Health & Wellbeing

With Ramadan about to begin and many preparing to take fast, NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group is encouraging people to make sure they look after their health during the holy month.

This can be done by eating slow-release energy food in place of fried food, and making sure to eat at both suhoor, the morning meal, and iftar, the evening meal.

Those who have long term health conditions, or conditions that require regular medication, are also urged to speak to their doctor before fasting.

Dr Asad Zaman, a GP based at Shah Zaman Surgery, in Birmingham, said: “Your diet in Ramadan is very important.

“As tempting as they are, try to avoid samosas, pakoras and other fried food. Instead, try to eat foods that will release energy slowly, such as basmati rice, wholemeal flour, wheat, oats and lentils.

“If you are diabetic and using insulin, you must consult your doctor or diabetes specialist nurse before deciding on fasting. If you take regular medication, speak to your doctor or pharmacist about changing your regime to suit the needs of Ramadan.”

He added: “My top advice would be keeping to a healthy diet – if your diet is poor, your health can be worse off.”

Ramadan 2019 starts tomorrow - Monday May 6 - and ends on Tuesday June 4.

A West Midlands healthcare Trust is looking for therapists to help cancer patients at an annual pampering event.

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWBH) is appealing for the professionals to take part in their Cancer Wellbeing day.

It will provide a host of therapies, advice and information to hundreds of local people and their carers who are living with cancer.

Sara Connor, Cancer Nurse Specialist, at the Trust, which runs City and Sandwell Hospitals, said: “This is a really great event that aims to offer emotional and practical wellbeing to patients living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis.

“The day gives patients and their carers the opportunity to discover a range of cancer wellbeing services that are locally available, all under one roof.

“The benefit of relaxation and physical therapeutic interventions is effective in promoting positive wellbeing. That’s why the pamper sessions, such as hand and head massages, prove to be so popular.

“Due to the popularity of the event, we are in need of extra help and we hope we can get local pamper therapists on board to make this event successful.”

The event has become a fixture in the calendar of many local people, and was originally set up as a means of providing extra support in addition to the medical treatment provided to cancer patients and their carers.

This year, the team is seeking experienced therapists who are willing to volunteer their time and expertise to provide pamper sessions to patients and carers.

The event will be held at West Bromwich Football Stadium on Saturday July 6 from 9.30 am to 3pm.

Anyone able to offer their services or would like to find out more about the event, can contact Jenny Donovan or Ian Charles on 0121 507 2618.

A West Midlands healthcare trust is celebrating after scooping a prestigious award recognising its anaesthesia and perioperative team.

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust won the Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine Team of the Year at the BMJ Awards for their excellent work in consultant-led perioperative trauma care.

The department worked on improving the outcome of patients who had undergone hip operations but were also suffering from other conditions which may have affected their recovery.

The team started a seven day, consultant-led perioperative trauma care bundle for patients from the start of their care to post-surgery.

Jay Susarla, Clinical Director for Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Management, said: “This is undoubtedly an amazing achievement for the department and the Trust.

“It would not have been possible without the hard work of our Perioperative lead Dr Subash Sivasubramaniam as well as our other colleagues who are part of the trauma and perioperative group, our orthogeretrician Dr Huma Naqvi, theatre staff and staff on Newton 3 ward at Sandwell Hospital. “It feels great to be recognised.”

The event celebrates excellence in the delivery of clinicians and the teams they work with and the standard gets more inspirational with each year.

Professor Ravi Mahajan, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists said: “Dr Susarla and the team at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust have shown leading work in perioperative trauma care

“Patient-centred work is key in the field of anaesthesia and making sure that the patients are treated from preparing for surgery to recovery can make a huge difference.

“The team at Sandwell and West Birmingham have shown that perioperative medicine and taking a new approach to trauma care can improve outcomes significantly for patients as well as the NHS as a whole.”

As the warm weather slowly makes a return, households in the West Midlands are being urged to ‘spring clean’ their heating system to avoid missing out on potential savings to their fuel bills.

Following a cold start to the year, many homes still have their heating set to cope with freezing conditions. However, by making a few simple adjustments and routine checks, households can reduce their energy usage and potentially enjoy cheaper fuel bills.

In support, OFTEC, which represents the oil heating industry, has produced a ‘spring cleaning’ guide which outlines the key things to look out for:

1. Adjust your heating timers. If you made changes to your timers over winter, it’s a good idea to check the heating still only comes on when you need it to – particularly now the clocks have gone forward. By regularly reviewing and adjusting these settings you can make additional savings.
2. Turn off individual radiators. We often forget about rooms we don’t use on a regular basis so make sure you aren’t wasting money heating them up. You should also check the radiator temperatures in your main rooms if these were set higher during the winter freeze.
3. Make sure you have enough heating oil. Following heavy use over winter, check how much oil you have left in your tank and top up early to avoid any emergency deliveries. We recommend you use an FPS accredited fuel supplier as they follow strict safety guidelines.
4. Check your home insurance covers oil related incidents.Whilst oil tanks have a very strong safety record, it’s important to ensure your home insurance policy covers the cost of any oil spills in the unlikely event of a leak so you don’t get caught out. There may also be requirements to have your chimney regularly swept if you have a wood burner or open fire.
5. Have your boiler serviced. Routine maintenance is an effective way of reducing your energy usage and prolonging the life of your heating system. Contact a GasSafe (for mains gas) or OFTEC (for oil) registered technician who will ensure it is operating correctly and to maximum efficiency. They have also been certified as fully competent and will complete the work to a professional and safe standard.

“It’s easy to forget about making adjustments as temperatures start to return to normal and you might not even notice issues such as your heating coming on whilst you are asleep or out of the house. However, this oversight could be costing you quite a bit of money. We also recommend reviewing your home insurance policy to understand what you are covered for in the unlikely event you have any problems with your heating system.”

Over 30 staff at Worcestershire Royal Hospital will walk over 8 miles across the Malvern Hills on Saturday 25^th May to raise funds for Cure Leukaemia in support of their colleague Dr Salim Shafeek.

Dr Shafeek, the Clinical Director of Haematology and Oncology at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, has recently been diagnosed with myeloma, a form of blood cancer and is receiving treatment at the Centre for Clinical Haematology at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Former patients and colleagues have understandably been shocked to hear this news and have rallied in support of the consultant who has worked at the hospital for 17 years. Over 30 people will take to the Malvern Hills in May to raise funds in what is being called the ‘Rowan Ramble’ named after The Rowan Suite for haematology and oncology at the hospital.

Nurses from the Rowan who have worked alongside Dr Shafeek for many years said: “It was an immense shock to hear of Dr Shafeek’s diagnosis. He has dedicated so much of his life to looking after patients with blood cancer as well as active involvement in research and tireless support for his staff and colleagues. He is facing his treatment with strength and dignity and we admire him enormously.

“That is why we have decided to organise a mass participation walk in the beautiful Malvern Hills to raise funds for Cure Leukaemia, a charity that is driving forward new treatments for blood cancer by funded specialist research nurses to conduct pioneering clinical trials.

“We would be hugely grateful if the public would donate to our fundraising page which can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/companyteams/rowanramble”

Dr Shafeek was the first consultant to treat former England, Crystal Palace and Wolves footballer Geoff Thomas when he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) in 2003 and this news has also come as a shock to Geoff: “I might not be here today if it was not for Dr Shafeek who quickly recognised the severity of my illness and referred me to Professor Charlie Craddock CBE in Birmingham. He has helped so many patients over the years and I am sure every single one of them would want to wish him all the very best in his treatment and hopefully a full and swift recovery.

“It is great to see so many people organising a walk to support him, I hope it is a great success and raises many funds for the charity I am very proud to be a Patron of, Cure Leukaemia.”

Steven Shaw, from Malvern, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) almost exactly seven years ago and received his initial treatment from Dr Shafeek and his team. Steve is a keen walker and will be joining the Rowan Ramble in May. He said: “If Dr Shafeek had not recommended me for a clinical trial in 2012 made available thanks to Cure Leukaemia I would not have been able to marry my partner Trish, meet my grandchildren Teddy, Charlie and Abby or escort my daughter down the aisle on her wedding day.

Taking part in this walk is the very least I can do to support the brilliant clinical teams that saved my life and I wish Dr Shafeek the very best for his treatment.”

35-year-old Corporate Solicitor, Jenna Ostrowski from Birmingham, was diagnosed with AML in July 2017 and received her diagnosis from Dr Shafeek. Jenna, now in remission, visited him as soon as she heard the news:

“I was shocked, I couldn’t believe it. Blood cancers are so indiscriminate and can strike anybody and at any time and it is hard to believe that someone who has helped so many people overcome blood cancer can suddenly be in this position themselves. He has all my support and best wishes and I hope the Rowan Ramble is great success in May.”

Dr Shafeek is receiving treatment from Dr Mark Cook and Cure Leukaemia Trustee Dr Guy Pratt at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and is optimistic about his treatment. He said:

“It started with some pain in my back, an innocuous symptom as is often the case with blood cancers, so when I received the diagnosis it was a great shock to me and my family.

After a swift diagnosis at Worcestershire Acute NHS Trust within 48 I was referred to Birmingham and I am receiving excellent treatment at the Centre for Clinical Haematology. I am maintaining a positive mindset, something I have always urged my patients to do!

“It is so touching that my colleagues are doing this walk in support of me and for a fantastic charity in Cure Leukaemia. I know that all funds raised will go towards ensuring more and more patients continue to be connected with treatments for blood cancer that are currently not available to them and I hope the team are able to achieve their target.

“The support from my family, colleagues, friends, former patients and the general public has been overwhelming; and I am immensely grateful.”

A payment of £1.2 million has been received by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, as a result of a Proceeds of Crime compensation order and collaboration between agencies to tackle fraud.

Substantial payments have also been awarded by the courts to other NHS trusts who fell victim to the same organised crime group: North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has received £298,219.79 and Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust has received £216,584.76.

The original fraud and money laundering investigation, Operation Tarlac, was led by Lincolnshire Police Economic Crime Unit (ECU), closely assisted by the national NHS counter fraud service and its Forensic Computing Unit, all now part of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority. The Forensic Computing Unit’s specialist software allowed over 90,000 documents and files to be analysed rapidly and remotely.

Operation Tarlac revealed that a criminal group defrauded £12 million from various public bodies including a number of NHS bodies, councils and housing associations around the UK. The Guernsey government was also targeted, losing £2.6 million. The fraudsters employed forged letters, emails and faxes to masquerade as a legitimate firm and divert payments to themselves.

The investigation resulted in over 50 years of prison sentences in total. The 14th member of the crime group to be convicted, Bayo Awonorin, was sentenced in January this year to nine years and six months’ imprisonment, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to launder money. He had fled the UK whilst on bail but was tracked down in the US by Lincolnshire Police and extradited.

Another conspirator was sentenced to three-and-a-half-years imprisonment in January 2018, after being detained in Germany on a European Arrest Warrant. Oil and gas executive Walter Wagbatsoma was identified by Lincolnshire Police ECU and extradited to the UK.

The international nature of the case went further: funds were laundered through business accounts in the UK, Dubai, Turkey and Poland and some of those funds were later moved back to the UK.

One of the conspirators, Oluwatoyin Allison, remains wanted. He was convicted in his absence in April 2017 and jailed for seven years.

Operation Tarlac began back in September 2011, with a complaint of fraud from Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. A payment to a building firm of £1.28 million towards a new mental health rehabilitation unit had gone missing. A further 20 linked offences and total losses of £12.6 million suffered by various parties were identified. In sentencing, Judge Philip Head, described it as a “sophisticated and widespread fraud in its conception and execution” with the loss failing on the tax payer.

Sue Frith, Interim CEO of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, said: “I commend the excellent work by Lincolnshire Police. Close collaboration between the NHSCFA, police forces and other authorities is vital to root out NHS fraud, especially by professional criminals. These recoveries for the NHS, and the original investigation, are good examples of how NHS counter fraud work helps to curb crimes against the taxpayer even beyond the NHS. Our Forensic Computing Unit, intelligence, fraud investigation and financial investigation specialists all played important roles in Operation Tarlac.”

Lincolnshire Police ECU, Det Sgt Mike Billam, said: "Recovering the stolen funds has always been a key objective in this investigation and so I am particularly pleased that LPFT has now received the full value of their loss which I know will be used to benefit our communities. The NHS forensic computing unit provided exceptional and invaluable support to this investigation, managing data and saving costs – an outstanding example of partnership working. The Economic Crime team at Lincolnshire Police have worked relentlessly since the defendants were convicted to recover the value of the frauds from those responsible through the Proceeds of Crime Act. This work is ongoing and it is hoped that further funds will be recovered.”

More than 50 computer devices and 200 mobile phones were seized by police during Tarlac. NHSCFA’s Forensic Computing Unit is equipped with the latest technology, which allows terabytes of data to be forensically imaged and processed rapidly. FCU can provide a secure remote data review service, allowing data to be presented to multiple investigators regardless of their physical location.

A Birmingham law firm is celebrating after exceeding its fundraising target for a local charity.

Following a two-year partnership with Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, Pinsent Masons has presented its final cheque of £21,258 to the charity, taking its final fundraising total up to a fantastic £49,894.

With an original target of £20,000 the law firm’s generosity has gone on to make a huge difference to the sick kids treated at the hospital.

Louise McCathie, Director of Fundraising at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s been an absolute joy and privilege working with Pinsent Masons over the last two years. The team has been nothing short of incredible. From cake sales and challenge events to even organising their very own summer bike ride, the team has been so dedicated.

“Every year we are astounded by the level of support we get from local businesses and as one of our largest corporate partners, we can’t thank Pinsent Masons enough for its support during the partnership. The money raised will go a long way in making a huge difference to so many of our brave patients and their families.”

The children’s hospital charity was chosen back in 2017 following a staff vote, which saw many members of staff share their own experiences with the hospital including one of the firm’s partners, Simon Laight.

The dad-of-three was inspired to vote for the charity after being ‘bowled over’ by the care his son, George, received at the children’s hospital when he fell off his bike and broke his shoulder. Simon added over £3k to the grand total himself when he took on the Cape Epic challenge – a brutal eight-day mountain bike race in South Africa.

The money the firm has raised throughout the partnership has gone on to purchase a new portable scanner for the hospital’s Renal Unit meaning, and a new underwater-themed skin for a scanner in the Radiology department. The team at Pinsent Masons also donated £4,000 towards a fully-mobile touchscreen plasma, which provides an all-encompassing learning and interactive environment for kids of all ages and abilities. It will be placed in waiting areas to keep children occupied while they wait to be seen, to help reduce anxiety and stress.

The value of the two-way partnership has been much more than purely financial, with Pinsent Masons staff members benefiting from CPR training sessions with the hospital’s cardiac surgeon, Tim Jones, who offered advice and guidance on using a defibrillator in an emergency situation.

Greg Lowson, Head of Pinsent Masons Birmingham office, said: “We are delighted to present this cheque to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity and announce our final fundraising total of £49,894. This phenomenal amount truly goes to show the dedication and passion from our staff who have enjoyed supporting such a worthy cause.

“Working with Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity has been fantastic. As well as taking part in a wide range of fundraising activities, our partnership has led to some fantastic opportunities for our employees. For me and many others, this included taking part in the valuable life support training which really hammered home not only the hospital’s expertise but how we can learn so much from them in return for supporting them financially.

“Our various teams all had the opportunity to get involved and to see everyone come together to raise the final amount is really rewarding.”

Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity is always looking for support from local businesses.

The Vice Chancellor of Dow University of Health Sciences, in Pakistan, Prof. Mohammad Saeed Quraishy said that the number of doctors in the field of family medicine is insufficient.

“As a developing country,” he said as the Chief Guest of First Family Medicine Symposium held at Arag Auditorium, Dow Medical College, “we face a lot of challenges; the provision of quality healthcare is among the top ones. With the establishment of family medicine department, Dow University has managed to take its name to the underprivileged slums of the city for providing quality healthcare.”

The symposium was also addressed by the Dr. Riaz Qureshi, Director of Family Medicine department, Aga Khan University, Dr. Janet Haley from United Kingdom, Dr. Anum Arshad Baig, and other also spoke on the Symposium. Dr. Mohammad Saeed Quraishy further said that the provision of basic healthcare facilities to the doorsteps of our masses has opened up a new era of quality healthcare system.

Not only providing consultation by specialized doctors but the university is also providing all medication and tests free of cost. Provision of basic healthcare units, under the umbrella of public private partnership goes on to show what we as a nation are capable of. He added that as a medical superintendent, he stabilized the department of family medicine at Civil Hospital. A delegate team, from Japan, visiting the hospital that time also appreciated his efforts.

Dr. Riaz Qureshi, Director of Family Medicine department, Aga Khan University, said regarding the evolution of Family Medicine Department that it is an integral part of the healthcare system. “The healthcare sector of Pakistan,” he said, “has been suffering from primary issues. There are insufficient doctors in this field as most of them go abroad.

He further stated that general practitioners of this field are serving at the front line against Dengue, Malaria and typhoid. Approximately, 90 percent of patients seek consultation from a family medicine specialist first and then he is referred to other specialists after that. According to the statistics of 2009, there were 35 percent of family physicians and 15 percent of specialists in Pakistan.

An underdeveloped country like Pakistan, where a minute percentage of GDP is being spent on healthcare, there is a need to make family medicine sector more stabilized than ever. He said that due to the addition of different fields of specialization, the importance of family physicians is enhanced because it won’t be possible to know which specialist to consult without going to a family medicine physician. He added that the field of family medicine gained interest in the 60th decade in Pakistan. Doctors need to be trained in family medicine at mass level because no other option would be better to contribute towards a developing country than working in this field.

Family medicine specialists Dr. Janet Haley, while comparing her country to Pakistan, said that the field of Family Medicine is quite stable in United Kingdom while there are sufficient general practitioners also. Pakistan needs to raise the number of general practitioners in family medicine. She emphasized upon students to study and seek training in this field to serve the humanity. She said that serving 10 minutes on each patient will let you learn a lot. The seminar was concluded with the distribution of certificates and shields to the participants by Prof. Mohammad Saeed Quraishy.

The first of the UK’s Clean Air Zones, London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), comes into force across the capital on 8th April 2019. Similar regulations are also being planned for towns and cities across the UK to tackle what can often be illegally high levels of air pollution. But what does this mean for fleets and company cars?

Simon Staton, Client Management Director of Venson Automotive Solutions, said: “Contributing to 40,000 early deaths every year in the UK, air pollution is undoubtedly a crisis which must be tackled as quickly as possible. The difficulty for many fleet operators at this point is the lack of consistency and clarity: local authorities are working independently on their Clean Air Zone plans, each of which will have different launch dates, vehicle restrictions and charges. Even within London the rules are different across boroughs, with some introducing low emission streets, with penalty charge notices for non-compliance. Even for an experienced fleet manager, this lack of commonality is making preparation difficult.”

Once the ULEZ is launched in London, it is expected that other schemes will be introduced from January 2020, so companies have time to prepare. There is widespread agreement that most company cars will be exempt from Clean Air Zone charges, but some calculations suggest up to 80% of vans will not comply. Toby Poston, director of communications and external relations at the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), believes the change brings “great opportunity for businesses to consider new, more sustainable vehicles or modes of transport” and BVRLA members such as Venson are well-placed to offer “affordable, compliant alternatives” to businesses affected by the new rules.

Simon Staton added: “Any business which owns company vans could be facing a hefty bill to replace them with compliant models or pay the daily rate for entering the Clean Air Zones. At a time when business confidence is low, few can afford to take this investment lightly. However, electric vehicles could offer long-term savings for many businesses. The Energy Saving Trust suggests that the new generation of plug-ins cost just £2-£3 to fully-charge for 100-mile range, compared to £9-£13 for a petrol or diesel. There are a number of pure electric and Plug-in Hybrid  vehicles available on the market which will be  exempt from the London Congestion Charge and will also be able to drive in clean air zones without paying any charges, making them the smarter, future-proof choice for businesses running fleets.”

Key details for fleets:

• ULEZ launches 8th April, covering a similar area to the Congestion charge zone
• ULEZ, and future Clean Air Zones, will be operational 24/7, 365 days a year
• Other schemes across the UK will begin from January 2020
• Most company cars will be compliant, but 80% of vans do not currently meet the forthcoming restrictions
• Generally, petrol cars registered after 2005 and diesel vans sold from September 2016 will be compliant
• A ULEZ vehicle compliance checker is available at:https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/vrm-checker-ulez
• Charges for non-compliant vehicles are £12.50 per day for cars, vans and motorcycles, and £100 for commercial vehicles above 3.5 tonnes, including buses and coaches
• The London Congestion Charge (£11.50 per day) and Low Emission Zone Charge (£100 or £200 depending on vehicle) will still be applicable, in addition to the ULEZ charge
• Owners of non-compliant vehicles, who fail to pay the relevant charge, will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice of £160 for cars, vans and motorcycles or £1,000 for commercial vehicles above 3.5 tonnes, including buses and coaches
• The ULEZ will be expanded from October 25, 2021 to the Inner London area bounded by the North and South Circular roads
• Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Electric vehicles will be exempt from charges in all Clean Air Zones, and grants are available to help businesses save when making the switch. More information atvenson.com/Media/ViewWhitePaper/23

Birmingham and Solihull CCG have launched a campaign to promote awareness of support available for people with type 2 diabetes to actively manage their health.

The My Diabetes Health Programme has been designed to help people understand medical terms, give practical advice about how to improve their health and physical activity.

In Birmingham and Solihull about 8-10% of the population has diabetes. That’s over 110,000 people. This is a lot higher than other parts of the UK.

There are 3.9 million people living with type 2 diabetes in the UK and through the My Diabetes Health Programme they can be supported to manage the condition themselves.

There are a number of free courses provided across Birmingham and Solihull. You can contact your GP or Nurse to find out what is available locally.

The courses will offer you support and information about how best to look after yourself.

By making simple, easy changes, you may be able to reduce your symptoms and lead a longer, healthier life.

Dr Atif Hassan, Diabetes Clinical Lead at Birmingham and Solihull CCG, said: “Diabetes is a long-term condition that affects the body’s ability to process sugar or glucose. It can have serious health consequences. However, with careful management, people with diabetes can continue to lead full, healthy and active lives.

“We will be out and about in communities – come and talk to us to find out more about type 2 diabetes and how the My Diabetes Health Programme can help you and your family.”

My Diabetes events:

• Sunday 31  March, 10am-2pm, Guru Nanak Gurdwara, 629-631 Stratford Rd,              Birmingham B11 4LS
• Saturday 6 April, 10am-2pm, St Andrews Shopping Centre, 280 Coventry Rd, Small      Heath, Birmingham B10 0XA (Outside Morrisons)
• Saturday 11 April, 10am-2pm, Mell Square Shopping Centre, Centre Management        Suite, 44a Drury Lane, Solihull, B91 3BG

Jane Young, a 57-year-old IT manager from Birmingham, will be celebrating Mother’s Day this weekend with her 30-year-old daughter Lizzie Dean but back in 2016 that seemed very unlikely to be the case.

5 years ago, Lizzie Dean, who lives in Daventry and works as an engineer with Drive System Design, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and it was soon determined that she would require a stem cell transplant. The initial procedure was successful, but in the summer of 2016, Lizzie relapsed and her prospects were very bleak.

Thankfully, Lizzie was placed on a world first clinical trial (called VIOLA) at Birmingham’s Centre for Clinical Haematology at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. This trial was part funded by blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia and the results have been remarkable. Lizzie’s leukaemia is in remission, her chemotherapy has been stopped and she is almost back to living a normal life.

For Jane, this has felt nothing short of a miracle and she can’t wait to celebrate another Mother’s Day with her daughter. She said:

“Without funds from Cure Leukaemia this live-saving chance for Lizzie would not have been available and she simply would not be here now. Not a day goes by that I don’t think how lucky we are to still have Lizzie in our lives and that’s why I do everything I can to help the charity.”

Jane is a ‘Cure Leukaemia Champion’ (CL Champion), a committed group of volunteers who regularly go above and beyond for the charity, and she will be helping to share her story with cyclists taking part in Velo Birmingham & Midlands for Cure Leukaemia on Sunday May 12^th. She continued:

“The charity asked if I would give the cyclists a call during April to first and foremost thank them for fundraising but also to let them know how vital every penny raised for this charity can be. I still have my daughter because of Cure Leukaemia and I hope this helps encourage people to push that little bit further with their fundraising in the knowledge they could be saving a life in doing so.”

Lizzie, also a CL Champion, and a huge Birmingham City fan said:

“I think it’s a lovely idea to involve mum in this way. I know she’s always keen to do everything to help the charity that have done so much for me over the years. I really hope it helps inspire the cyclists and encourages them to keep pushing with the fundraising.

“Just as my life was put on hold in 2014, my mum’s has too and she has been with me every step of the way with my partner Phil as well. She has done so much for me and I am really looking forward to celebrating another Mother’s Day with her this weekend

A luxury Viking Sun cruise ship that was left floating due to engine failure and nearly crashed into the rocks in rough waters has safely arrived in the port of Molde on the west coast on Norway, with over 900 people on board.

The Viking Sky was towed to safety by two tugs, with one sailing in front of the vessel and another behind it.

The luxury cruise ship, which set sail with almost 1,400 passengers and crew aboard, sent out an SOS signal on Saturday. It was drifting in rough waters near a rocky coast after all its engines stopped working.

At some point, it approached the land at the distance of just 100 meters, with passengers posting dramatic photos. But the crew was eventually able to start one of the engines and avoid the crash.

“If they had run aground we would have faced a major disaster,” Hans Vik, the heads of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre for southern Norway, told TV2.

Rescue services airlifted 479 passengers on to a helicopter before the weather improved and Viking Sky could be towed.

Birmingham saw an unprecedented ensemble of over 120 key healthcare experts from India and UK, converge at the renowned ‘Queen Elizabeth Hospital’ to discuss the potential areas of collaboration and identify effective models to take the relationship to the next level.

The main objectives of the conference were to provide a forum to widen and enrich the healthcare research and innovation debate, deliberate upon workforce challenges, and hold meaningful discussions on the scale of exchange, current approach and possible solutions in this arena at a time when the Healthcare sector of both countries is at an inflection point.

The Conference which took place on March 22, 2019, was organised by the High Commission of India through the Consulate General of India, Birmingham, and was supported by University Hospitals Birmingham, NHS Foundation Trust, Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Chairing the day-long Conference, Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, Chair UHB Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust welcomed delegates at one of UK’s largest hospital, setting the tone of the conference by emphasising how the partnership between the two countries can be mutually beneficial. High Commissioner of India to the UK, H.E Ruchi Ghanashyam assured the conference that both Governments are committed to support healthcare collaboration, and stressed that India and UK need to work together to address current challenges in this sector. She elaborated that India has been able to provide world class medical treatments at one of the most competitive prices. Mentioning about the traditional systems of medicines that has developed over centuries in India, she said that there is a lot in India that we can offer to people coming from abroad.

Dr, Indu Bhushan, CEO of National Health Authority of India focussed on the ‘Ayushman Bharat’-the world’s largest government funded healthcare insurance scheme which will benefit over half a billion people. He explained how it’s a game-changer, and how these revolutionary changes in the healthcare landscape of India offer opportunities for international healthcare organisations both in the public and private sector.  With its guaranteed inpatient care worth INR 500,000 (GBP 5,495) per family per year, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PM-JAY) will significantly help in providing quality healthcare by drastically reducing catastrophic healthcare expenditure which pushes 60 million Indians below poverty line every year.  Ayushman Bharat PMJAY is set to reform Indian healthcare, as for the first time, this scheme seeks to change the current system by envisaging close involvement of the private sector which is critical to the removing the constraints of accessibility and affordability, and provide the same level of services to the poorest 40% population of the country, and change the whole structure from the present supply-based model to a demand-based model and from high-margin-low-volume to low-margin high-volume business model essential for unmet needs.  Engagement with private sector will help streamline the supply side as it will lead to rationalisation of the packages, increase in number of private hospitals, and better fraud control, among other outcomes. The scheme aims at improvement in quality, affordability and accountability in the healthcare sector. Ayushman Bharat will be a game-changer for healthcare given its scale with a target of 500 million poor, 1,400 benefit packages and cover of INR 500,000 (GBP 5495) per family per year. The collective bargaining power of 500 million people will drive demand for high quality healthcare from both private and government providers.

Dr. D. S. Rana, Chairman, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi highlighted the fact that the 98 years old institution, also happens to be the largest medical teaching facility of its kind in the country, in the private sector. He further stressed that his institution was keen to partner with its British counterparts to address the challenge of shortage of skilled manpower in both countries.

Mayor Andy Street, Mayor of West Midlands, said, “Life Sciences is a key pillar of the WMCA’s Local Industrial Strategy. Through the work being done by institutions like the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and in our Universities, I am confident it is an area we can be world famous in. The current Indian Government has put a strong emphasis on healthcare for all Indians and this has already led to new research and development in healthcare initiatives. There couldn’t be a better time for us to explore synergies and potential partnerships between India and the West Midlands on life sciences.”

Ms. Neena Gill, Member of European Parliament, stated that Indian healthcare/ pharmaceutical sector is leading the way with rapid modernisation & lower cost leading to an explosion in health tourism from the UK. Ms. Preet Kaur Gill, Member of Parliament stated that to overcome the staff shortage being faced by NHS, we could develop mutually beneficial policies and relationships with countries like India, to support domestic training and up-skilling of health workers as well as to continue to welcome non-British nationals who come to support the everyday working of the NHS. She also added that Ayushman Bharat’s conception, implementation and future expansion must be with the most vulnerable and most marginalised people in mind to start to address the huge inequalities that exist.

Other notable dignitaries who spoke on the occasion included; Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Principal Secretary to Government of Telangana, India who also co-chaired the session on Pharma and MedTech along with Mr Madhukar Bose, Deputy Head of Healthcare, British Department of International Trade.  This session focussed on the opportunities for British companies to invest in India, and take advantage of the healthcare revolution in the country where the size of the Healthcare industry is exected to grow to USD 280 Billion by 2020. Mr. Jayesh Rajan spoke on the emerging MedTech and Pharma opportunities in India and how British Companies could capitalise by having a footprint in the Hyderabad ecosystem. And Mr. Madhukar Bose addressed the collaboration potential between India and the UK, and also highlighted the barriers that companies face, assuring that both governments are committed to finding solutions for the same.

An innovative project to attract medically qualified refugees back into healthcare roles at a West Midlands NHS trust has been shortlisted for a prestigious award.

The Health Overseas Professionals (HOP) programme is run by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.

It provides training in the English language for refugees and work with individuals on how they can resume their medical careers, whilst putting much needed resource back into the local NHS.

Now the Trust’s Learning Works team, which has been running the programme, has been shortlisted for the Mills & Reeve most effective use of diversity gong in the HPMA (Healthcare People Management Association) Excellence Awards.

HOP follows the successful skills matching project, USE-IT!, which was piloted by the Trust nearly two years ago

Raffaela Goodby, Director of People and Organisation Development, said: “We are really pleased to be shortlisted for such a prestigious award.

“HOP is an innovative programme that harnesses the skills and expertise already in our local communities, and has been successful in developing partnerships to ensure that the overseas healthcare professionals, some whom are refugees, are able to practice in the NHS with the right support and guidance.

“Since introducing USE-IT! and HOP, we have successfully matched more than 200 people into healthcare roles and placements across the area. Examples include GPs, nurses, pharmacists and even highly trained medical and surgical consultants.”

The project has also attracted the attention of MP John Spellar, who recently visited the Learning Works in Smethwick to find out more about the scheme.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony in Manchester on June 6.

Thousands of children from across the West Midlands and the country made their way to the NEC Birmingham to visit the Big Bang Fair, one of the many events organised to celebrate British Science Week 2019.

Among the multitude of stalls engaging young people in science and technology was the Public Health England and E-bug stand – which featured a variety of weird and wonderful items including petri dishes to build plasticine microbes; polystyrene globes, colourful pipe cleaners and glitter to create your own personal virus; and a laser shining through different solutions to reveal the presence of nanoparticles – which PHE scientists make sure cannot transfer from every-day substances like medicines and cosmetics into the body.

Okechukwu Onianwa is a virologist in the Culture Collections team with PHE’s National Infection Service (NIS), he said: “My job involves collecting different viruses, so we can supply them to various clients, including pharmaceutical companies, to study their behaviour and develop vaccines and medicines to combat them. Here at the Big Bang Fair, we’ve been asking young people if they know what a virus is and getting them to ‘build their own virus’ and name it. It’s a bit of fun, but the idea is to get young people to engage with viruses as living organisms which can attack the body and explain that we need to defend ourselves against the dangerous ones.

“A lot of the time the students don’t realise that things like chicken pox and flu are viruses – so it’s good to see them starting to think about things that they are aware of in a different way. Hopefully some of the young people coming to an event like the Big Bang Fair will get curious and think about pursuing science as a career.”

PHE scientists also brought an ‘alien infection’ to the NEC in the form of ‘Pluto Pox’, to give young people an introduction to epidemiology.

Simon Packer is an epidemiologist with PHE’s Field Service and donned a PPE (personal protective equipment) suit to add to the fun of teaching children about an outbreak. He said: “My job is to identify links between cases of infectious diseases by time, place and persons involved, to chart the source of outbreaks and provide information about the organism (pathogen) causing the problem, to help our Health Protection Teams prevent further infection.

“Here at the Big Bang Fair we’ve been inviting children to dip into a tombola to see if they’ve been ‘infected’ with the alien bug ‘Pluto Pox’. Infected children were given two cards to pass to random people in the hall, and infected individuals had to visit the stall to notify the PHE epidemiologist team they’d caught the pox. Their infection status was instantly relayed to a screen on the wall, which kept count of the number of people ‘infected’ and ‘protected’ plus the place and time they caught the bug. We’ve been explaining to the children that in order to investigate disease and control and outbreak, we need to look at the person, place and time, plus factors like people who are more susceptible to infection. We’ve collected information from each person on a tablet and extract data hourly to create a real-time epidemiology graph ‘epi curve’ on a screen, which shows the spread of the disease across each day.”

The most dramatic and somewhat gruesome part of the PHE stand was when the ‘snot runway’ was brought out, to teach children how far a sneeze can travel – with the aid of a ‘Shrek’ monster mask on top of a pump spray gun filled with green fluid.

Rowshonara Syeda is a Researcher with PHE and works with schools to promote the e-Bug learning resources. She said:“E-bug provides free resources which aim to reduce antibiotic resistance by helping children and young people understand infections and antibiotic use. We do a lot of research to evaluate children’s knowledge, to tailor the information we provide – which is available in 22 languages, operating in 26 countries worldwide.

“Here at the Big Bang Fair, children were invited to guess how far a sneeze would travel from our Shrek monster head squirting green fluid along the ‘snot runway’ and mark their guess with a post-it note. After the sneeze exceeded all expectations, one child was asked to volunteer to show how effective shielding a sneeze with a hand is, then finally another child is asked to use a tissue to cover the nose of the monster as it is about to sneeze – to illustrate the importance of the ‘Catch it, bin it, kill it’ advice. We’ve also been letting children make their own microbes with plasticine in a petri-dish and teaching them that not all bugs are the same; there are some bad bugs like Shigella, which cause stomach ache and then good ones like Acidophilus, which help us stay healthy. We’re trying to give important messages in a colourful and fun way.”