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ARE
YOU A BUSINESS HERO?
THE increasing number
of men and women who are turning their lives around by choosing to
start up a new business are highlighted in the Barclays Trading
Places Awards launched this week.
The government backed Awards, presented in association with The
Prince’s Trust, feature practical examples of people who have taken
control of their lives by deciding to go it alone. Previous
winners include a single mum who overcame physical abuse to set up a
successful beauty business and a former policeman who lost an arm
and his career but went on to establish a driving school for the
disabled.
Whether it is overcoming a failed relationship, turning your back on
benefits, or transforming your life when dealing with a physical
disability we would like to hear from you. The Awards are open
to everyone who has been trading for a minimum of 3 months and a
maximum of 3 years, with an annual turnover of less than £1 million.
Launching Trading Places 2008, Barclays’ Marketing Director for
Local Business, John Davis, said:- “This is a celebration of
Merseyside’s unsung heroes who, in spite of great personal
challenges, have taken steps to establish a sustainable business and
in doing so changed the direction of their lives – for the benefit
of themselves and their families. We are delighted to have
this opportunity of celebrating the inspiring achievement of these
individuals whilst highlighting an increasingly important sector of
the business community – the sole traders and small business
operations that underpin our economy.”
Other supporters are the Department for Business, Enterprise and
Regulatory Reform (BERR), Jobcentre Plus, The National Federation of
Enterprise Agencies (NFEA) and Microsoft.
John Hutton, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and
Regulatory Reform, said:- “I am delighted to once again have
the opportunity to support the Barclays Trading Places Awards. The
Government recognises the need to unlock enterprising talent amongst
people of all sections of society and its role in encouraging people
to have the ambition to start and grow their own businesses.
I
would like to congratulate all those involved in this year’s Awards
and wish you every success for the event.”
Entries for the Barclays Trading Places Awards; now in their 4th
year, must be in by 30 May 2008. Nomination leaflets are available by
calling 0800 085 3203 or visiting
www.barclays.co.uk/tradingplaces.
Judges will select 10 National Finalists who will attend a
prestigious Awards Dinner in London at the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor
Square, on 7 October 2008, where they will each be awarded £1,100 worth
of desktop software by Microsoft.
The winner will receive a further
£2,200 worth of Microsoft server software. In addition the
winner and runner-up, to be announced on the night, will receive
£10,000 and £5,000 respectively, courtesy of Barclays.
For further information or to arrange an interview please contact
Rebecca Deeny or Kate Polson at Aspect Communications on 0208 673
2020 / 07795 694 863 / 0785 290 2719 |
Inconsistent NHS risks lives of 270,000 people with diabetes
PATCHY NHS services
are putting 270,000 people with diabetes in the North West at
increased risk of serious complications, some of which can reduce
life expectancy, including heart disease, stroke and blindness.
Leading health charity Diabetes UK releases a report today warning
that the Government will fail to deliver on standards it set itself
five years ago if it doesn’t refocus NHS efforts.
In 2003, the National Service Framework (NSF) for Diabetes set out a
vision for diabetes services in England to be delivered by 2013.
Half way through the 10 year plan, Diabetes UK’s ‘Five years on…
Are we half way there?’ report reviews the NHS’s progress in
achieving person-centred, co-ordinated care that aims to ensure
fewer people develop diabetes and better care for those who have the
condition.
The charity concludes that, while some people with diabetes in some
parts of the country receive excellent care, many are still not
benefiting from the effective delivery of diabetes services that the
NSF set out to achieve. Many healthcare professionals and diabetes
communities have been working hard to deliver high quality
integrated care but, without local organisation and investment,
efforts are often in vain.
Julie Byron, North West Regional Manager for Diabetes UK, said:-
“We are very worried about the slow progress the NHS is making
towards delivering all the NSF standards by 2013. It is not good
enough that more than 270,000 people with diabetes in the North West
are facing an unnecessarily increased risk of life-threatening
complications because of the Government’s failure to address the
quality of diabetes services across the country. Action is needed
today to safeguard the health and quality of life of everyone with
diabetes in the future.
Diabetes UK is calling for the Government to conduct its own
national review of progress made to date in delivering the 2013 NSF
standards and targets. There have been significant structural
changes in the NHS in the past 5 years which need to be taken into
account to ensure we have a relevant strategy in place to achieve
these goals. The Government also needs to make Primary Care Trusts
truly accountable for delivery of the NSF and challenge those not
performing.”
Diabetes UK’s report found that, despite prevention being a key NSF
objective, only 1 in 20 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) has a specific
strategy for preventing Type 2 diabetes and obesity. In addition,
only 38% of PCTs provide emotional and psychological support to
adults with diabetes which is not conducive to the NSF’s aim of
supporting and educating people to deal with their diabetes, after
all, more than 95% of diabetes management is self care. As only 26%
of the 280,000 people with diabetes in the North West have the full
range of care processes carried out each year, more than 206,000 are
being put at increased risk of complications.
Moves such as Alan Johnson MP’s recent announcement of vascular
screening to include diabetes are vital, as the report found that
fewer PCTs (57%) had an early identification programme for diabetes
in place in 2007 than did in 2006 (60%). There are an estimated
65,000 people in the North West with Type 2 diabetes who don’t yet
know it, and failure to identify and treat them puts them, too, at
increased risk of life-threatening complications. |
