Healthcare assistants training urged
By Anonymous on Jul 10, 2013 02:48 am 9 July 2013 Last updated at 19:01 ET By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online 
Healthcare assistants provide vital support
A raft of new checks and measures for healthcare assistants is needed in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal, says an independent report.
The Cavendish Review's aim is to ensure vulnerable patients are treated in a dignified way.
It says healthcare assistants (HCAs) should adopt a universal training system and gain accreditation before they can work unsupervised.
Currently, there is no consistent qualification or training for HCAs.
Instead, employers decide for themselves what training is needed.
Backbone of the NHS There are more care assistants than nurses working in England.
They are essential to the NHS and provide some of the most personal and fundamental care to sick patients in hospitals or frail people in care homes or living independently at home.
This may include basic care such as turning people in bed so they do not get pressure sores, helping people to eat and wash and to get out of bed and get dressed.
Such care should be done by competent professionals who treat people with compassion and dignity.
But the review says the quality of training and support that care workers receive in the NHS and social care system varies between organisations and, in some cases, is lacking.
It calls for a new Certificate of Fundamental Care for fully-fledged HCAs - a qualification that would link HCA training to nurse training making it easier for staff to progress up the career ladder should they wish to.
All new recruits would need to obtain the certificate and existing HCAs would need to prove they had the equivalent training.
And in recognition of the important job HCAs do, they should be called Nursing Assistants.
Camilla Cavendish, author of the review, said: "Patient safety in the NHS and social care depends on recognising the contribution of support workers, valuing and training them as part of a team.
"For people to get the best care, there must be less complexity and duplication and a greater focus on ensuring that support staff are treated with the seriousness they deserve - for some of them are the most caring of all."
The Government will provide a formal response to the Review, along with its response to the Francis Report into the Mid Staffordshire public inquiry, in the autumn. It has already promised to establish "minimum training standards" for healthcare assistants by spring 2014.
Peter Carter of the Royal College of Nursing was concerned that without mandatory regulation there would be a danger that any staff who were found to be unsuitable could move from one employer to another unchecked.
"The priority must now be to underpin the recommendations made by Camilla Cavendish in the regulatory structure which governs care," he said.
Christina McAnea of UNISON said that in some hospitals HCA's have been treated as "cheap labour".
"Common training standards across health and social care are long overdue and welcome."
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Royal Mail set for share flotation
By Anonymous on Jul 10, 2013 03:16 am 9 July 2013 Last updated at 20:21 ET 
The Royal Mail privatisation could happen as soon as the Autumn
Details of the privatisation of Royal Mail are expected to be announced on Wednesday.
The Business Secretary, Vince Cable, will tell MPs that the government is to press ahead with its plan for a share flotation, possibly by the autumn.
The government has already confirmed that 10% of the shares will be offered at discounted rates to Royal Mail staff.
Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) are overwhelmingly opposed to the privatisation.
A spokesman for the CWU said on Monday that postmen were "deeply suspicious" of the idea of a share scheme.
Strike action In a letter to the Business Minister, Michael Fallon, the union has warned that if the government does not think again about the privatisation, then "the threat to terms and conditions of postal workers will inevitably lead to strike action."
CWU general secretary, Billy Hayes, said: "Nobody outside of government and their potential investors wants their postal service sold. The public consistently oppose the sale and recently 96% of workers voted against."
'Seize opportunites' The government said the Royal Mail needs access to private capital to "innovate and seize the opportunities presented by new markets."
That includes the rapid growth of online shopping, which helped Royal Mail more than double its profits last year.
It is thought the flotation will raise more than £2bn, comparable to the sell-off of Railtrack in 1995, but nowhere near as big as the large utility company (like British Gas) privatisations of the 1980s.
Continue reading the main story "Start Quote
Unlike the great privatisations of the past, of the gas, electricity and telecoms industry, there will be no aggressive attempt to sell the shares to individuals - there will be no campaign such as the famous "Tell Sid" adverts of the 1980s for the flotation of British Gas."
End Quote The flotation of Royal Mail does not include the Post Office. The two are separate companies with independent boards. The Royal Mail sorts and delivers letters and parcels. The Post Office is the national network of branches that offer postal, governmental and financial services. The Post Office itself is not for sale.
Unresolved issues The sell-off of Royal Mail is not big surprise - the government enacted the necessary legislation through the Postal Services Act 2011. The idea was first mooted under the last Labour government.
Chuka Umunna MP, Labour's Shadow Business Secretary, said the government is pushing ahead with the privatisation simply to "dig the Chancellor, George Osborne, out of a hole of his own making."
"There are still huge unresolved issues around competition, and ministers haven't said how much capital they expect the business will be able to raise after privatisation or how the proceeds of the sale will be used," he said.
The Royal Mail employs 150,000 people and can trace its history back to a forerunner established in 1516 during the reign of Henry VIII. The General Post Office (GPO) was then brought into being in 1660. Adhesive postage stamps were introduced in 1840.
Read in browser » Egypt opposition rejects poll plan
By Anonymous on Jul 09, 2013 08:38 pm 9 July 2013 Last updated at 20:38 ET 
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Pro-Morsi supporters tell Lyse Doucet they are willing to die for their cause
The main liberal opposition coalition in Egypt has rejected interim leader Adly Mansour's decree, which sets a new poll timetable to stop the unrest.
The National Salvation Front (NSF) demanded more changes and consultation on the document.
Both the Muslim Brotherhood, which supports ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, and the Tamarod protest movement earlier rejected the decree.
The Mansour plan also envisages changes to the Islamist-drafted constitution.
In other developments on Tuesday:
- Mr Mansour named ex-Finance Minister Hazem el-Beblawi as new Prime Minister
- in turn, Mr el-Beblawi pledged to give cabinet posts to Muslim Brotherhood members - an offer immediately rejected by Mohamed Kamal, senior member of the Brotherhood's political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP)
- Defence Minister Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi warned against any attempts to disrupt the country's "difficult" transition
- two people were killed when suspected Islamists attacked a security checkpoint in the Sinai province
Egypt has been in turmoil since the democratically-elected Mr Morsi was overthrown by the army last week, with protesters both for and against the ousted president massing on the streets.
On Monday, at least 51 people - mostly pro-Morsi supporters from his Muslim Brotherhood movement - were killed outside the barracks where he is thought to be held.
'Putchist' decree Continue reading the main story Adly Mansour's transition timeline
- Panel formed within 15 days to review constitution
- Constitutional amendments to be finalised and put to referendum in four months
- Parliamentary elections to be held by early 2014
- Presidential elections to be called once new parliament convenes
"The National Salvation Front announces its rejection of the constitutional decree," the liberal opposition said in a statement.
The NSF said it was not consulted on the document vital to Egypt's political transition, demanding changes to the proposal.
The coalition - which was led by Mohamed ElBaradei until his appointment as Egypt's deputy president - did not elaborate further.
The Muslim Brotherhood - which is pressing for the immediate reinstatement of Mr Morsi - earlier also rejected the decree.
Essam al-Erian, deputy chairman of the FJP, said the document was "a constitutional decree by a man appointed by putchists".
Even the Tamarod movement - which led the anti-Morsi protests - said it had not been consulted on the election plan, asking to see the interim leader to discuss the situation.
Mr Mansour's decree, issued late on Monday, laid out plans to set up a panel to amend the suspended Islamist-drafted constitution within 15 days.
The changes would then be put to a referendum - to be organised within four months - which would pave the way for parliamentary elections, possibly in early 2014.
Once the new parliament convenes, elections would be called to appoint a new president.
Army warning Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Sisi said warned in a televised speech that the "future of the nation is too important and sacred for manoeuvres or hindrance, whatever the justifications".
He said that neither the army nor the people of Egypt would accept "the stalling or disruption" of this "difficult and complex" period.
According to the BBC's Wyre Davies, in Cairo, emotions are still raw and compromise is a word many people are not ready to use.
Mr Morsi's removal last Wednesday followed days of mass protests by people who accused him of becoming increasingly authoritarian, pursuing an Islamist agenda, and failing to tackle Egypt's economic woes.
The army's moves were welcomed by some Gulf states, and two - the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia - have made major pledges of financial help in a show of support for the new administration.
But other nations were strongly against the army's actions - perhaps the most vocal of which was Turkey.
In the aftermath of the ousting of Mr Morsi, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said: "It is unacceptable for a government, which has come to power through democratic elections, to be toppled through illicit means and, even more, a military coup."
Read in browser » Union warns of funding cut to Labour
By Anonymous on Jul 09, 2013 09:13 pm 9 July 2013 Last updated at 21:13 ET 
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Ed Miliband: "I do not want any individual to be paying money to the Labour Party in affiliation fees unless they have deliberately chosen to do so."
The UK's third largest trade union has warned Labour to expect a significant cut in donations if Ed Miliband goes ahead with planned changes to the way its members donate to the party.
GMB union funding could drop from around £2m a year to less than £1m.
Under Mr Miliband's plan, union members would have to opt-in to pay subscriptions to Labour.
The GMB's Paul Kenny told the BBC the move could see a 90% drop in the number of members affiliating to the party.
An equally severe funding drop could see donations drop to around £300k.
Mr Kenny, the GMB's general secretary, said it will ballot its members on whether they still want to give to Labour in September - meaning the funding cut could happen as early as next year, according to the BBC's industry correspondent John Moylan.
Under the current system members are given the chance to vote on a union's political fund every 10 years.
But Mr Miliband said on Thursday he would end the automatic "affiliation" fee paid to Labour by three million union members - 600k of whom are part of the GMB.
'Watershed moment' The announcement came after Unite, one of the party's biggest donors, was accused of signing up its members to Labour in Falkirk - some without their knowledge - in an effort to get its preferred candidate selected.
"This is an absolute watershed moment - the changes they are about to do will fundamentally change the party's relationship with trade unions and their members," Mr Kenny said.
Paul Kenny warned Labour of a watershed moment
But Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said the political levy - worth £8m a year to Labour - would "stay as it is".
Mr Miliband used his speech to say unions should have political funds "for all kinds of campaigns and activities as they choose" but individual members should not pay Labour any fees "unless they have deliberately chosen to do so".
Members of both Unite and the GMB recently voted to maintain their political funds.
He said the changes would have "massive financial implications" for the party, but could raise its membership from the current 200,000 to a "far higher number".
The speech was welcomed by Mr McCluskey as well as former prime minister Tony Blair and others in the Labour Party who want to see a changed relationship with the trade unions.
Read in browser » Pilot 'knew' crash plane was too low
By Anonymous on Jul 09, 2013 08:10 pm 9 July 2013 Last updated at 16:44 ET 
Both US and Korean officials were expected to interview the pilot and air traffic controllers
The pilots of a plane that crash landed at a San Francisco airport on Saturday are being questioned about the final moments before the impact.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chief Deborah Hersman told CNN the interviews would help understand "what they were experiencing".
Two people were killed and 180 injured when the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 clipped a seawall.
Authorities say one of the dead may have been run over by a fire truck.
The dead have been identified as Chinese teenagers Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia.
Ms Hersman has said airport surveillance video did not conclusively show whether an emergency vehicle had run over one of the students, and a county coroner has said he would need at least two weeks to rule on the death.
The two teenagers had been sitting in the rear of the plane, where many of the most seriously injured passengers were seated, but their bodies were found on the tarmac.
NTSB officials have said it was too early to speculate on the precise causes of the accident, but they have revealed the plane was approaching the runway too slowly and the pilots had tried to abort the landing less than two seconds before the plane struck the seawall and smashed into the ground.
Joint interviews 
Asiana Airlines President Yoon Young-doo (right) was travelling to San Francisco to apologise to the injured
South Korean transport minister Choi Jeong-ho told reporters that two of the four Asiana pilots aboard the flight, Lee Kang-kuk and Lee Jeong-min, were questioned on Monday, and the two others would be interviewed on Tuesday.
The pilot interviews will supplement data already obtained from the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, authorities say.
"The pilots can provide us outstanding observations from their experiences on the flight deck," Ms Hersman said. "They can tell us what was happening, what they know, what procedures they're following."
Korean officials were expected to join the interviews.
At least 30 surviving passengers remain in San Francisco hospitals, many with serious spinal injuries.
Korea shame On Sunday, the Korean airline revealed that the pilot at the controls during the final approach was landing a Boeing 777 at San Francisco for the first time.
They said Lee Kang-kuk had only 43 flying hours in a Boeing 777, and was assisted by another more experienced pilot as he landed. He had logged thousands of hours on other types of aircraft.
Asiana Airlines President Yoon Young-doo left for San Francisco on Tuesday to visit victims in hospital and apologise for the crash.
And South Korean President Park Geun-hye has sent a condolence letter to China President Xi Jinping and the families of the two deceased young women, calling the crash "regrettable".
The Boeing 777 has a good safety record, and this is thought to be the first fatal crash.
Read in browser » Criminal probe in Quebec train blast
By Anonymous on Jul 09, 2013 07:08 pm 9 July 2013 Last updated at 19:08 ET 
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The BBC's David Willis speaks to survivors of the explosion
A criminal inquiry has been launched in Canada into the derailment of an oil train that killed at least 15 people in a small Quebec town on Saturday.
Quebec police inspector Michel Forget said investigators had found evidence leading them toward a criminal probe.
The runaway train derailed in the town of Lac-Megantic, exploding and destroying dozens of buildings.
Investigators are focusing on whether the brakes were released as it was parked in a town several miles away.
Speeding downhill Continue reading the main story In addition to the dead, as many as 35 others remain unaccounted for. Authorities have asked the relatives of the missing to provide DNA samples by bringing in toothbrushes, hairbrushes, razors and other items.
But the authorities have also warned some of the bodies may have been burnt to ashes in the explosion and may never be recovered.
The train, carrying 72 cars of crude oil, was parked shortly before midnight on Friday in the town of Nantes about seven miles (11km) away.
An engineer apparently left the train with four of its five locomotives shut down, but kept the final one running to ensure the brakes were engaged.
Continue reading the main story At the scene
David Willis BBC News, Lac-Megantic
It is difficult to sum up the sense of shock that has engulfed this close-knit community.
Life in the town beside the lake is normally so very tranquil and polite. But in the early hours of Saturday morning the French-speaking residents of Lac-Megantic had their peace shattered - in possibly the most violent and horrendous way imaginable.
The heart of the town has been destroyed. As tends to be the case in such circumstances, everyone knows somebody who was affected. One man I spoke to had lost five of his neighbours - as well as the home in which he grew up.
Oil trains have been rolling through this part of Canada for years - their cargo growing increasingly larger in accordance with heightened demand for crude. Some here saw this as a disaster waiting to happen. Now Lac-Megantic faces the long and painful task of rebuilding.
Soon, a Nantes fire crew was summoned to put out a blaze on the train.
For some reason, the train's brakes apparently failed soon after. It began moving downhill on the track and over its 18-minute journey, gathered speed until it derailed in Lac-Megantic and exploded.
"The extent to which [the fire] played into the sequences of events is a focal point of our investigation," Transportation Safety Board investigator Donald Ross said.
Nantes Fire Chief Patrick Lambert said that while his crews tackled the initial blaze, the final locomotive was shut down.
He said this was the standard operating procedure agreed with the train's US owner, Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway (MMA).
But MMA maintains the decision to shut off the locomotive to put out the fire could have disabled the brakes.
'I ran' 
The rubble was so hot that workers were unable immediately to enter the site to search for bodies and begin the investigation
MMA's chief executive Ed Burkhardt is expected this week to visit Lac-Megantic, where he could face a hostile reception.
At least 30 buildings were destroyed by the fireball that resulted from Saturday morning's explosion, including a store and the public library.
Maude Verrault, a waitress at the Musi-Cafe, a nightspot razed by the blast, was outside smoking when she spotted the runaway train.
"I've never seen a train moving so fast in my life, and I saw flames," she told the Associated Press news agency.
"Then someone screamed, 'the train is going to derail!' And that's when I ran."
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