’ it recommends for Burnley using £370,000 per hectare. Whilst for Sevenoaks, the same indicator stands at an eyewatering £8,300,000 per hectare. Those good at mental arithmetic will know that’s a factor of 22:1. This means by appraising exclusively LVU, any Green Book exercise looking to choose between funding the same housing scheme in these two areas, the Sevenoaks of the country will always ‘score’ higher as the land values are in a different stratosphere.
If this wasn’t enough, critics turn to the other side of the benefit cost equation, namely the public cost denominator. It’s not a great intellectual leap to suggest that areas with low values and tough viability will naturally need a bigger injection of grant to get them over the line. Add to this, the legacy of de-industrialisation that blights swaths of Northern England, it’s not hard to see why the likes of Steve Rotherham (Metro Mayor for Liverpool) have been pushing for a rethink in Whitehall.
Does this tell the whole story?
Your red-blooded economist will tell you that values/prices send out vital signals in an economy, and the land market is no different. The Southeast needs more housing because this is where the demand is, which is duly manifested in the higher prices. Why use scarce public resources building homes where people don’t want to live, as the mantra goes. Counter to this argument is, of course, one of renewal and equity, as played out a moment ago. In fact, there are already Green Book techniques that appraisers can use to capture and monetise “externalities”. Have another swig of coffee, we’re approaching the summit.
Treasury – and MHCLG – boffins would argue that a good Green Book business case would study the direct benefit of new development, as captured by the usual LVU calculus. But these same experts also recognise that regeneration can often lead to a broad range of further external impacts i.e. externalities. For example, new housing or employment floorspace, public realm improvements and facilities that benefit existing communities (as well as new residents). These will not be fully captured through a simple LVU assessment.
The Green Book makes it clear that the appraisal of social value should consider not just economic market efficiency but overall social welfare efficiency (hang in there, one final push). This is echoed in MHCLG’s appraisal guidance (we’ll discuss that guide another day!) which highlights the need to capture all the benefits and costs of an intervention. This includes all externalities in the form of placemaking and regeneration, health, education, transport, environment, plus culture and amenity impacts.
The challenge facing appraisers, is that these externalities can often be difficult to quantify and monetise. Therefore, this can mean that metrics commonly used to assess a project’s value for money, such as (tyrannical?) BCRs do not reflect the real impact on society.
What does this all mean for the Green Book review?
Getting out my crystal ball, firstly, I think LVU is here to stay. Though much-maligned in some political quarters, I don’t suddenly expect Treasury to re-write economic theory. Whisper it quietly, but LVU logic is widely accepted by many government economists.
What I do expect is a renewed focus on the externalities I referenced above, tapering the blunt tool that LVU can be. The Homes England economics team is already leading this debate, with its series on Measuring Social Value. It would be remiss of me not to mention that AMION helped prepare the first paper in this series: Placemaking impacts of housing-led regeneration (though I’m informed alternative competitors are also available).
Finally, a dog that rarely barks is the explicit use of distribution coefficients within appraisals. Buried in Annex 3 of the Green Book is advice on the use of Distributional Appraisal. Though governments of all colours tend to dodge the language of (re-)distribution, I’m afraid it’s written on the tin. I wouldn’t be surprised if the review gave a further nod in this direction.
On release, Pete Farrelly’s Green Book movie was greeted by universal acclaim and ultimately received many awards and nominations. Will Rachel Reeves be accorded the same treatment?
Simon Dancer is a Board Member of the Institute of Economic Development, and a Director at AMION Consulting.
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) has signed a long-term agreement for use of the Alcidion Miya Precision platform, to provide an electronic patient record (EPR) for the trust. The trust joins two others in the region delivering benefits for patient care with the support of technology from Alcidion.
The modular EPR will enhance digital maturity and support clinicians as they deliver high quality, safe patient care.
Dr Adrian Clements
Intuitive design, ease of use and interoperability with specialist systems that NCIC wishes to retain, are key benefits recognised by the trust’s EPR evaluation team. The full Miya Precision EPR will enable mobile working, streamline patient flow, support clinical decision-making processes and provide clinicians with real-time access to a unified patient record.
Dr Adrian Clements, Executive Medical Director, for North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our partnership with Alcidion and the introduction of the Miya Precision EPR platform marks a significant step forward in transforming how we deliver patient care at NCIC. This innovative, user-friendly system will streamline workflows, reduce duplication, and provide our teams with the tools they need to focus on what matters most – our patients. By integrating cutting-edge technology, we are not just keeping pace with modern healthcare, but setting a standard for safer, smarter, and more efficient care delivery.”
The Miya Precision EPR will support care delivery across emergency, inpatient and outpatient services. Clinical workflows will be complemented by the availability of a real-time patient flow management capability and extensive clinical documentation functionality that is designed to support all clinical roles in documenting patient care.
The use of the cloud-hosted, web-based solution will be extended through the provision of a smart-phone based mobile app that will provide care teams with access to the full patient record wherever and whenever needed.
Kate Quirke
This agreement will extend Alcidion’s footprint in the North East North Cumbria region, with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust currently using the Miya Precision Patient Administration System (PAS) module, and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust using the EPR platform.
NCIC provides hospital and community health services to approximately half a million people. It is responsible for delivering around 70 acute and community services across 15 main locations, supported by more than 6,500 employees. EPR infrastructure is expected to be of critical importance to patient flow, safety and clinical outcomes across the diverse trust.
The contract follows a July 2024 announcement in which NCIC named Alcidion as preferred bidder for its EPR.
Alcidion CEO and MD, Kate Quirke, said: “Securing this long-term contract with North Cumbria Integrated Care is a significant step for the trust and demonstrates the value a modern, modular EPR platform can bring to healthcare systems. Miya Precision has a strong reputation for supporting clinicians to digitise their workflows and improve care outcomes for patients, and we are excited to deliver this for NCIC. For Alcidion, this contract represents a key milestone in our efforts to support major healthcare providers with market-leading digital health solutions. The emergence of smarter, more focused electronic patient record infrastructure is being widely accepted as an essential part of clinical workflow and patient care, globally, and we remain committed to continuous improvement and world-class innovation in this space.”
Major reforms to empower NHS staff and put patients first
Changes will drive efficiency and empower staff to deliver better care as part of Prime Minister’s Plan for Change
Move will reduce complex bureaucracy and undo the damage caused by 2012 reorganisation
Reforms to reduce bureaucracy, make savings and empower NHS staff to deliver better care for patients have been set out today by the Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
NHS England will be brought back into the Department of Health and Social Care to put an end to the duplication resulting from two organisations doing the same job in a system currently holding staff back from delivering for patients. By stripping back layers of red tape and bureaucracy, more resources will be put back into the front line rather than being spent on unnecessary admin.
The current system also penalises hardworking staff at NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care who desperately want to improve the lives of patients but who are being held back by the current overly bureaucratic and fragmented system.
The reforms will reverse the 2012 top-down reorganisation of the NHS which created burdensome layers of bureaucracy without any clear lines of accountability. As Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the state of the NHS found, the effects of this are still felt today and have left patients worse off under a convoluted and broken system.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said:
“This is the final nail in the coffin of the disastrous 2012 reorganisation, which led to the longest waiting times, lowest patient satisfaction, and most expensive NHS in history.
“When money is so tight, we can’t justify such a complex bureaucracy with two organisations doing the same jobs. We need more doers, and fewer checkers, which is why I’m devolving resources and responsibilities to the NHS frontline.
“NHS staff are working flat out but the current system sets them up to fail. These changes will support the huge number of capable, innovative and committed people across the NHS to deliver for patients and taxpayers.
“Just because reform is difficult doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. This government will never duck the hard work of reform. We will take on vested interests and change the status quo, so the NHS can once again be there for you when you need it.”
Sir James Mackey, who will be taking over as Transition CEO of NHS England, said:
“We know that while unsettling for our staff, today’s announcement will bring welcome clarity as we focus on tackling the significant challenges ahead and delivering on the government’s priorities for patients.
“From managing the Covid pandemic, the biggest and most successful vaccine campaign which got the country back on its feet, to introducing the latest most innovative new treatments for patients, NHS England has played a vital role in improving the nation’s health. I have always been exceptionally proud to work for the NHS – and our staff in NHS England have much to be proud of.
“But we now need to bring NHS England and DHSC together so we can deliver the biggest bang for our buck for patients, as we look to implement the three big shifts – analogue to digital, sickness to prevention, and hospital to community – and build an NHS fit for the future.”
Incoming NHS England Chair, Dr Penny Dash said:
“I am committed to working with Jim, the board and wider colleagues at NHS England to ensure we start 25/26 in the strongest possible position to support the wider NHS to deliver consistently high-quality care for patients and value for money for taxpayers.
“I will also be working closely with Alan Milburn to lead the work to bring together NHSE and DHSC to reduce duplication and streamline functions.”
Work will begin immediately to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department. A longer-term programme of work will deliver the changes to bring NHS England back into the department, while maintaining a laser-like focus on the government’s priorities to cut waiting times and responsibly manage finances.It will also realise the untapped potential of the NHS as a single payer system, using its centralised model to procure cutting-edge technology more rapidly, get a better deal for taxpayers on procurement, and work more closely with the life sciences sector to develop the treatments of the future.
The reforms to deliver a more efficient, leaner centre will also free up capacity and help deliver significant savings of hundreds of millions of pounds a year, which will be reinvested in frontline services to cut waiting times through the government’s Plan for Change.
The changes will crucially also give more power and autonomy to local leaders and systems – instead of weighing them down in increasing mountains of red tape, they will be given the tools and trust they need to deliver health services for the local communities they serve with more freedom to tailor provision to meet local needs.
The number of people working in the centre has more than doubled since 2010, when the NHS delivered the shortest waiting times and highest patient satisfaction in its history. Today, the NHS delivers worse care for patients but is more expensive than ever, meaning that taxpayers are paying more but getting less.
Too much centralisation and over-supervision has led to a tangled bureaucracy, which focuses on compliance and box-ticking, rather than patient care, value for money, and innovation. In one example, highlighted by Dame Patricia Hewitt’s 2023 review, one Integrated Care System received 97 ad-hoc requests in a month from DHSC and NHSE, in addition to the 6 key monthly, 11 weekly and 3 daily data returns.
The review also revealed the challenges caused by duplication – citing ‘examples of tensions, wasted time and needless frictional costs generated by uncoordinated pursuit of organizational goals that do not take account of their wider effects’.
Substantial reform, not just short term investment, is needed to deliver the government’s Plan for Change mission to get the NHS back on its feet and fit for the future, and this announcement is one of a series of steps the government is taking to make the NHS more productive and resilient so that it can meet the needs of the population it cares for.
NHS England’s new leadership team, Sir Jim Mackey and Dr Penny Dash, will lead this transformation while reasserting financial discipline and continuing to deliver on the government’s priority of cutting waiting times through the Plan for Change.
These reforms will provide the structure necessary to drive forward the three big shifts identified by government as crucial to building an NHS fit for the future – analogue to digital, sickness to prevention, and hospital to community.
Since July, Government has already taken significant steps to get the NHS back on its feet, including bringing an end to the resident doctor strikes, delivering an extra 2 million appointments 7 months early and cutting waiting lists by 193,000 since July.
Responding to the announcement that NHS England will be abolished, Hugh Alderwick, Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, told GPSJ:
‘Abolishing NHS England is a watershed moment in how the English NHS is governed and managed – and ends a 12 year experiment with trying to manage the NHS more independently from ministers.
‘There is some logic in bringing the workings of NHS England and the government more closely together – for example, to help provide clarity to the health service on priorities for improvement. And – in reality – it is impossible to take politics out of the NHS.
‘But history tells us that rejigging NHS organisations is hugely distracting and rarely delivers the benefits politicians expect. Scrapping NHS England completely will cause disruption and divert time and energy of senior leaders at a time when attention should be focused on improving care for patients. It will also eat up the time of ministers, with new legislation likely needed. Expected cuts to local NHS management budgets will add to the disruption, and may undermine the NHS’s ability to implement the government’s plans for improving the NHS. Reforming NHS bureaucracy is not the same as reforming patient care – and government must be careful that these changes don’t get in the way.
‘Today’s staff survey shows that the NHS workforce is in a fragile state: four in ten staff report feeling unwell because of work-related stress and a third say they feel burnt out. More than one in four think about leaving their jobs. Improving NHS care and productivity can’t happen without a workforce that is stable, feels well, and able to make improvements.’
For more than 140 years, the vaulted arches of historic Manchester Central have represented strength and innovation, originally as the site of one of the country’s key rail stations. Then in more recent history, growth and regeneration.
With the ongoing reset of the NHS, the building’s historical pedigree was symbolic of the important juncture that Avi Mehra, co-chair of the HETT Steering Committee, said the NHS was now facing as he opened HETT North 2025.
He highlighted five themes for the year in terms of the NHS’ digital transformation: the “three big shifts”; tackling NHS data and infrastructure; embracing AI safely; the financial and operational reality; and the NHS workforce. He added: “2025 will be a defining year, the priority will be a shift from ambition and vision to execution and impact.”
Ministerial commitment and keynotes
Karin Smyth, minister of state for health and secondary care, also underlined this in a short, pre-recorded video address. The video chronicled the ongoing discussions on the NHS 10-year plan, and a raft of recent central initiatives to drive digital transformation, enhance clinical care and empower patients.
She declared from a giant screen: “We are committed to change, and we are committed to working with you to transform the NHS for future generations.”
Sir Richard Leese CBE, chair of Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board, presented a positive vision in his opening keynote, drawing on examples of frontline developments to improve healthcare delivery and driving integration through digital innovation.
Amongst a number of areas for future development, Leese cited: further devolution; effective long term planning to move away from capital to revenue finance models; use of more AI and cloud delivery, while also ensuring governance and data systems in which AI was managed rather than AI doing the managing.
The Manchester ICB was also working with the Department for Work and Pensions to understand the impact of health on employment, and vice versa, to create a sustainable future health system – an area that Sir Richard Leese believed Greater Manchester ICB was at the forefront of.
He concluded: “I genuinely believe that in the next few years we can make massive in-roads on poor health, and using the scale and capacity of Greater Manchester as a demonstrator for this.”
Underneath the arches – showcasing healthcare innovation and digital transformation
This year HETT North welcomed attendees, exhibitors and speakers for a vibrant celebration of healthcare innovation and transformation. It featured a main plenary area, digital maturity forum, innovation trail and insights zone, with a floor standout being the world’s first mobile urology truck, exhibited by SAH Diagnostics.
Jamie Whysall, head of health at Netcompany, an IT services and consulting company exhibiting at HETT North, cited the networking value of attending the conference. He said: “We’ve had some really good conversations about what we’ve been doing elsewhere in Europe, and how those can apply to the UK and also how some of the work we’re doing in other verticals, could be translated into healthcare.”
David Holbrook, senior category manager for digital and IT at NHS Shared Business Services, agreed. “There’s a great atmosphere with lots of suppliers and interesting stakeholders from across the NHS, so plenty of great networking.”
The link between health and wealth
Back in the main plenary Richard Stubbs, chief executive of Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber and chair of the National Health Innovation Network, continued the theme of the link between health and the nation’s wealth in his own keynote on digital innovation.
Currently there are 2.8 million economically inactive long term sick. Statistics from BCG Consulting estimated that reducing this number could boost the UK’s GDP by £109-177 billion over the next five years.
Richard Stubbs advocated a culture of taking world class solutions to common problems, adapting them and then embedding in local healthcare.
But how to go about building a scalable, financially supported and modern NHS?
In a panel session moderated by Ian Hogan, chief digital information officer, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Trust, there was a view that there should be a more strategic approach to long term funding. Otherwise, trusts would continue to raid their capital budgets to invest in the future.
Culturally too, on a number of fronts there needed to be change. Panellists discussed whether clinicians were too risk averse with regard to innovation and what the conditions were for welcoming it.
Andrew Davies, digital health lead at the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI), said there needed to be a bigger focus on measures to help bring in innovation. Olivia Burns, a patient entrepreneur and member of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, called for closer collaboration between the NHS and private companies, which had an “abundance of resources”, to help introduce innovation.
Some of these themes were echoed in a subsequent panel examining productivity strategies that initially posed the question as to whether innovation always entailed technology.
Sheikh Mateen Ellahi, a GP partner, said it was important to consider cultural change and Leah Parry, CxIO, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS FT, emphasised the need to get the “bread and butter” issues right so that as a priority staff could get the “most and best” out of the technology that was already available. “We need to develop the core functionality first and ensure everybody has the same level of skill,” Parry said.
There was plenty of evidence at HETT North that getting the basics right is understood and will be of increasing focus in this crucial year for the NHS alongside its future development.
Once a great travel interchange, Manchester Central provided an exciting, buzzing platform for HETT North 2025 and ensured it provided a strong contribution to setting NHS transformation on track this year.
Sodexo UK & Ireland’s Government business has today launched a new client-focussed, data-driven reporting platform to support its public sector clients define, track, measure and evidence the social value over the lifetime of client’s contract.
Aligned to UN Sustainable Development Goals and nationally recognised methodologies for calculating Social Return on Investment (SROI), Sodexo’s new Social Impact Reporting Platform has been custom-built enabling it to operationalise its commitments and demonstrate progress through a client-accessible dashboard.
The new bespoke platform, which will enhance contract management, enables Sodexo to feed in all activity into a central point, with the outcome a rich data profile that provides insights into its operations. It enables Sodexo to measure, audit and share data through a concise, graphically rich dashboard, contract by contract.
Each contractual or bid obligation is attributed to an impact pathway and defines the action, owner and timescale associated with achieving it. With simple reporting tools allowing the quick extraction of key data and clear visibility of activities and performance including percentage completion against target and SROI calculations, Sodexo and its clients are able to monitor performance, drive measurable progress and evidence social value in procurement and delivery.
Paul Anstey, CEO Government, Sodexo UK & Ireland said: “This platform represents a significant advancement in our social impact reporting. By providing our public sector partners with transparent, real-time data, we’re not just meeting reporting requirements – we’re driving meaningful social change with provable results.”
The platform has been designed to enable Sodexo’s clients to log in and discover real time data through a clear summary index; a chain of evidence showing progress against commitments with updated stats and overall percentage progress against key themes, specific to each contract.
Ian Sparkes, Chief Operating Officer, Agencies & Property Professional Services, Government, Sodexo UK & Ireland adds “We share our clients’ desire to affect change in local communities, and rather than see this as a challenge, we grasped it as an opportunity to differentiate ourselves in our bid proposals.
“The platform has been designed with the ability for the platform to be amended and updated as contracts flex and change. This is a contract management tool we’ll continue to refine; working collaboratively with clients to keep pace with each of the social value ‘must haves’ in their communities. Setting clear targets, recording and reporting the impact we’re making in this space has become essential.”
The platform allows Sodexo to showcase an extra layer to its social value activity; anchoring it to its company-wide framework yet pinpointing exactly how and where Sodexo can have a direct local impact and add value beyond what the contract demands. This may include how it manages apprenticeships or providing SME supply partners with the opportunity to engage in the delivery of large public sector contracts.
There is potential to expand the use of the platform across Sodexo’s other business areas.
Sodexo’s purpose has always been to contribute positively to communities in which it operates. 2025 marks ten years since the publication of Sodexo’s first social impact pledge and transparent reporting of its progress and success. Over the course of the last decade, Sodexo has evolved its commitments in line with the changes in legislation and in business and societal priorities.
In February 2025 Sodexo UK & Ireland published its new Social Impact Pledge 2030 outlining its commitments to create meaningful impact for its people, planet, places and partners in the UK over the next five years.
Following a competitive tender process, Fusion21 is pleased to announce the suppliers successfully appointed to its national Workplace and Facilities Management Framework, worth up to £700 million over four years.
A total of 45 specialist firms – 40% being SMEs, have secured a place on the framework – now in its third iteration due to its previous success and designed to provide a range of hard and soft facilities management (FM) services to support the operation of public buildings.
Providing regional and national coverage, the framework offers access to supply chain innovation and efficiencies and will facilitate the outsourcing of building management contracts, enabling organisations to focus on their core activities.
The framework is split into four lots:
Lot 1 FM Principal Contractor (Total FM)
Lot 2 Cleaning and Washroom Services
Lot 3 Security Services
Lot 4 Building Engineering Services
Peter Francis, Group Executive Director (Operations) at Fusion21 said: “Having listened to member and supplier feedback, we’ve streamlined previous lots to create a new generation of the Workplace and Facilities Management Framework, suitable for various building types and covering single sites to national portfolios.
“Working with a team of technical procurement experts and pre-qualified suppliers, our members will be supported to deliver increased operational efficiency, while benefiting from a fast route to market and flexible call-off options.
“As with all Fusion21 frameworks, this latest framework enables our members to deliver social value they can see in communities, aligned with their organisational priorities.”
Successful suppliers appointed to Fusion21’s national Workplace and Facilities Management Framework:
Amey Community Limited, Atlas Maintenance Services Ltd, BAM FM Limited, Bellrock Property & Facilities Management Limited, CBES Limited, CBRE Managed Services Limited, Chase Services Group Ltd, Chequers Contract Services Ltd, City Group Security Limited, Compact Security Services Limited, D2 Facilities Ltd, Diamond Facilities Support Limited, Diamond UK Facilities Management Ltd, DMA Maintenance Limited, EJ Parker Technical Services (Scotland South) Ltd, EMCOR Group (UK) plc, Equans Services Limited, Eric Wright FM Limited, G4S Facilities Management (UK) Limited, Galliford Try Facilities Management Limited, Graffins Services Limited, Grosvenor Facilities Management Limited, Guarding Professionals Ltd, H.& J. Martin Limited, Irwin M&E Limited, ISS Mediclean Limited, Kingdom Services Group Limited, Lancer Scott Facilities Management Limited, Lorne Stewart PLC, M J Quinn Integrated Services Limited, Mitie FM Limited, Norse Commercial Services Limited, OCS Group UK Limited, Oracle Security Services Ltd, Pareto Facilities Management Limited, SBFM Limited, SENCAT LTD, Sewell Facilities Management Limited, Spectrum Service Solutions Limited, Supreme Protection Limited, T3 Security Limited, Tenon FM Limited, Total Clean Services Limited, Wates Property Services Limited, Wetton Cleaning Services Limited.
Voicescape will launch a breakthrough income recovery solution for social landlords and local authorities in April 2025, representing a major step change in the way unsecured debt from tenant repayment agreements is managed across the sector.
Agreements Manager has been developed by the specialist software business in partnership with customers, to enable social landlords to comprehensively manage, track and optimise failing tenant payment agreements in a more controlled, active and lower risk way. The aim is to reduce break rates, lower the cost of managing agreements and improve the financial outcomes of organisations and tenants.
The first-of-its-kind solution combines behavioural science, predictive analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). It provides complete visibility and risk profiling so a landlord can draft and track an agreement that is both suited to the tenant’s needs and in alignment with the organisation’s financial KPIs and objectives.
The launch follows the transformational success of Voicescape Caseload Manager – revolutionary technology that allows social landlords to assess a range of long- and short-term risk factors, to make intelligent predictions about individual rent arrears cases.
Gary Haynes
Gary Haynes, managing director at Voicescape, said: “Although repayment agreements are put in place with good intentions to help social landlords flexibly recover arrears over a period of time, data shows us that the vast majority of agreements fail. This consistent trend has resulted in debt remaining uncollected – only being tackled if and when it’s manually identified and a new recovery approach is implemented.
“Informal or court mandated repayment agreements are used by many social landlords to recover arrears that have built up. They’re a key recovery tool in the sector. When they function as intended, repayment agreements are an effective way of managing debt and meeting regulatory requirements to provide flexibility and support to tenants. However, the real challenge with agreements is that the system support to establish robust agreements, manage them over time, and detect when they start to drift, is simply inadequate.”
According to research carried out by Voicescape, 25-50% of arrears debt is typically tied up in tenant repayment agreements, with the average agreement valued at £700 and scheduled to run for two-and-a-half years. Even more concerning, most agreements break within 3-6 months with a failure rate often in excess of 90%.
Agreements Manager uses dynamic risk profiling to customise instalment amounts and repayment durations for each tenant; provide behavioural insights and data analytics on real customer behaviours, allowing providers to consult with tenants and formalise agreements effectively. It also automates messaging and alerts to maintain optimal tenant engagement and reduce recovery costs, while accurately predicting and monitoring the status, progress and performance of each agreement at an organisational level.
Gary added: “Voicescape is delivering truly innovative capabilities into the hands of housing professionals, with measurable benefits for organisations and the communities they serve. Agreements Manager provides a new set of functionalities that no other system offers to better manage repayment agreements, helping to reduce more debt with less risk, empower teams and tenants, and improve financial outcomes for everyone involved.”
Voicescape works with more than 80 registered social housing providers and local authorities across the UK, empowering them to connect with their communities at scale across various critical touchpoints, including rent collection, customer satisfaction feedback, gas and safety checks.
Its technologies combine machine, automation technology, behavioural insights, and data science to create bespoke communication solutions that help public service organisations drive substantial operational efficiencies and service improvements.
Rock armour from a Welsh Slate quarry is helping to keep local people safe.
Granite from Welsh Slate’s historic Ffestiniog quarry in north Wales is helping to bolster vital sea defences at Kinmel Bay 40 miles away.
Some 2,000 tonnes of the stone are being hauled every week for Conwy County Borough Council’s £13 million redevelopment of the vulnerable site.
Work includes strengthening of the current revetment between Towyn and Kinmel Bay with a total of 80,000 tonnes of rock armour sourced from a variety of local quarries, raising 2km of sea wall by up to 750mm, and replacing two floodgates, to safeguard the local community and infrastructure from the impact of stormy weather and associated coastal flooding.
Earlier this year, the effects of Storm Pierrick meant residents were on standby to evacuate their homes, with an estimated 10 to 20 reported to have been marooned after seawater struck Sandy Bay.
In addition to the mitigation work, the seafront will be enhanced with improved beach access, car park upgrades, and the installation of a toilet block and street furniture.
Welsh Slate is supplying local civil engineers Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK with more than 50,000 tonnes of three to six-tonne each of granite rock armour from Ffestiniog. Work started in September (2024) and is due to complete this winter (2025/2026).
The leading UK manufacturer of roofing slates and architectural products, alongside minerals and aggregates, had stock of up to 25,000 tonnes, sourced from a granite seam in the quarry, and with an additional pull of 1,000 tonnes a week, has been able to supply 15,400 tonnes to date.
Welsh Slate works manager Robin Evans said: “This contract has required a lot of pre-planning and investment including a new drill rig, but it has been good to see the quarry involved in this vital cause.
“The demand for our rock armour is huge and we are fortunate that it is produced as a by-product of our other operations. Nevertheless, our quality control processes ensure it meets the highest standards of durability and performance.”
He added: “As well as reinforcing the coastal defences, this project underlines our commitment to sustainable sourcing and local economic development.”
Work on the sea defences is due to continue until the spring when the project will stand down for the summer tourist season to reduce vehicle movements during the school holidays.
As March marks Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month, new research from Zerenia Clinic, a specialist UK medical cannabis clinic, reveals a growing demand for policy change to improve access to medical cannabis treatments for those suffering from MS and other chronic conditions.
A nationwide survey conducted by Zerenia Clinic highlights strong public support for reducing regulatory barriers surrounding medical cannabis:
The new findings revealed that 40% of UK adults believe that strict regulations and complicated prescription processes are the biggest obstacles to accessing medical cannabis treatments.
With 58% of respondents saying that increasing public education and awareness campaigns would help reduce the stigma associated with medical cannabis use for chronic conditions like MS, over 2 in 3 adults (68% ) in the UK think the government should invest more in research on cannabis-based treatments for chronic pain and neurological disorders.
MS is a lifelong condition affecting over 150,000 people in the UK, with around 7,100 new diagnoses each year. Symptoms such as chronic pain, muscle spasticity, and mobility issues can significantly impact daily life. Scientific evidence suggests that medical cannabis may help alleviate some of these symptoms by reducing central neuropathic pain and pain from muscle spasms, helping to ease muscle stiffness and improving the overall quality of life for people living with MS.
Currently, the NHS only recommends a four-week trial of Sativex, a THC: CBD spray, for adults with moderate to severe symptoms. However, many patients turn to other forms of medical cannabis to manage their symptoms more effectively.
Despite growing evidence of the benefits of medical cannabis, many people with MS still struggle to access these treatments due to restrictive UK policies. Dr Guillermo Moreno, Scientific Director at Khiron Europe, emphasises, “Medical cannabis can be life-changing for those with chronic pain and neurological conditions. When other treatments fail, cannabis-based therapies offer rapid relief and help patients regain control of their lives. The UK must take urgent steps to improve access and invest in further research.”
Zerenia Clinic remains committed to challenging misconceptions about medical cannabis and advocating for improved policies that enable more people to benefit from these treatments.
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