The zombie knife ban that came into force in September has removed tens of thousands of weapons from sale in England and Wales, even if there is controversy about its cost.
The fact that one wholesaler surrendered more than 35,000 such knives gives an indication of the scale of the problem.
As welcome as the new legislation is, it can only go so far in keeping the public safe and reducing potential harm. Many knives are still in circulation. The twice-yearly Sceptre week of anti-knife crime action in November yielded nearly 10,000 knives across England and Wales, for example.
The Home Office faces a tough challenge in meeting its aim to halve knife crime and serious violence within a decade, considering that the number of offences involving a knife or sharp instrument increased by seven per cent last year.
Events in public spaces present their own challenges, attracting large crowds in what are often loosely defined areas. The 2024 Christmas market attack in the German city of Magdeburg, although involving a vehicle, reveals the significant threat facing the public during seasonal and one-off events with high footfall.
Here in the UK, there are definite steps we should take to improve security at events in public spaces where policing is often stretched and the movement of crowds unpredictable. We need a fresh approach to emergency response plans, including lockdown procedures. Counter Terrorism Policing has rightly warned the public to be vigilant and offers risk assessment tools for businesses, but these measures can only go so far.
It would be good practice for the Home Office to increase collaboration with technology partners and those in charge of large public spaces to combat the threats, especially in relation to knife crime.
We need thoroughly planned procedures to be placed based on previous experience, intelligence and local knowledge. Knife crime comes in different forms including robbery and gang violence as well as terror and lone-wolf incidents. Authorities need to think through each case and train staff appropriately, ensuring they are properly located and connected.
Part of the planning should include deployment of technology such as a mass communication system that can provide instant, concise instructions to the public during an incident when people are looking for immediate guidance.
Authorised personnel can use a software-based app to initiate an instant broadcast via all available channels, covering audio, screen and mobile, from any portable communication device. The latest communication technology enables use of live AI-driven text-to-speech to be broadcast instantaneously to multiple zoned areas.
Full coverage utilising clear, concise and calm emergency messages ensures everyone is made aware of a threat. Different messages or instructions sent immediately and simultaneously to different areas ensure people are directed to the closest exits or safe areas.
This is a major gain when public events can involve the attendance of families with small children. These groups will quickly take their own course of action when there is messaging vacuum, or a public address system is broadcasting undifferentiated warnings. A single inflexible message that does not differ between floors and areas may inadvertently direct people towards threats and away from safe exits.
It is a major advantage to have these advanced and highly responsive zoned communication systems that can quickly disseminate different messages advising people in each zone on the safest course of action. This accords with guidance from the National Protective Security Authority and Counter Terrorism Policing about the ability to deliver different messages to different zones.
Knife threats, sad to say, are not going to disappear instantaneously. Zoned mass communication systems accompanied by thorough planning and preparation, offer a flexible, reliable and effective way to protect the public at events and similar gatherings.
£173 million deal with Draken to train and prepare our Armed Forces for a range of threats, including missile attacks and air-to-air combat.
Boost for British jobs and growth, supporting Government’s Plan for Change with 200 long-term UK jobs and apprenticeships.
New contract will support Teesside International Airport, maintaining vital infrastructure in the North-East.
A £173 million Ministry of Defence training contract with British business Draken will boost Teesside International Airport and support jobs across Teesside, Bournemouth and the Midlands – delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change.
In addition to strengthening our national security, the deal will maintain vital infrastructure in the North East and support more than 200 UK jobs. The new contract will deliver Armed Forces training for responding to a range of threats – including air-to-air combat, electronic warfare and missile attacks.
Using a fleet of aircraft, Draken will simulate threats for UK personnel, including:
Air-to-air combat.
Missile attacks.
Attacks on ships from aircraft.
Defence Minister Maria Eagle announced the deal today on a visit to Teesside International Airport. The Minister spoke with staff and apprentices, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to boosting national security and economic growth.
The project will help deliver the government’s Plan for Change by strengthening national security and supporting the mission to kickstart economic growth. It also follows the launch of the Defence Industrial Strategy, which will ensure the defence sector is an engine for growth in every region and nation of the UK.
Defence Minister Maria Eagle
Through live exercises with UK personnel over the North Sea, Draken private pilots will replicate the tactics and techniques of a range of adversaries.
Using the latest electronic warfare technology, Draken will also train Royal Naval personnel to protect Carrier Strike Group assets from air and missile attacks and train Army personnel to quickly receive reconnaissance and intelligence information on enemy forces from the air.
Altogether, this training will ensure that our Armed Forces receive demanding and realistic training, meeting NATO standards.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle MP, said:
“This investment will deliver world-class training for our Armed Forces and boost British business, jobs and national security.
“In line with our Plan for Change and upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, this deal with Draken will support 200 UK jobs and ensure the future of Teesside International Airport.
“We are showing defence can be an engine for growth, in every region and nation.”
To deliver the training, Draken will use 14 Dassault Falcon 20, one Diamond DA42 and eight L-159E ‘Honey Badger’ fighter jets based at Teesside and Bournemouth. Draken will enrol a minimum of 12 apprentices at both sites.
Air Officer Commanding 1 Group, Air Vice Marshal Mark Flewin said:
“Our partnership with Draken is of fundamental importance as we continue to train and prepare all of our front-line forces to meet emerging threats across the globe.
“The training delivered to date, simulating adversary threats while also allowing us to train in a representative and contested electro-magnetic environment, has never been more important to ensure the Royal Air Force is ready and able to support NATO and meet the threats of tomorrow.
“The contract will allow us to continue to evolve the high-end training available for all of our front-line forces, as we look to out-compete our potential adversaries.”
Nic Anderson, CEO at Draken, said:
“We are proud to continue serving the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy and the Army through the Interim Medium Speed Operational Readiness Training Services.
“Our purpose is to provide leading edge operational training to help the warfighter to be ready to fight and win. Through this ground-breaking contract we will continually innovate to improve their training experience.
“Thank you to the whole Draken team who work relentlessly to support our customers, it is the high performance that the Draken team delivers every day that has enabled this contract win.”
Commenting on the Chancellor’s speech on kickstarting economic growth, Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes said:
“I welcome the Chancellor’s attempt to outline an economic plan, after the very legitimate concerns around her approach to growth which have been raised by many since the UK Budget, in particular the damaging decision to raise employers’ national insurance contributions.
“However, I am deeply disappointed in the lack of any initiatives which would directly benefit Scotland – especially given our energy expertise, strengths in new technologies like space and AI, world-leading universities and colleges, highly skilled workforce and our reputation as a world-class entrepreneurial nation.
“For instance, there is no mention of Grangemouth and I am concerned that UK Government investment is being further concentrated in prosperous areas in the South East of England and around Oxford and Cambridge. This will deepen concerns that Scotland is being treated as an afterthought by this UK Government. “The Scottish Government is focused on delivering economic growth and jobs. For example, we are committing up to £500 million over five years to boost private investment in the offshore wind supply chain by up to £1.5 billion, while this week the First Minister signed an agreement with the City of London Corporation to bolster Scotland’s finance sector and secure further investment.”
Bringing a passion for nursing and safety she looks forward to being part of a leading forum for debate on the big issues shaping health tech and the digital health industry
Sam Neville
Leading chief nursing information officer Sam Neville is joining the Highland Marketing advisory board. Sam brings a passion for nursing and safety to the board, which debates the big issues in NHS IT and advises the specialist health tech agency and its clients.
She has been a nurse for 30 years and became interested in the potential of digital in healthcare when she led an e-NEWS scoring implementation at what is now Mid and South Essex NHS Trust. She is currently associate director of clinical applications and CNIO at the trust, as well as regional CNIO and clinical safety officer for the East of England.
“People often ask me: ‘Are you still a nurse?’,” she said. “And I say: ‘Yes, I am still a registered nurse, but I am using that to make sure IT works for nurses and midwives.’ For that reason, I like to be involved in a wide range of organisations and forums, so I can support through shared learning from my multi-faceted roles and gain new insights.
“As a jobbing CNIO, I thought the Highland Marketing advisory board looked like a great opportunity. I am really looking forward to hearing from such a diverse group of digital health experts and I am confident I can give things back, by bringing the nursing perspective to bear.”
Sam started her career at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital NHS Trust, where she developed an interest in surgery. She held a series of increasingly senior positions, including head of nursing and quality surgical services, before spending a decade as a matron.
From there, she developed her interest in digital after seeing the potential of the e-observation and NEWS scoring system to make information about patient status visible to clinical and operational teams, so they could use it to deliver optimal care.
Sam went on to become clinical informatics lead nurse and then CNIO five years’ ago. She added her regional responsibilities two years’ ago, and now splits her work week between the trust and the region to bring together a holistic approach to digital transformation in clinical practice.
Her expertise meant she was also asked to contribute to the Phillips-Ives Review, which was set up by the previous government to review the digital skills of nurses and midwives and to make recommendations about the capabilities, education and training they will need in the future.
The review has not been published, but Sam argues it should inform the digital elements of the 10 Year Health Plan due next year. “People still say that nurses are not digitally literate, but that is not true these days,” she says.
“There are many nurses coming into the profession who have grown up with smart phones and are eager to use the kind of technology at work that they use in their day to day lives. We need to make sure they have good, usable systems and the right capabilities to do that.”
Mark Venables, chief executive of Highland Marketing, said: “It is excellent news that Sam has agreed to join our advisory board. Nurses and midwives make a third of the total NHS workforce, so it is vital that their perspective is considered when digital developments are being discussed, planned, and implemented.
“Sam will bring that perspective to the advisory board’s discussions, and provide vital insight for our clients, who work in all areas of health and medtech.”
Highland Marketing is an established research, PR, marketing and content agency with more than 20 years’ experience in digital health.
It currently employs or works with more than 30 experts in strategy, campaigns, and sales acceleration, as well as contributing to the wider development of its sector, through the work of its advisory board, and its partnerships with health and med tech organisations.
Promoting Diversity, Inclusion and Supporting the Generation of Industry Professionals
The Information and Records Management Society (IRMS) is offering bursary places for the IRMS Conference 2025, as part of its commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion, and helping young people get a head start in the industry. The fully funded places are available for the three-day event, which takes place in Birmingham between 18th and 20th May 2025.
The IRMS Conference is the flagship event for the industry, providing an unrivalled opportunity to network, share the latest thinking, and learn about the latest technology and its application, regulatory challenges and societal issues. This year, the conference will focus on five strands – Artificial Intelligence; Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and G-Suite; Sustainability and Environmental Impact; Knowledge Management and Data Governance; Professional Development and Practical Skills – with 50 speakers from the public and private sectors including the Information Commissioner’s Office, Microsoft and Google Workspace.
IRMS Conference Director, Paulina Jedwabska, comments: “Many people working in information and records management are burdened with a great deal of responsibility, yet are not part of large teams, making it difficult to access good advice and to learn from the experiences of others. This is especially true for young people entering the industry.” Jedwabska adds: “As an industry, we also need to do more to promote inclusivity and diversity, by raising awareness of the many different career opportunities and the support that is available. This is why each year we set aside fully funded bursary places.”
Each bursary place is worth £1,499+VAT and includes access to all IRMS conference sessions, food and refreshments, evening social events, and two nights B&B accommodation at the Hilton Birmingham (NEC) hotel. Delegates will need to cover their transport costs to and from the conference.
A recipient of an IRMS bursary in 2024 commented on the experience: “I knew that the IRMS Conference would be a great opportunity to meet new people, learn about emerging trends in the records management profession, and to improve my skill set. Everyone should attend an IRMS conference at least once.”
The deadline for bursary applications is Friday 28th February 2025. For more information regarding eligibility and to apply visit: irmsconference.org.uk/bursaries
Following a competitive tender, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, the Irish Government agency responsible for customs, excise, taxation and related matters, has awarded a contract to Smurfit Kappa Security Concepts (SKSC) for the supply of tobacco tax stamps.
Under the terms of the deal, SKSC will be responsible for the printing and supply of the tax stamps to be applied to specified tobacco products for the Irish market to help ensure that the products are legitimate, and duty paid.
Each stamp protects a significant amount of revenue to the Irish Government and therefore to combat fraud and ensure revenue is protected, SKSC has designed the stamps to contain numerous cutting edge security features, some of which are SKSC exclusive developments.
Peter Thomas, Managing Director at SKSC, said: “The fact that we have held this prestigious contract for over 20 years is testament to our bespoke, dynamic and innovative solutions, that are designed to make the world a safer place, helping 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’.”
Scopism, the global leader in service integration and management (SIAM) best practices, has released the Global SIAM Survey 2024 results in a new White Paper sponsored by Sofigate. This year marks the seventh edition of the annual survey, providing unparalleled insights into SIAM adoption, maturity, and emerging trends across 38 countries. As more Government’a adopt a SIAM approach, with a call for tenders from the Home Office, the survey findings are more relevant than ever.
The 2024 survey gathered responses from over 250 participants representing a diverse range of industries and organizational sizes. Key highlights include detailed data on organizations adopting or planning to adopt SIAM.
Jyri Kosonen (L) and Markus Aalto from Sofigate
This year, a series of questions about AI and its impact and potential within SIAM frameworks were added to the survey. Claire Agutter, Scopism’s Director, commented:
“The Global SIAM Survey continues to be a vital resource for practitioners and organizations worldwide. This year’s addition of AI-related questions reflects the growing interest in leveraging advanced technologies within SIAM frameworks. We look forward to sharing some fascinating results, and we’re grateful to Sofigate for their support in making this white paper possible.”
Sofigate, a Nordic leader in ITSM and digital transformation, sees AI as a key player in shaping the future of SIAM. Jyri Kosonen from Sofigate said:
“Many ITSM platforms now offer out-of-box AI functionalities, streamlining areas like incident and change management. It’s exciting to see how organizations will harness these capabilities.”
Markus Aalto from Sofigate added: “The survey responses align with what we at Sofigate are seeing with the customers that we are helping with SIAM. They usually have large ecosystems with many external services and suppliers. So it’s about control and following the same club rules in the ecosystem. We can see more that companies have also started to realize that they have to have the same processes applied in the ecosystem to utilize artificial intelligence and automation effectively. IT platforms can enable service, but the processes need to govern the users and suppliers to use the platform in order to enrich it with data that AI can learn from and use for building automation.”
The Global SIAM Survey 2024 White paper offers a comprehensive breakdown, covering
organizational insights, the challenges and benefits of SIAM adoption and how AI technologies impact SIAM models. The Global SIAM Survey 2024 White Paper will officially launch on 25th January 2025. You can register for the launch event here: beexecutiveevents.com/webinar/globalchat-siam-survey-2024/
Ecoblend, developed by Day Group, emerges as a pioneering brand leading the charge towards sustainable aggregates in construction projects. Currently distributed by Day Aggregates and GRS Roadstone, Ecoblend is set to transform materials resourcing in the construction industry.
With a focus on eco-conscious practices, Ecoblend delivers customers the opportunity to utilise sustainable manufactured aggregates, spearheading a shift towards environmentally responsible materials. The range includes crushed concrete, crushed asphalt, and a blended aggregate incorporating incinerator bottom ash (IBA).
At its core, Ecoblend champions sustainability through its flagship product, Ecoblend MA. Designed for a multitude of applications, including sub-base construction and road capping, Ecoblend MA represents a modern, sustainable aggregate for Type 1 and 6F5 applications. Blending refined IBA aggregate with natural crushed stone achieves high performance at a lower cost while reducing environmental impact.
This advanced manufacturing process not only diverts waste from landfills but also significantly cuts CO2 emissions. Every tonne of Ecoblend MA purchased saves 231 black bin bags of waste from landfills [1] and reduces the need to quarry finite primary aggregate, thus conserving our precious natural resources.
Embodying its commitment to sustainability, the Ecoblend brand identity visually reinforces its focus on repurposing by-products from demolition, construction, and municipal waste through its trademark, representing supply continuity, the blending process, and the journey towards a circular economy. Complemented by the strapline “Sustainable aggregates for the built environment,” Ecoblend is committed to providing environmentally considerate aggregate solutions for the construction industry.
James Day, Managing Director of Day Group, emphasises:
“Ecoblend epitomises our dedication to catalysing change and embracing sustainability in aggregates. As the industry shifts towards environmentally responsible materials, Ecoblend leads the way, inspiring stakeholders to adopt sustainable solutions.”
To mark its launch, Ecoblend initiates an extensive awareness campaign and unveils a dedicated website offering comprehensive guidance and material calculation tools for customers in the building and construction industry.
[1] One tonne of Ecoblend MA is equivalent to three tonnes of municipal waste. Figures are based on waste having an average density of 0.2 kg/l and black bin bags having an average capacity of 60 litres per bag.
Workforce Management Solutions, Matrix is proud to announce increased scope on the G-Cloud 14 framework, further cementing their position as a leading provider of workforce solutions to the public sector. This milestone underscores Matrix’s dedication to delivering innovative, reliable and efficient services to meet the dynamic needs of public sector organisations.
Through the G-Cloud 14 framework, Matrix will be able to offer streamlined access to their existing solutions plus the addition of pre-employment screening through Matrix Security Watchdog – empowering public sector organisations to source their services quickly and confidently. Matrix service offerings are tailored to meet both foundational and advanced requirements, ensuring flexibility and compliance with the highest industry standards.
The G-Cloud framework simplifies public sector procurement, enabling organisations to contract with proven suppliers more efficiently. With G-Cloud 14, enhancements such as a 36-month contract duration, updated compliance measures and a rigorous application process strengthen its value for both clients and suppliers. For Matrix, this achievement highlights their consistent delivery of quality solutions and positions them to support even more organisations across the UK.
Robert Priest, Business Development Manager at Matrix, said: “Expanding our offering on the G-Cloud 14 framework is a significant achievement for Matrix, reflecting our commitment to innovation and excellence in workforce solutions. This framework allows us to better serve the public sector, streamlining the procurement process and providing our clients with confidence in the quality, security and reliability of our services. We’re excited to collaborate with more public sector organisations to help them achieve their goals and deliver exceptional outcomes.”
Priest goes on to say, “Public sector organisations can benefit significantly from the inclusion of pre-employment screening on the G-Cloud 14 framework. The streamlined procurement process makes it faster and more efficient for public sector bodies to access our workforce solutions. Our compliance with stringent security and regulatory standards highlights our credibility and reliability as a trusted supplier. Additionally, our adaptable solutions are designed to support evolving workforce needs, seamlessly aligning with modern practices such as remote and hybrid working models”.
New technology will transform doctor-patient consultations saving clinicians time and reducing the burden of administration
Dictate.IT, part of Clanwilliam, a global healthcare technology and services group, has added an AI-powered clinical assistant to its market leading clinical documentation software products.
The assistant listens to and transcribes the doctor-patient conversations in real-time, automatically creating consultation summaries, clinical notes and clinical documentation from the conversation transcript. The assistant saves time for healthcare professionals, reducing the burden of administration and allowing clinicians to spend more time on patient care.
The assistant is fully integrated with existing Dictate.IT clinical documentation products, so clinicians can start using it straight away, avoiding the need for busy hospitals to implement new software.
Dictate.IT is committed to the highest levels of security and privacy, meaning that no healthcare data is passed to a third party service for processing, and all healthcare data is stored within Dictate.IT’s own secure environment in the UK.
At every stage, the healthcare professional remains in control. They can check notes and clinical documentation against the transcript, and use a ‘smart recommendations’ option to identify points at which more information or investigation is required.
Stuart van Rooyen, managing director of Clanwilliam (UK), said: “We’re delighted to be bringing an innovative, AI-powered clinical assistant to our UK hospital customers.
“We’ve been focused on giving doctors back valuable time through speech-to-text functionality for many years. Leveraging AI to create accurate doctor-patient conversation transcripts, consultation summaries, clinical notes and clinical documentation is a natural evolution of our expertise.
“We look forward to working together with our customers on how to best leverage our innovations to solve their challenges and free up their valuable time.”
The launch of the new technology comes at a time when the NHS is under huge pressure, and there is an intense need for tools to improve productivity, while addressing staff burnout, and delivering a more personalised service for patients.
In England, new health and social care secretary Wes Streeting has made a “move from analogue to digital” one of his three pillars for healthcare reform, and digital solutions are expected to feature heavily in the ten-year plan for the NHS expected next spring.
NHS staff have called for “long overdue” investments in health technology, and in a recent survey by the Health Foundation, 81% of respondents were in favour of its use for administrative tasks.
Dictate.IT’s AI-powered clinical assistant aligns with these developments. It acts as an intelligent virtual note taker, dramatically improving consultation efficiency by automating the documentation of patient interactions, creating appropriate and clinically relevant summaries, and integrating with the EPR or clinical system.
The assistant can be used with every doctor-patient consultation. Capturing and structuring data from these consultations is important for compliance, quality measures, care continuity, and in many cases reimbursement.
But traditionally it is also a multi-step process that takes time away from seeing patients. While many providers are exploring the use speech-to-text and natural language processing to streamline this process, generative AI helps take the workflow one step further.
By harnessing Dictate.IT’s investment in cutting edge, medically specific generative AI, recorded consultations can be turned to clinical notes and documentation that is ready to use within the clinical workflow.
The technology is available right now for NHS trusts and private hospitals.
Leaders from across the health tech sector predict a year of accelerating digital transformation in the NHS; one that will increasingly be driven by AI. From the development of decision support and robotic surgery to a renewed focus on cybersecurity and data interoperability, Highland Marketing’s clients explore the trends that will shape the future of healthcare this year and beyond.
James Norman is an experienced NHS CIO who now works as EMEA health and life science director for Pure Storage. Speaking as a member of the Highland Marketing advisory board, he said:
“AI decision support is about to become mainstream, and in 2025 we will start to see it embedded in all aspects of healthcare provision.
“Robotic surgery supported by AI will become available through more remote satellite locations, including retail health clinics. While digital GPs for minor ailments will start to supplement current GP services, to reduce demand on services and streamline patient pathways to appropriate care.
“AI will also support the spread of telehealth or remote monitoring using a wide range of tools, including implantable devices, wearables, nanobots, and intelligent everyday systems from toilets to mirrors and surveillance apps, all of which have been maturing over the last few years but are being adopted into everyday life through consumer services.
“In the longer term, all this will have implications for clinical training. The availability of AI decision support will reduce some of the learning requirements for junior doctors. But it will also create new requirements, such as being able to understand and safely use LLMS and AI-driven diagnostic algorithms.
“It will also have implications for suppliers. AI puts huge demands on power supplies and physical space, just as sustainable IT is becoming more and more important to deliver on net zero commitments.
“Smaller, more energy efficient, more powerful capabilities will be required, and we’re already seeing movement in this direction, with partnerships to reduce the energy consumption of chips or create powerful, energy efficient storage arrays.”
Andrew Edge, data and AI lead at leading data transformation consultancy, Simpson Associates, said:
“The notion of AI and relevance for data management will become much more widely adopted within the health sector in 2025, and consequently the phenomenal data and analytical capabilities it will bring.
“Up until now the focus has been driving value from AI by automating back-office tasks and activities, such as extraction of clinical information, which in turn frees up time for care of the patient.
“The NHS has already acknowledged that AI can help deliver better patient outcomes and support its staff. In 2025, its focus must be on ensuring quality and governance, as well as putting the data and AI tools in place to deliver on this opportunity. This enables AI to be utilised beyond task automation and deliver against the key strategic NHS goals including achieving “more with less.”
“The question of interoperability will also continue to be a big challenge as we further develop a general population health approach. The Sudlow Review emphasised that we need to get better at using health data in a multi-agency approach. The good news here is technology enhancements will help achieve this.”
Assad Tabet, senior vice president healthcare and life sciences UKI and Europe, Mastek:
“The government may be developing a 10 Year Health Plan to stabilise and reform the NHS, but in technology I expect to see a continuation of trends that we have already seen.
AI: We are moving into an era in which AI will no longer be a standalone term or solution, but something that is embedded into all new operations and our everyday lives. We have already seen this with the latest versions of Apple iOS and Android devices, which have AI assistants for content creation, summaries and research. This will become the norm in health, as in other areas.
Cyber security: I see more AI services and technologies being used within cyber security services to detect breaches and nullify threats where it can. Healthcare organisations will need to prioritise cyber security services to protect patient data amid increasing digitisation.
Digital mental health: Virtual assistants,digital twins and chatbots will increase access to digital mental health services by making curated and clinically validated information available online for practitioners and patients. More personalised and joined-up services will be tailored to individual needs.
Data interoperability and sharing: Platforms like the Federated Data Platform and secure data environments will be leveraged to create new population health insights and improve overall health outcomes. These platforms will also enable better communication and collaboration between healthcare providers.
Digital prevention: Increased promotionof screening, vaccinations and other preventative services will feature significantly in 2025. We will see national team members working with integrated care systems to identify suitable digital tools and/or therapeutics to implement and support patient cohorts with preventative measures.
“A competitive marketplace where innovators can thrive, and where innovation can flourish for the NHS. That’s the message coming through strongly from the government as 2024 ends and 2025 begins. It’s to be lauded.
“To work effectively it needs to be applied consistently, to ensure that the NHS can harness the full ecosystem of suppliers, and that it isn’t locked in with vendors that have always been used but where development doesn’t reflect the urgency of demand and evolving healthcare service models.
“The diagnostics environment is one part of healthcare fortunate to be relatively digitally mature, with a market for key systems that has benefitted from longevity. Modernising diagnostic imaging also sits at the centre of national commitments.
“The opportunity in 2025 is to work with those suppliers that demonstrate their technological offers are still relevant, and to modernise procurement functions such that new entrants can overcome any remaining complacencies from historic vendors who fail to prove responsiveness to pressures faced at the diagnostic coalface.”
Chris Scarisbrick, deputy managing director for UK and Ireland, for Sectra, said:
“The world is a more dangerous place as we head into 2025 – carrying with it sustained risks for high value targets, healthcare included. Reports that cyber-attacks have “plateaued” have been accompanied by digital health headlines showing the human cost associated with service disruption, delayed care, and even “harm” when systems are compromised.
“The technology sector serving healthcare should therefore be prepared for increasing requirements around cyber credentials in the coming year; and arguably should take a more proactive approach.
“Cloud based provision – which is continuing to grow at pace in diagnostic imaging – can help, where the cyber expertise of large cloud providers can be leveraged in ways not possible on-premises.
“But we must also adopt best practice at every point possible as suppliers – whether that’s compliance with Cyber Essentials Plus, IS027001, or CSA STAR accreditations. Such compliance needs to transcend throughout supply chains – to ensure every link is as strong as it needs to be.
“2024 has been a year of substantial digital progress in healthcare diagnostics. We have a collective duty – across the health service, and as suppliers, to safeguard that progress against cyber adversaries.”
“As 2025 reveals national plans to restore the NHS, leveraging large scale digital transformation will undoubtedly have centre prominence. But opportunities for more rapid and immediate transformation can also be realised through momentum already building within the NHS.
“As 2024 drew to an end, more than 150 NHS organisations had made media services free for patients. Some had done this hospital-wide, others on individual wards. The reason: not only to entertain and distract patients with home comforts during their recovery, but to inform, educate and stimulate.
“The appetite to scale this further still will continue to grow in 2025. More and more trusts will refresh ageing patient entertainment systems with modern technology that can educate patients about their specific care and alleviate pressures on busy wards by allowing patients to request services without needing to ask additional questions of nursing teams.
“Hospitals have streamed content for younger patients – putting them at ease as they are moved from the ward for important imaging. They have created calmer elderly care wards. And they have even enhanced independence for severely injured and disabled patients, who have been able to operate screens through eye movement.
“It’s just a small selection of how media technology is enhancing patient experience – and I predict many more will embrace this equitably and without cost to patients in the year ahead.”
Jackie Henderson, chief client officer, and Stuart Lawrie, director, client technical services, Excelicare:
“There are several areas of technology advancement that electronic patient record vendors will be considering for inclusion in their product roadmap and development cycles. One of these areas is the wider use of “Smart on FHIR” [a healthcare standard that enables applications to access clinical information through a data store].
“This will drastically improve the sharing of patients’ healthcare data between disparate systems and NHS apps, which will enable a more comprehensive view of the patient, with the aim of improving care and reducing mistakes in case.
“The idea that Generative AI will be transformational for healthcare apps is gaining widespread attention, but there are legitimate concerns about its safe use that should be considered, too. If these can be resolved, these innovations should help to promote safe and innovative health tech solutions for wider patient populations.
“There will also be emphasis on including the patient more in their own healthcare through the use of patient technologies and asynchronous healthcare interactions, with the aim of enabling the healthcare provider to monitor patients, in order to track health and enable earlier intervention to correct problems.”
“As we move into 2025, I believe we’ll see automation and interoperability take centre stage in the NHS. Automation will be key to easing the workload on healthcare staff, allowing them to spend more time focusing on patient care rather than administrative tasks. Simple but effective changes, like streamlining meal ordering or routing service requests, can make a real difference to day-to-day operations.
“Interoperability is another area where we’ll see significant progress. The ability for systems to work seamlessly together will be vital for real-time data sharing, reducing duplication, and improving collaboration across teams. These developments won’t just enhance efficiency but will ultimately improve outcomes for patients. It’s an exciting time for healthcare technology, and I’m optimistic about how these advancements will help tackle some of the sector’s biggest challenges.”
“Accelerated maturity in generative AI, large language models, and emerging technologies that can help automate labour intensive tasks, could all help to address NHS challenges heading into 2025.
“Discussion at Digital Health Rewired 2024 surprised some delegates, who learned of a 2024 ranking of the world’s top smart hospitals. It positioned its first NHS trust at number 72. Set against a drive to advance beyond the “foothills of digital transformation”, as described by Lord Darzi, smart health, applied well could now make a meaningful difference to big policy commitments such as productivity gains, but also to daily pressures.
“There is an appetite, and an urgency, to do things differently. Generative AI, for example, has the potential to redefine how clinical teams interact with technology and transform the patient experience. Natural language processing and conversational interfaces will make electronic patient record systems more intuitive, reducing cognitive burden and the risk of burnout.
“Imagine a clinician speaking naturally to an AI assistant to generate detailed summaries, write handover notes, draft prescriptions, or retrieve critical patient history – all in seconds. As smart technologies mature, integrating them into clinical settings and clinical technology platforms, can release substantial time, but can also harness vast amounts of clinical data to support and enhance every decision for patient care.”
Kelly Woodcock, head of marketing UKI Nordics, healthcare systems and technologies, Baxter, said:
“Challenges facing the NHS have been clearly identified in 2024. How we fix those problems is a question 2025 must better resolve, and technology has a significant part to play.
“Increased adoption of new and innovative technology, and better utilisation of existing systems, has the potential to support clinical decision making, reduce administrative burdens for nurses, enhance efficiencies, and address capacity.
“But that must be accompanied by effective workflow and patient flow. Digitisation of inefficient workflows will only digitise chaos. Creating more harmonious environments means driving connectivity of devices and IT, ensuring insights flow into clinical systems, and asking more than how this can be achieved – but why.”
“Health tech companies should be able to “start-up and scale-up” in supporting the NHS with innovative technology: a pledge direct from health and social care secretary Wes Streeting at an ABHI parliamentary reception in November.
“As 2025 dawns, the latter part of his statement – scale – is particularly important; both for companies providing the tech, and for the NHS itself. Policy momentum has placed significant emphasis on wider adoption. NHS England wants to address both the discoverability and deployability of technologies.
“Lord Darzi called out the need to address sub-scale uptake of applications that improve quality and efficiency. And the newly published innovation ecosystem review led by Professor Roland Sinker calls out the need to spread “proven products”, with a failure to do so risking unwarranted variation and a perception that companies investing will struggle to grow.
“With urgency to embrace technology equitably, the NHS can little afford the time and effort required to reinvent ad infinitum. The bar must be set high in choosing what to scale. But once innovations are proven in the field with evidence in clinical practice and academic rigour, then funding and mechanisms must be in place to scale at pace and everywhere, so all patients can benefit. 2025 must be the year to make this happen.”
“Connecting all devices and data across the healthcare estate has become an even more urgent requirement, given renewed national objectives for the NHS. Investing in underlying infrastructure will be one enabler, but interoperability across every device must also come back into scrutiny in the year ahead.
“Connected devices must harness telemetry for busy healthcare professionals – from staff on general wards, to nurses in ICU, to surgeons in operating theatres. All need to be presented with data in efficient and effective ways, to help them enhance patient outcomes and respond to demands ranging from patient safety, to productivity, to waiting lists.
“And, as value-based procurement comes into focus during 2025, consideration must be given to the value of technology in supporting modern workflows, including the ability for staff to monitor and act on data remotely. When technology works, great things can start to happen.”
“In 2025, transformation will remain the cornerstone of progress for the NHS. Almost all transformation initiatives now have a digital component, but digital must serve as a supporting element to clinical and operational change, not exist as a standalone effort.
“Embedding digital tools into these broader transformations is essential to achieving meaningful impact. Financial pressures will persist and while it’s too early, post-election, to anticipate major investments in digital, the guiding principle of moving from analogue to digital will endure.
“With over 90% of NHS providers covered by electronic patient records, the focus will shift from go-lives to stabilisation and optimisation. Yet significant analogue systems remain, underscoring the importance of ‘thinking digital’ to enable true transformation.
“Cloud migration will accelerate, but cybersecurity must remain a priority. Recent cyber-attacks and IT outages show there’s still much to learn, and prevention must be prioritised through adequate investment.
“System-wide collaboration will advance as we prioritise shared EPRs and connected records. These tools not only improve interoperability but ensure data is available wherever it’s needed to keep people healthier and out of hospital. The anticipated Data (Use and Access) Bill will help make data sharing safer and more effective, a vital step for system-wide working in 2025.”
Latency, packet loss and poor bandwidth utilisation often disrupt network performance. With network infrastructure refreshes occurring on average every 5 years, the answer is usually to buy more bandwidth and to kick out the old to bring in the new by investing in the latest technology. However, this doesn’t always quite mitigate these issues, and as a result fails to deliver on its promise.
Much can be done with WAN acceleration in 2025, and it only keeps getting better in speed and capacity – which is surely the WAN you want. That’s because it deploys artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and data parallelisation to enable even SD-WANs, which have been a hot topic over the last few years, to perform much better than they would otherwise be able to do, unaccelerated without a WAN Acceleration overlay. Yes, AI is being used more often these days to improve network performance, but neither of them can so far achieve the results of WAN Acceleration.
Over the course of 2024, AI-enabled predictive network automation has nevertheless become a trend. It helps IT to access networking platform features that advance telemetry and visibility. Artificial intelligence is also increasingly a part of cloud automation and, as part of zero trust cyber-security, since cyber-attacks are using AI to become increasingly sophisticated and harder to detect.
Increasingly at the edge
Other trends that have occurred throughout the year include an increase in edge computing migration because no entity, user or device should be automatically trusted, as the basis for preventing a cyber-attack. With quantum computing being increasingly discussed, and the need for ever-more stringent and tighter data protection, SD-WAN solutions may soon incorporate quantum-resistant encryption algorithms. They can help organisations to protect their data against emerging threats. Ultimately, there is a need to advance digital business, and there has been a push for converging security and to provide digital experience assurance.
In 2025, how can WAN Acceleration fit into these trends? Well, first of all it is often also referred to as Data Acceleration because, by using AI, machine learning and data parallelisation the speed at which data is transmitted and received increases – and in a way that permits the accelerated flight of encrypted data, – which can obfuscate cyber-criminals. Still, it can fit into these trends because the likes of technologies such as PORTrockIT can significantly improve WAN and data performance and optimise bandwidth utilisation without the need to invest in higher bandwidths, or in a completely new network infrastructure.
Convergence of security and networking
The New Year, apart from some opportunistic AI-based cyber-attacks, will continue to see the convergence of security and networking into unified frameworks in the form of SASE (Secure Access Service Edge). SD-WANs will continue to increase in adoption, leaving room for organisations to add a WAN Acceleration overlay to boost their performance. The key motivation for their adoption will be to lower costs and to improve integration.
“There will also be an increasing use of multi-cloud networking software, and I expect industry cloud platforms to become increasingly popular – as will edge computing, which many industry commentators say will gain prominence in 2025 as a means for organisations to process data closer to its source,” says David Trossell, CEO and CTO of Bridgeworks, the WAN Acceleration company. He adds that with increasing data volumes, there will need to be higher computing capacity, better connectivity, and to transfer it over large distances, while using AI and machine learning to mitigate the frictional effects of latency and packet loss.
Pushing the limits
Josh Howarth, wrote in May 2024 ‘5 Top Networking Trends (2024 & 2025)’ for Exploding Topics, and said: “The performance of network infrastructure is constantly being pushed to the limit as businesses look for new ways to boost capacity and speed. Businesses want high-performing networks that are agile and scalable. But today’s IT decision-makers face a combination of uncertainty and new possibilities associated with emerging technology.”
One challenge that won’t change is the need to situated data centres and disaster recovery sites at distance from each other, outside of their own circles of disruption. Firstly, when a natural disaster strikes, organisations need to have another means of maintaining service continuity. The same applies to a situation caused by a cyber-security attack. It’s vital to ensure that not all data centres and disaster recovery sites are hit simultaneously.
WAN Acceleration can do this, while enabling organisations to achieve data transfer speeds for backups and restores of up to 200 times faster than with any other WAN enhancement technology. “Once upon a time organisations would have looked to WAN Optimisation to accelerate data transfers, but it’s a technology that often doesn’t deliver on its promise – particularly as it can’t handle large volumes of encrypted data.”
Networking market 2025
As for the networking market’s outlook for 2025, Mauricio Sanchez, who leads Dell’Oro Group’s research into the intersection of enterprise networking and security, comments in his October 2024 report, ‘The State of Enterprise Network Market in 2024: The Great Reset Before a 2025 Rebound’:
“Despite the contraction in 2024, the outlook for 2025 is brighter. The fundamental demand for digital transformation, cloud migration and hybrid work solutions remains intact. As enterprises complete the digestion of their current investments and inventories normalize, spending is expected to rebound.”
“The rise in adoption of AI-driven workloads, 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and advanced security frameworks like SASE will drive growth across the network infrastructure landscape. Furthermore, as inflation and interest rates decrease, enterprises will benefit from improved capital availability, providing further tailwinds for market growth.”
Data: Opportunity to accelerate and secure
With this growth, particularly with regard to SD-WANs, digital transformation, and everything cloud, there is an opportunity to accelerate and secure data flows with WAN Acceleration. Organisations will increasingly look to AI and machine learning for this purpose. So, in 2025, they could do well to get the WAN they want by testing different WAN networking technologies alongside each other.
The focus is often on what large companies will do in a new year. However, much innovation comes from smaller companies. Thankfully, Forbes reveals that the EY Entrepreneur Ecosystem Barometer finds that “73% of entrepreneurs [are] optimistic about AI, and 82% believe the market will be stronger in 2025.” More importantly, AI, machine learning and data parallelisation can give you the WAN that you want and make it as fast as lightning: saving time, money and brand reputations with secure data transfers. Happy New Year!
By Graham Jarvis,
Freelance Business and Technology Journalist
Lead Journalist – Business and Technology, Trudy Darwin Communications
Matrix is pleased to announce the appointment of Leslie Weare as its new Business Director. This key appointment is part of Matrix’s ambitious expansion strategy as the company continues to build on its reputation as one of the UK’s leading workforce management solutions providers. Weare will report directly to Chief Strategic Officer Suzi Smith and will be part of the strategic team responsible for driving growth across new market sectors.
Leslie Weare
Weare brings over 29 years of leadership experience in the health and social care staffing industry. Most recently, she served as Senior Business Director at Hays where she spearheaded the growth of health and social care partnerships across the South and East regions. Her career also includes senior roles at Reed Health & Care and The Prince’s Trust where she demonstrated a strong ability to develop strategies, empower high-performing teams and foster long-term partnerships.
Speaking about her new role, Weare commented, “I aim to ensure our customers get the very best from Matrix and all it can offer. My focus is on helping our clients solve staffing challenges while making the best use of their resources. Efficiency and effectiveness are key priorities, enabling our clients to make informed and sustainable decisions about staffing needs.”
In her role at Matrix, Weare will oversee client satisfaction, revenue optimisation and contract renewals. She will lead cross-functional collaboration to deliver exceptional customer experiences and ensure Matrix remains at the forefront of the workforce solutions industry. A key focus will be leveraging technology and data analytics to enhance client relationships, including maximising the capabilities of Matrix’s new platform, Prism.
Commenting on the appointment, Suzi Smith, Chief Strategic Officer at Matrix, said: “Leslie stood out for her unparalleled expertise in health and social care staffing and her proven track record of building meaningful client partnerships. Her leadership style which includes empowering teams and fostering continuous improvement aligns perfectly with Matrix’s vision. We are excited to have her on board to support our expansion and deliver even greater value to our clients.”
In her capacity as Business Director Weare will also play a pivotal role in shaping Matrix’s customer relationship management strategy, driving innovation and ensuring that the company’s client-centric values remain at the heart of its operations. Leslie’s background as a strategic business leader and experienced change manager makes her uniquely qualified to navigate the challenges of a dynamic, technology-led environment. Her focus on adding social value and her commitment to excellence in client service will undoubtedly strengthen Matrix’s position in the market.
Joint Expeditionary Force activates UK-led Nordic Warden operation following reported damage to Estlink2 undersea cable in the Baltic
System aids UK and JEF partners in maritime surveillance and detection of potential threats
Joint Expeditionary Force partners and NATO will be alerted by the system of any ships deemed a risk to key areas of interest
The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) has activated an advanced UK-led reaction system to track potential threats to undersea infrastructure and monitor the Russian shadow fleet, following reported damage to a major undersea cable in the Baltic Sea.
The 10-nation strong Joint Expeditionary Force, of which the UK is the framework nation, has also released a statement expressing concern at the damage caused to Estlink2 and highlighting the Alliance’s commitment to working together to safeguard shared interests.
The operation, activated last week and named Nordic Warden, harnesses AI to assess data from a range of sources, including the Automatic Identification System (AIS) ships use to broadcast their position, to calculate the risk posed by each vessel entering areas of interest. The JEF action reinforces existing and planned NATO responses.
Specific vessels identified as being part of Russia’s shadow fleet have been registered into the system so they can be closely monitored when approaching key areas of interest.
If a potential risk is assessed, the system will monitor the suspicious vessel in real time and immediately send out a warning, which will be shared with JEF participant nations as well as NATO Allies.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
‘’Growth and national security are vital to our Plan for Change, which is why this government is working closely with our allies to protect critical national infrastructure, such as undersea cables.
“I am pleased we are launching this cutting-edge technology so soon after the JEF Summit to enhance European security and deliver on our Plan for Change.”
Nordic Warden was activated last week under JEF protocols, which provide a series of options to the Alliance that can be activated in order to protect against potential threats. The initiative highlights how the JEF is using innovative technologies to boost collective European security, while supporting and complementing NATO’s own operations.
It comes following reported damage on Christmas Day to the Estlink2 undersea cable in the Baltic, which authorities in Finland suggest may have been caused by a tanker which forms part of Russia’s shadow fleet of vessels it uses to attempt to bypass international sanctions.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:
“The UK and JEF are leading the way in providing support to our Allies to help safeguard the offshore infrastructure we all rely on against potential threats.
“Nordic Warden will help protect against both deliberate acts of sabotage as well as cases of extreme negligence which we have seen cause damage to underwater cables.
“Harnessing the power of AI, this UK-led system is a major innovation which allows us the unprecedented ability to monitor large areas of the sea with a comparatively small number of resources, helping us stay secure at home and strong abroad.”
22 areas of interest – including parts of the English Channel, North Sea, Kattegat, and Baltic Sea, are currently being monitored from the JEF’s operational headquarters in Northwood, where personnel from all JEF nations work side by side.
Nordic Warden was first trialled during the summer of 2024 and again during the JEF’s Exercise Joint Protector, which saw more than 300 UK personnel deploy to Latvia to demonstrate the ability of the UK to deploy its operational headquarters for JEF abroad at short notice.
The UK has led international efforts through a global alliance to disrupt the shadow fleet. As part of the initiative launched by the Prime Minister at the European Political Community last year, the UK has sanctioned 93 oil tankers which Putin has been using to soften the blow of sanctions and bankroll his illegal war in Ukraine. Today’s announcement complements last month’s agreement between the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Finland and Estonia to request proof of insurance from suspected shadow vessels as they pass along the Baltic route.
Commenting on the reported Estlink2 damage, the joint statement from Joint Expeditionary Force members said:
“This is another example of maritime incidents causing direct economic and security implications for Finland and Estonia, highlighting the risks to vital communication and energy networks essential for the security and prosperity of all our nations.
“The JEF commends Finland and Estonia for their decisive actions in dealing with the Estlink-2 power cable incident. We remain committed to supporting Participant Nations, NATO, and Allies in safeguarding our shared interests and regional stability.”
Keeping the country safe is the Government’s first priority, and an integral part of its Plan for Change. The work of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force, is critical to the security and stability of the UK, and Nordic Warden will help protect against threats.
The Joint Expeditionary Force is comprised of 10 like-minded nations, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Netherlands, Sweden and the UK as the Framework Nation. The JEF by design is a high readiness, adaptable force which enhance the ability of the grouping to respond rapidly to threats, anywhere in the world.
British economist and journalist Stephanie Flanders has been appointed as the new Patron of the Institute of Economic Development (IED).
Stephanie, who is Head of Economics and Government at Bloomberg – overseeing the research and journalism of 250 economists and reporters worldwide – assumes the unpaid role from outgoing IED Patron, the Baroness Blake of Leeds CBE, who was in post for two years.
Stephanie Flanders
In a distinguished career, Stephanie was previously Chief Market Strategist for Europe at J P Morgan Asset Management in London (2013-17) and BBC Economics Editor (2008-13), appearing across the wide range of BBC news output in that capacity after previously serving as Economics Editor of its Newsnight programme. She has also been Senior Advisor and speechwriter to US Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers (1997-2001), a reporter at the New York Times, the principal editor of the 2002 Human Development Report, an editorial-writer and economics columnist at the Financial Times, and an economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies and London Business School.
In 2016-17 Stephanie chaired the Inclusive Growth Commission for the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), where she engaged with city leaders and grassroots practitioners from around the country on how best to promote inclusive, place-based economic growth. She is also the Chair of the non-profit arts company Artichoke, a Trustee of the Kennedy Memorial Trust and a Governor at the Ditchley Foundation. She is an Honorary Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford and a Fellow of the Society of Professional Economists.
“There is no more important challenge – nationally and globally – than making the economy work better for people,” Stephanie explained.
“In one way or another, I have spent a good chunk of my career thinking about and reporting on this question, and I’m acutely aware that high-level debates about growth and development often lack a basic grassroots understanding of how to make these things happen in practice.
Tom Stannard
“I’d love to play a small part in bringing the two together through closer involvement in the intensely practical mission and core activities of the IED.”
IED Chair Tom Stannard commented: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Stephanie as our new Patron. She has significant recognition as an economist, broadcaster, and as someone who has contributed to economic development commissions, including the RSA Inclusive Growth Commission, LSE Growth Commission, and Greater Manchester Independent Prosperity Review, in the recent past.
“I thank Stephanie for agreeing to take on the role of Patron, which is filled by someone who, due to his/her public achievement, exemplification of outstanding leadership and stature in society, can help the IED achieve its mission by enhancing the Institute’s credibility and the substantial contribution to UK economic development.
“I would also like to thank Baroness Blake, who is now a member of the new government’s front bench, for serving as our immediate past Patron.”
Road users on the Strategic Road Network (SRN) can feel more confident when driving through roadworks, thanks to new innovative clear, reassuring, and informative signage.
An initiative by SRL Traffic Systems, in collaboration with National Highways and Kier, has introduced an innovative use of variable message signs (VMS) to enhance the road user experience by clearly communicating changes to the road layout during roadworks.
On 23 October 2024, new signs were installed in a contraflow section of the A417 Missing Link project as part of the broader Electronic Boards for Roadworks review, which has significantly increased understanding of the changes due to roadworks.
Industry research has shown that messages which can be read within four seconds are better for our road users. The new signs display concise, friendly messages in white text over a black background. Previously signs presented yellow text on a black background.
National Highways is always seeking new ways to balance essential information with a clear and safe route through our works. For the first time, a blue-framed VMS unit is used for non-regulatory messages, strengthening its communication with road users.
The new signs allow National Highways to communicate transparently and succinctly to motorists using short simple messaging such as ‘Working even out of view’, providing an awareness of operations outside of the public eye.
National Highways can display this messaging thanks to updated standards for electronic boards for roadworks, including text colour and border additions, allowing it to use them more as electronic billboards than traditional variable message signs.
Nick Nandhra, project manager for National Highways said: “These new signs mark a significant advancement in our goal to enhance road user experiences. Clear communication during roadworks is crucial, and we’re excited to set a new standard in road messaging and launch these signs for the first time.”
The Electronic Boards for Roadworks guidelines drive design and compliance improvements by ensuring:
Enhanced visibility
Alignment with national guidelines
Safe positioning within the work zone
Placement away from critical decision points
No interference with directional signage
Minimal distractions for drivers
Kier and SRL Traffic Systems collaborate to maintain signage and provide real-time updates.
Caroline Weller, VMS manager at SRL Traffic Systems said: “As the first scheme implementing this standard, we’re thrilled to showcase a modern, customer-focused approach to traffic management.”
National Highways will continue refining messages based on road user insights, addressing road user concerns, and keeping messages relevant throughout each project phase.
Kier project director Gavin Jones highlighted the initiative’s success, stating: “The A417 Missing Link team are very pleased to have worked with National Highways and SRL on this initiative, and to be the first project to deploy the new signs. We are confident that the signs will assist motorists travelling through the A417 and improve their journeys.”
Landmark deal struck to bring military housing estate back into public hands
Major deal unlocks new-build housing projects for military families plus essential refurbishments
End to huge annual rental bill to save around £230 million per year
A major deal to bring the Armed Forces housing estate back into public ownership has been agreed by the government. Billions of pounds will be saved by the deal over the next decade, delivering savings for taxpayers and enabling additional investment into homes for military families. The landmark move reverses a sale undertaken by the Government in 1996.
The Defence Secretary describes today’s announcement as a “decisive break” with the failed approach of the past, which will enable the first steps to be taken to fix the long-term decline in housing for military families and deliver homes fit for heroes. He will also commit to using the deal to help achieve the Government’s milestones on kickstarting economic growth and boosting housebuilding across the country.
Today’s deal will bring to an end to an arrangement which has seen the taxpayer spend billions of pounds on rental payments for military housing while still being liable for rising maintenance costs and handing back billions of pounds worth of military properties.
Under the agreement, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) will buy back 36,347 houses, making major redevelopment and improvements possible. The deal is part of the Government’s drive to boost military morale, tackle recruitment and retention challenges and renew the nation’s contract with those who serve.
The MOD, supported by UK Government Investments, and Annington have formally agreed that the MOD will reacquire the service family estate sold in 1996, which is now valued at £10.1 billion when not subject to leases, and is being purchased for £5,994,500,000, representing excellent value for money.
The new deal will see the immediate saving of more than £600,000 of taxpayers’ money each day, with the current annual bill of £230 million in rent being eliminated. These savings to the defence budget will help to fix “deep-set problems” in military housing, and support the development of a high-quality new homes for military families.
The announcement comes as the Government kickstarts work on a new military housing strategy, to be published next year. Key principles of the strategy will include: a generational renewal of Armed Forces accommodation; new opportunities for forces homeownership; and better use of MOD land to support the delivery of affordable homes for families across Britain.
The first steps in the strategy will include the rapid development of an action plan to deliver on the “once in a generation” opportunities unlocked by today’s deal. This work will involve independent experts, forces families and cross-government input.
This will support the Government’s Plan for Change, which is built on the strong foundation of national security. It also comes alongside the Prime Minister’s Homes for Heroes pledge to exempt veterans from rules requiring a connection to a local area before accessing social housing.
Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said:
“This deal shows our government is determined to deliver homes fit for our heroes. This is a once in a generation opportunity, not only to fix the dire state of military housing but to help drive forward our economic growth mission, creating jobs and boosting British housebuilding.
“Our armed forces and their families make extraordinary sacrifices: theirs is the ultimate public service. It is shameful that in the lead up to Christmas, too many military families will be living with damp, mould and sub-standard homes – issues which have built up over the past decade.
“We are determined to turn this around and renew the nation’s contract with those who serve. These important savings to the defence budget will help fix the deep-set problems we inherited. I thank the teams who have helped us reach this landmark deal at pace – another example of this government delivering for defence.
“There is still a lot of work to do to deliver the homes our military families deserve, and these problems will not be fixed overnight. But this is a decisive break with the failed approach of the past and a major step forward on that journey.”
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones said:
“This is a landmark deal that will start saving the taxpayer money immediately, all while driving forward our mission to create growth across the country.
“Not only does it open the door to major development and improvements across the military housing estate, but most important of all, it will help us on our mission to build more houses and deliver our service personnel the homes they deserve.”
The original agreement did not strike an appropriate balance of risk and reward, and it is estimated the taxpayer is nearly £8 billion worse off as a result. Money which should have been better spent on maintaining and improving our service family homes.
Eliminating the liabilities associated with the leases creates budgetary headroom to partially fund this purchase, meaning that the public expenditure impact of this measure, and the impact on net financial debt, is confined to £1.7 billion.
The 1996 sale saw 55,000 houses sold for an average of just £27,000 each property. In buying these houses back, the government will control properties worth almost ten times that average value and will no longer be paying £230 million annually in rent.
Other areas of the deal that have cost taxpayers money or prevented improvements to the estate include:
Annually handing back hundreds of empty properties to Annington, totalling more than 18,000 properties since 1996 – worth an estimated £5.2 billion by today’s valuations.
Although the deal included a discount from market rent rates, the MOD – and therefore the taxpayer – have been responsible for all maintenance on all properties.
If the MOD spent money improving a property for service families, in some circumstances this could incur greater rental costs under the terms of the deal.
Despite most of the properties having been built in the 1950s and 1960s, the deal has prevented the MOD from being able to demolish properties or build additional houses for Service Families.
Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said:
“Housing provision is a constant part of life for Service Personnel and their families, who support them closely throughout their military careers. We understand the importance placed on this for people’s morale and decisions on whether to continue in the Armed Forces long-term.
“This deal is a crucial step in being able to deliver meaningful change for those who serve – an opportunity to regain control of the estate and move forward with substantial redevelopment and refurbishment. This work will provide military families the higher-quality houses they fully deserve. It is very significant and very welcome.”
Following today’s deal, the MOD can start work on substantive redevelopment and improvements. The agreement frees up our ability to build on the Service Family Accommodation estate with a more modern estate, helping reduce maintenance costs and, as part of work facilitated by the deal, programmes to build new houses are being accelerated.
Planning applications will be submitted in the coming days for 265 new houses and apartments at RAF Brize Norton, and further plans will be submitted in the Spring for around 300 new houses at Catterick Garrison.
The potential for improvements to the estate can already be seen where family housing is being provided outside of the 1996 deal. At Imjin Barracks in Gloucestershire 176 modern homes are being built, which include low-carbon heating systems and solar panels, reducing energy costs for military families and improving sustainability.
The landmark deal to repurchase the estate from Annington follows the MOD’s comprehensive success in the High Court last year. The agreement brings the properties back to public ownership and delivering long term value for money for current and future taxpayers.
Since July, the Government has slashed recruitment red tape to make the process more straightforward for those wanting to join the military, announced the largest Armed Forces pay increase for 22 years and recently the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill passed its Second Reading in the House of Commons.
Velorim is calling on cycling community to nominate their local bike shop to join the scheme
Ambition will see more than 1,000 places for people to recycle bicycle tyres and inner tubes across the UK
Velorim, the UK’s simple solution to recycling bicycle tyres and inner tubes, has announced its ambition to double collection points across the UK by 2026, as it continues its mission to make cycling greener.
With over 600 locations across the country already, the recycling service aims to make recycling bike tyres and inner tubes even easier for cyclists, providing a cost-effective solution to reducing the impact of cycling waste on the environment.
Every year 44,000 tonnes of bicycle tyres and inner tubes are discarded by cyclists*. Limited recycling resources means that much of this waste is either sent to landfill where materials leak lead and zinc into the soil, or incineration where 3 tonnes of CO2 are produced per one tonne of rubber incinerated.
Velorim aims to tackle the issue by making the recycling of these materials as easy as possible for the cycling community. Through offering a recycling collection scheme at local bike shops, the service is set up to make recycling as convenient and cheap as possible.
Since starting collections in 2020, Velorim has collected more than 150,000 tyres and 150,000 inner tubes for recycling. To help them achieve their goal of doubling collection points by 2026, co-founders of Velorim Russ Taylor and Richard Lawrence are calling on cyclists to nominate their local bike shop, repairers and mechanics to join the scheme:
“We know that cyclists tend to take an active approach to ecological and environmental matters and our service is there to support this ethos. We have made a steady growth since starting our business in 2020, but we know there are still many areas across the country that we’re yet to reach. We’re calling on bike retailers and the cycling community to embrace the service and support us in our mission to make cycling even greener. Cyclists can nominate local bike businesses to sign up to the scheme.”
Velorim currently has more than 600 collection points across the UK. To find your nearest collection point visit Velorim-Group.com.
To become a Velorim Centre or to nominate your local bike shop, visit Velorim-Group.com.
Moe Forouzan, Team Manager – Business and Innovation at Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, has been elected to the Board of the Institute of Economic Development (IED), the UK’s leading professional body for economic development and regeneration practitioners.
With 19 years’ experience in local government, Moe heads up Blaenau Gwent’s Economic Development Unit, specialising in driving business growth, addressing retention challenges, and managing industrial and office premises, including employment land. His strategic oversight encompasses the development and management of the Council’s business and economic functions, focusing on implementing economic stimulus initiatives, and fostering collaborative networks that both enhance local supply chains and peer-to-peer support.
Moe Forouzan
Moe is particularly passionate about supporting startups, SMEs and business relocation projects, helping them thrive in dynamic and competitive environments. A Trained Master Enterprise Facilitator, he is the only UK certified practitioner of the Sirolli model of Enterprise Facilitation, personally trained by Dr Ernesto Sirolli. This innovative approach provides free and confidential business support to entrepreneurs and social enterprises, empowering local communities through entrepreneurship. Moe’s public sector expertise is underpinned by both an undergraduate and Master’s degree in Business and Enterprise Development obtained from the University of South Wales, and experience in managing family-run businesses.
With his appointment to the IED Board announced at the Institute’s Annual General Meeting on 4th December, Moe revealed that his commitment to economic development is “both professional and personal, driving me to continuously refine my knowledge and deliver impactful outcomes” across the public, private and third sectors. He said this experience made him “highly adaptable and well-suited to leadership roles in diverse business contexts”.
“I am really excited by this opportunity to join the IED Board, and to work with people who are passionate about economic development,” Moe explained. “I am delighted to be part of an organisation that has a clear shared ambition, and is considered a heavyweight in its field. The IED is recognised as a distinctive and highly credible player in economic development, offering unparalleled CPD opportunities and action for the profession, and as a member I already see the value from its activities. The professional development I have experienced has been amazing, always challenging, and focused on helping practitioners to improve. Being on the Board is an opportunity for me to give back too, including through mentoring support. It really is the best place for me to be as a practitioner.
“As an organisation there is an opportunity to develop our links in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but growing membership in Wales is really big for me. I want to help promote the benefits of the IED, and to encourage more and more practitioners to be part of the national economic development movement, which in turn will support the delivery of best practice in local and regional communities in Wales. I have seen austerity in economic development, and how to re-boot it, and now is the time to kick on again.
“We have a UK/Welsh government talking about growth. Growth is one of the biggest ticket items going on and we have got to back economic development because it links to everything. If we invest in economic development, and channel our ambition, we will grow economy.”
Ellie Fry, Corporate Director of Regeneration and Community Services at Blaenau Gwent Council, commented: “This is a really exciting appointment for Moe personally and for the Council professionally. Moe is passionate about economic development and supporting businesses of all sizes to thrive and grow in Blaenau Gwent and I know that he will bring this enthusiasm and commitment to his new role on the Board of the IED. Well done Moe.”
Tom Stannard, Chair of the IED said: “I would like to formally welcome Moe to the IED Board of Directors, and look forward to working with him as we seek to further deliver our mission and push the objectives of our Grow Local, Grow National manifesto across the UK.”
AMION Consulting Director and former Whitehall economist joins the IED Board
Simon Dancer, Director at AMION Consulting, has been appointed to the Board of the Institute of Economic Development (IED), the UK’s leading professional body for economic development and regeneration practitioners.
With over 25 years’ experience in economic development, housing and regeneration, Simon joined the leading UK-wide economics advisory business AMION in 2016 to provide independent strategic advice to its clients to help them achieve economic growth.
Simon Dancer
Simon previously worked in Whitehall for 16 years at the Homes & Communities Agency (now Homes England), managing a team of specialised economists. In addition to an extensive understanding of Green Book economic appraisal and business cases, Simon has co-authored several economics policy guidance notes that have become “industry standards”.
These include the ground-breaking Employment Densities Guide, applied across the UK, to calculate job capacity within built development; the pioneering Additionality Guide, used around the world to help public sector agencies identify the real effect of government intervention and saw Simon present to a global academic audience at the World Bank in Paris; and the Endowments Best Practice Note, now in its fourth edition, which underpins endowment policy across the country for those assets which cannot be disposed of in the open market.
Some of Simon’s other career highlights include providing housing policy advice for the South Korean government, advising a former Prime Minister’s household, acting as a consultee for updates of HM Treasury’s Green Book, and being the retained economic adviser for the West Midlands Combined Authority for over four years.
Simon was also instrumental with AMION helping to secure £459 million of Levelling Up Fund grant across the country, from the three rounds of competitive bidding. Today he is also a business case adviser for Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, working on Green Book-compliant submissions to both MHCLG and HMT.
With his election to the IED Board announced at the Institute’s Annual General Meeting on 4th December, Simon said: “I am delighted to join the IED, as the go-to centre for excellence in the sector, and one whose insights are a reference point for the economic development profession. With over 25 years’ experience under my belt, 16 in the public sector and now well established in the private sector, putting myself forward for the IED Board feels like a natural position. I see the IED as the kitemark for our profession.”
Simon uses the IED’s well-established online CPD programme for new starters in AMION’s economic development team, and also praised its representation and advocacy work. “The training it provides is a big bonus, bringing a formalised process around on-the-money courses which balance the technical and softer side of economic development,” he commented. “If you work in economic development, the IED is that North Star for the industry. There is a huge opportunity for us to make a difference, to increase our membership, and influence the new government, especially on areas they are not funding yet.”
Tom Stannard, Chair of the IED, said: “I would like to formally welcome Simon to the IED Board of Directors, and look forward to working with him as we seek to further deliver our mission and push the objectives of our Grow Local, Grow National manifesto across the UK.”
Lymington-based British firm Bridgeworks, which is headquartered in the UK and which specialises in WAN Acceleration is now a listed supplier for the United Nations. The company, which has unique, fully patented technology, can thwart as well as obfuscate cyber-criminals.
Bridgeworks was also invited to join a 2-day UK Trade Mission to the UN by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The DBT hosted a select number of healthcare, facilities and infrastructure and cybersecurity entrepreneurs and companies on 20th and 21st June 2024 to discuss United Nations procurement and future opportunities of interest.
Why WAN Acceleration?
WAN Acceleration is a technology that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to mitigate the retarding effects of latency and packet loss upon data egress and ingress on Wide Area Networks. Latency and packet loss slow down data transfers. They create a window for slow data backups and restores, while also providing time for cyber-criminals to divert sensitive data.
At worst, their impact could lead to a significant amount of downtime and, in the case of a data breach, there could be significant reputational and financial losses. This could be from, for example, non-compliance to GDPR or from non-compliance to other international and national data protection laws and regulations – including in the US.
British talent welcomed
Pete Newman, Senior Trade & Investment Officer, says he really appreciates the participation of UK cyber companies – including Bridgeworks. “It was a real pleasure to host 15 companies and to meet with entrepreneurs representing the best of British industry and innovation,” he says.
In a LinkedIn post after the event, he continues: “UN agencies in New York and across the globe procure nearly $30B per year across a wide variety of goods and services. The UK is the third largest country supplier to the UN with $1.3 billion supplied according to the latest figures.”
Unfortunately, since the meeting, new figures have arisen. In an email, he reveals that the UK has dropped to become the 7th largest country supplier to the UN. This is caused by procurement numbers dropping across the UN from the highs of 2021 and 2022. “They were a result of spending, due to the pandemic. The latest numbers available from 2023 are still at historic highs for the UN, but down from $29B to $24B,” he states.
UN HQ tour
Returning back to his LinkedIn post, he comments: “In addition to attending the Trade Mission at British Consulate General in New York, delegates toured the UN headquarters to gain a better understanding of the organisation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in support of international development, fighting poverty, promoting human rights and the UN’s commitment to maintaining international peace and security.”
Bridgeworks’ invitation came after being asked to attend by the UK Trade Team at the British Embassy in Washington, where the firm attended a previous conference.
David Trossell
Generating interest
Antony Reynolds, Vice-President, Federal and National Security Business and Global Channels Leader at Bridgeworks, attended the Trade Mission with the company’s CEO and CTO, David Trossell. They attended roundtable discussions and presentations with UN procurement officials, and Trossell then gave a 20-minute presentation to UN procurement managers on day two.
“By far, we generated the most interest and triggered many questions from the UN Buyers, with a lot of interest in data centre transfer speed and efficiency,” says Reynolds. He points out that the main reason for attending the Mission was to increase Bridgeworks’ visibility because before the meeting, UN procurement knew nothing about Bridgeworks.
It also allows the firm to respond to Request for Information (RFIs) and tender invitations. “We are now seeing regular RFI and Bid invitations from the UN Trade Alert Service, with the caveat that the parameters for products and services needs to be reviewed and tweaked.” It works through the UN Global Procurement Portal, the UN Global Marketplace.
He adds: “We have shown that we exist, and that we have been supported by the British Government. Subsequently, we are now registered as a supplier to the UN.” Ultimately, it’s all about selling WAN Acceleration to the UN, as there is a huge sales opportunity across the organisation. For Bridgeworks, at the moment, that relates to deals of up to £100,000 each. The firm’s investment might increase if their registration proves successful.
Mission successful
David Trossell, CEO and CTO of Bridgeworks, remarks that Bridgeworks involvement in the Trade Mission was a success: “While there is no immediate business, we have shown why Bridgeworks exists, that it exists and why WAN Acceleration is a crucial technology for obfuscating cyber-criminals, as well as for moving large volumes of data around the world.”
He therefore looks forward to being involved in more Trade Missions in the near future, and he counsels innovative British businesses to join the UN Global Market Place to increase their influence and reach. The impact of being a UN listed supplier can be positive – by helping to raise the profile of company such as Bridgeworks beyond the United Nations.
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