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Category: Great Britain

  • MIL-OSI Global: Eight ways to reduce your stroke risk – by an expert in vascular brain injury

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Siobhan Mclernon, Senior Lecturer, Adult Nursing and co-lead, Ageing, Acute and Long Term Conditions. Member of Health and Well Being Research Center, London South Bank University

    Sarayut Sridee/Shutterstock

    As a nurse working in a neurocritical care, I witnessed the sudden and devastating effects of stroke on survivors and their carers.

    Following my nursing career, I became a researcher specialising in stroke. Knowledge of stroke risk factors in the general public is poor, so stroke prevention is a priority for public health.

    Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in England – yet it is largely preventable. It’s often considered an older person’s illness but, although stroke risk does increase with age, it can happen at any time of life. In fact, stroke incidence is increasing among adults below the age of 55 years.

    Stroke risk factors that tend to be more common among older people – such as high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity and poor diet – are increasingly found in younger people. Other lifestyle risks include heavy alcohol consumption or binge drinking and recreational drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine and heroin.



    Read more:
    Stroke: young people can have them too – here’s how to know if you’re at risk and what to look out for

    Some risk factors are not modifiable such as age, sex, ethnicity, family history of stroke, genetics and certain inherited conditions. Women, for example, are particularly susceptible to strokes – and women of all ages are more likely than men to die from a stroke.

    Stroke risks unique to women include pregnancy and some contraceptive pills (especially for smokers), as well as endometriosis, premature ovarian failure (before 40 years of age), early-onset menopause (before 45 years of age) and oestrogen for transgender women.

    Also, inherited vascular abnormalities such as cerebral aneurysms – a weakness in the artery wall – can increase the risk of haemorrhagic stroke.

    Some risk factors are social rather than biological, however. Studies have found that people with a lower income and education level are at a higher risk of having a stroke. This is due to a combination of factors. Unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as smoking, heavier drinking and lower physical activity levels are more common in people with lower incomes.



    Read more:
    Rising income inequalities are linked to unhealthy diets and loneliness

    However, research also shows that people with lower socioeconomic status are less likely to receive good quality healthcare than people with higher incomes.

    But, regardless of biological or social risk factors, there are things you can do – right now – to reduce your risk of having a stroke.

    Essential eight

    1. Stop smoking Smokers are more than twice as likely to have a stroke than non-smokers. Smoking causes damage to blood vessel walls, increases blood pressure and heart rate but reduces oxygen levels. Smoking also causes blood to become sticky, further increasing the risk of blood clots that can block blood vessels and cause a stroke.

    2. Keep blood pressure in check High blood pressure damages the walls of blood vessels, making them weaker and more prone to rupture or blockage. It can also cause blood clots to form, which can then travel to the brain and block blood flow, leading to a stroke. If you’re over 18 years of age, get your blood pressure checked regularly so, if you do show signs of developing high blood pressure, you can nip it in the bud and make appropriate changes to your lifestyle to help reduce your risk of stroke.

    3. Keep an eye on your cholesterol According to the UK Stroke Association your risk of a stroke is nearly three and a half times higher if you have both high cholesterol and high blood pressure. To lower cholesterol, aim to keep saturated fat – found in fatty meats, butter, cheese, and full-fat dairy – below 7% of your daily calories, stay active and maintain a healthy weight.



    Read more:
    How can I lower my cholesterol? Do supplements work? How about psyllium or probiotics?

    4. Watch your blood sugar High blood glucose levels are linked to an increased risk of stroke. This is because high blood sugar damages blood vessels, which can lead to blood clots that travel to the brain. To reduce blood glucose levels, try to take regular exercise, eat a balanced diet rich in fibre, drink enough water, maintain a healthy weight, and try to manage stress.

    5. Maintain a healthy weight Being overweight is one of the main risk factors for stroke. It is associated with almost one in five strokes, and increases your stroke risk by 22%. Being obese raises that risk by 64%. Carrying too much weight increases your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, which all contribute to higher stroke risk.

    6. Follow a Mediterranean diet One way to eat a fibre-rich balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight is to follow a Mediterranean diet. This has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, especially when supplemented with nuts and olive oil.

    7. Sleep well Try to to get seven to nine hours of sleep daily. Too little sleep can lead to high blood pressure, one of the most important modifiable risk factors for stroke. Too much sleep, however, is also associated with increased stroke risk, so try to stay as active as possible so you can sleep as well as possible.



    Read more:
    Exercise really can help you sleep better at night – here’s why that may be

    8. Stay active The NHS recommends that people should avoid prolonged sedentary behaviour and aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week. Exercise should be spread evenly over four to five days a week, or every day. Do strengthening activities, usually more than two days per week.

    The good news is that while the effects of stroke can be devastating and life-changing, it is largely preventable. Adopting these eight simple lifestyle changes can help to reduce stroke risk and optimise both heart and brain health.

    Siobhan Mclernon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Eight ways to reduce your stroke risk – by an expert in vascular brain injury – https://theconversation.com/eight-ways-to-reduce-your-stroke-risk-by-an-expert-in-vascular-brain-injury-251524

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Are mental health conditions overdiagnosed in the UK? Two experts go head to head

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Joanna Moncrieff, Professor of Critical and Social Psychiatry, UCL

    Speaking on BBC One’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Wes Streeting, the UK health secretary, expressed concerns that some mental health conditions were overdiagnosed. The Conversation asked two experts to comment on Streeting’s claim. Is the health secretary right?

    Mental distress is under-diagnosed – but over-medicalised

    Susan McPherson, Professor in Psychology and Sociology, University of Essex

    A year ago, the UK’s then prime minister, the Conservative Rishi Sunak, announced “sick note culture” had gone too far. His work and pensions secretary claimed “mental health culture”, Mel Stride, had gone too far.

    These statements merged concern about affordability of disability benefits with ideas about overdiagnosis of mental illness. This appeared to be in response to a report from the Resolution Foundation, a thinktank.

    The report said that people in their 20s were more likely to be out of work than people in their 40s. The report attributed this to an increase in young people reporting mental distress (from 24% in 2000 to 34% in 2024).

    This was used by some journalists to support the idea of young people as work-shy snowflakes feigning mental illness, which angered many including disability activists, mental health campaigners and members of the opposition Labour party.

    A year on, the UK now has a Labour government. Wes Streeting, the secretary of state for health and social care, is facing criticism for appearing to echo conservative tropes. In an interview about government plans to reduce benefits for disabled people, he agreed that overdiagnosis accounts for an increase in people on benefits due to mental illness. This appears to mirror those media stereotypes about work-shy millennials.

    If that is what Streeting meant, then the evidence is not on his side. Ten years ago, a UK national survey of psychiatric symptoms found that a third of people whose psychological symptoms were severe enough to merit a diagnosis, did not have a diagnosis.

    More recent research using the UK Longitudinal Household Study grouped people according to whether they do or do not have a psychiatric diagnosis and whether they do or do not have psychological symptoms severe enough to merit a diagnosis. The study found 12 times as many people in the “undiagnosed distress” category (with severe symptoms but no diagnosis) than the overdiagnosed category.

    The study also identified significant inequalities. People living with a disability had nearly three times the risk of undiagnosed distress compared with people without a disability.

    Women had 1.5 times the risk of undiagnosed distress compared with men. Lesbian, gay or bisexual people were 1.4 times more likely to have undiagnosed distress compared with heterosexual people. People aged 16-24 had the highest risk compared with all other age groups.

    This all suggests inequalities in undiagnosed distress are a much bigger problem than overdiagnosis in the UK. Given that many forms of support in the UK depend on having a diagnosis, undiagnosed distress probably means people are not getting the support they need.

    However, Streeting also said that too many people “just aren’t getting the support they need. So if you can get that support to people much earlier, then you can help people to either stay in work or get back to work.”

    Given this nod towards prevention and the importance of non-medical support, it is conceivable that Streeting’s sentiment may have been about “over-medicalisation” of mental distress rather than overdiagnosis. The difference is important.

    The term “diagnosis” reflects a medical model of mental illness. Many would agree that the medical idea of “diagnose and treat” does not serve people with mental distress well. This is because there is a lot of evidence suggesting the underlying causes of mental distress are social, economic, environmental or a result of past trauma.

    If Streeting had said “over-medicalised”, he would have been in tune with a growing global concern about over-medicalisation and over-use of medication to treat mental distress, a position advocated by the UN and the World Health Organization.

    Despite UK guidelines recommending psychological treatments as first line interventions for depression, antidepressant prescribing has risen 46% over the last seven years with over 85 million prescriptions in 2022-23. This alongside an increase in long-term use of psychiatric medication with no reduction in mental distress at the population level. If Streeting had said “over-medicalised”, the evidence would have been on his side.

    A mental health diagnosis is just a label – and usually an unhelpful one

    Joanna Moncrieff, Professor of Critical and Social Psychiatry, UCL

    There has been a dramatic escalation in the number of people seeking treatment for mental health problems in recent years. In the year from April 2023 to 2024, 3.8 million people were in contact with mental health services in England alone, which is 40% higher than before the COVID pandemic. The figures include 1 million children. One in five 16-year-old girls is in contact with services.

    The statistics reveal a tendency to over-medicalise a variety of human problems that was supercharged by the pandemic and is likely to result in harmful effects on physical and mental health.

    What many people don’t realise about a mental health diagnosis is that it is nothing like the diagnosis of a physical condition. It doesn’t name an underlying biological state or process that can explain the symptoms someone is experiencing, as it does when someone gets a diagnosis of cancer or rheumatoid arthritis, for example.

    A mental health diagnosis doesn’t explain anything. It is simply a label that can be applied to a certain set of problems. The process by which this label is conferred is not scientific or objective and is influenced by commercial, professional and political interests.

    In most situations, giving people with mental health problems a diagnostic label is unhelpful. It convinces people they have a biological defect, it leads to ineffective and often harmful medical treatment, and most of the time, it misses the actual problems.

    Because getting a diagnosis implies you have a medical condition, it misleads people into thinking that they have an underlying biological abnormality, such as a chemical imbalance, even though there is no good evidence that mental disorders are caused by underlying brain or bodily dysfunctions. Research has shown this makes people pessimistic about their chances of recovery and less likely to improve.

    Being diagnosed often leads to being prescribed a psychiatric drug, such as an antidepressant. About 8.7 million people in England now take an antidepressant, half of them on a long-term basis.

    Prescriptions for other drugs, such as stimulants (prescribed for a diagnosis of ADHD), are also rising fast, even leading to medication shortages. Yet the evidence that any of these drugs improve people’s wellbeing or ability to function is minimal. Moreover, like all substances that alter our normal biological make-up, particularly those that interfere with brain function, they cause side-effects and health risks.

    Antidepressants can cause severe and prolonged withdrawal symptoms, sexual dysfunction (which may persist) and emotional numbing or apathy, among other unwanted effects. Stimulants can cause cardiovascular problems and neurological conditions. The widespread, unwarranted prescribing of these drugs will adversely affect the health of the population.

    Giving people a diagnosis can also obscure the nature of the person’s underlying problems and prevent these from being addressed.

    Mental health problems are often meaningful reactions to stressful circumstances, such as financial, housing and relationship problems and experiences of abuse, trauma, loneliness and lack of meaning. Reducing over-medicalisation doesn’t necessarily mean fewer services. What we need is different services that provide appropriate support for people’s actual problems, not treatment for medical labels.

    We also need ways to excuse people from responsibilities when necessary, without making them feel like they have to take on a “sick” role that implies they are forever ill and helpless.

    Much of today’s employment is poorly paid, insecure, boring, exploitative and pressurising. It shouldn’t surprise us that some people find it hard to endure. We need to improve working conditions for everyone, but we also need to support people who find these conditions especially challenging, without having to label them as sick.

    Joanna Moncrieff is or has been a co-investigator on grants funded by the UK’s National Institute of Health Research and the Australian government Medical Research Future Fund for studies exploring methods of antidepressant discontinuation. She is co-chair person of the Critical Psychiatry Network, an informal and unfunded group of psychiatrists

    Susan McPherson receives funding from NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East of England. She is affiliated with the Labour Party.

    – ref. Are mental health conditions overdiagnosed in the UK? Two experts go head to head – https://theconversation.com/are-mental-health-conditions-overdiagnosed-in-the-uk-two-experts-go-head-to-head-252535

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Earth’s lungs are choking on plastic and smoke – scientists hope to unblock them

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jack Marley, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition

    Martin.Dlugo/Shutterstock

    A graph I saw in high school appeared to show the Earth breathing.

    It was a graph that plotted carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the course of the 20th century and into the 21st. CO₂ had risen steadily, and then more rapidly, but it hadn’t gone up in a straight line. Each year it had fallen sharply before rising to a new peak, increasing over time in an upwards zig-zag.

    What explained this annual, temporary fall in CO₂, the gas that is overwhelmingly responsible for climate change? The answer was photosynthesis, my physics teacher explained – the miracle by which plants turn light and CO₂ into food.

    This is how our planet has regulated atmospheric carbon for longer than our species has existed. Fossil fuels are disrupting this equilibrium in several ways.

    This roundup of The Conversation’s climate coverage comes from our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed.

    Spring is dawning in the northern hemisphere, where most of the planet’s green land is situated. Trees are unfurling leaves that will soak up carbon in the air and turn it into new bark, roots and branches. On a global scale, it’s like a gigantic inhalation of carbon. In autumn, when trees shed their leaves, Earth will exhale again.

    The air we all breathe is increasingly polluted by fossil fuels. That includes products of fossil fuels, like plastic, which is now so ubiquitous that research suggests simply breathing can introduce microscopic fragments into your brain.



    Read more:
    Breathing may introduce microplastics to the brain – new study

    Something similar is happening in plants – and it could have global consequences.

    Plants are losing their appetite

    “Microplastics are hindering photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert energy from the sun into the fruit and vegetables we eat,” says Denis J. Murphy, an emeritus professor of biotechnology at the University of South Wales.

    “This threatens massive losses in crop and seafood production over the coming decades that could mean food shortages for hundreds of millions of people.”

    Photosynthetic algae feed the fish that ultimately feed us.
    Sinhyu Photographer/Shutterstock

    These are the conclusions of a recent study by researchers in China, Germany and the US. Murphy wasn’t involved, but his own research with plant cells – which the tiniest microplastics can infiltrate, and damage the organs involved in photosynthesis – has him worried.



    Read more:
    Microplastics: are they poisoning crops and jeopardising food production?

    “Given the potential (albeit speculative) risk to global food production, more priority should be given to rigorous scientific research of microplastics and their effects on both crops and the marine life that supports fish and seafood stocks,” he says.

    Not so long ago, people wondered if our fossil fuel habit might actually benefit plant photosynthesis. After all, plants eat CO₂. Flooding the atmosphere with more of it each year could only whet their appetites, right?

    “The amount of CO₂ used by photosynthesis and stored in vegetation and soils has grown over the past 50 years, and now absorbs at least a quarter of human emissions in an average year,” say ecologists Amanda Cavanagh (University of Essex) and Caitlin Moore (University of Western Australia).

    Most of this extra carbon absorption has come from crops and young trees, the pair say, less from mature forests where a lot of the world’s carbon is stored. Cavanagh and Moore say this carbon pump is slowing down, as the other necessary ingredients for photosynthesis – soil nutrients and water – have fallen or stayed the same.



    Read more:
    Carbon dioxide feeds plants, but are earth’s plants getting full?

    Microplastics could slow the rate at which plants remove carbon further. And then there are the effects of climate change, like drought, fires and floods, which will intensify as long as we continue burning fossil fuels.

    After monitoring forests and shrublands in Australia for 20 years, Moore and a team of six colleagues concluded that these ecosystems are at risk of losing their ability to bounce back, and continue absorbing carbon, after successive climate disasters.



    Read more:
    In 20 years of studying how ecosystems absorb carbon, here’s why we’re worried about a tipping point of collapse

    Hacking photosynthesis

    We may have done plenty to reduce global photosynthesis, but a team of scientists at the University of Oxford and the Fraunhofer Society in Germany is trying to turn things around. How? By hacking plants to help them get more out of the process.

    “You would be forgiven for thinking nature has perfected the art of turning sunlight into sugar,” say Jonathan Menary, Sebastian Fuller and Stefan Schillberg.

    “But that isn’t exactly true. If you struggle with life goals, it might reassure you to know even plants haven’t yet reached their full potential.”

    The team say that plants tend to convert less than 5% of sunlight into new tissue – often as little as 1%. That’s because of a mistake plants regularly make, in which an enzyme involved in photosynthesis latches on to oxygen instead of CO₂.

    “If we could prevent this mistake, it would leave plants more energy for photosynthesis,” they say.



    Read more:
    How scientists are helping plants get the most out of photosynthesis

    Cyanobacteria are Earth’s most ancient photosynthesisers. Menary, Fuller and Schillberg say these microscopic organisms could possess useful genes for better sunlight management that might benefit crops like rice and potato plants. Another technique involves helping plants recover from high light exposure quicker.

    Young potato plants in bloom.
    George Trumpeter/Shutterstock

    More efficient photosynthesis, with the help of gene editing and other tools, is not “a silver bullet”, the team stress. Certainly not while fossil fuels continue to drown our green planet in carbon it cannot metabolise.

    However, this work is likely to prove useful as farmers seek to grow more in an increasingly volatile environment, while sparing enough land for nature.

    “This research is about making sure we can grow enough food to feed ourselves,” the team say.

    – ref. Earth’s lungs are choking on plastic and smoke – scientists hope to unblock them – https://theconversation.com/earths-lungs-are-choking-on-plastic-and-smoke-scientists-hope-to-unblock-them-252549

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Eight ways to reduce your stroke risk – no matter what your age you are

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Siobhan Mclernon, Senior Lecturer, Adult Nursing and co-lead, Ageing, Acute and Long Term Conditions. Member of Health and Well Being Research Center, London South Bank University

    Sarayut Sridee/Shutterstock

    As a nurse working in a neurocritical care, I witnessed the sudden and devastating effects of stroke on survivors and their carers.

    Following my nursing career, I became a researcher specialising in stroke. Knowledge of stroke risk factors in the general public is poor, so stroke prevention is a priority for public health.

    Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in England – yet it is largely preventable. It’s often considered an older person’s illness but, although stroke risk does increase with age, it can happen at any time of life. In fact, stroke incidence is increasing among adults below the age of 55 years.

    Stroke risk factors that tend to be more common among older people – such as high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity and poor diet – are increasingly found in younger people. Other lifestyle risks include heavy alcohol consumption or binge drinking and recreational drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine and heroin.



    Read more:
    Stroke: young people can have them too – here’s how to know if you’re at risk and what to look out for

    Some risk factors are not modifiable such as age, sex, ethnicity, family history of stroke, genetics and certain inherited conditions. Women, for example, are particularly susceptible to strokes – and women of all ages are more likely than men to die from a stroke.

    Stroke risks unique to women include pregnancy and some contraceptive pills (especially for smokers), as well as endometriosis, premature ovarian failure (before 40 years of age), early-onset menopause (before 45 years of age) and oestrogen for transgender women.

    Also, inherited vascular abnormalities such as cerebral aneurysms – a weakness in the artery wall – can increase the risk of haemorrhagic stroke.

    Some risk factors are social rather than biological, however. Studies have found that people with a lower income and education level are at a higher risk of having a stroke. This is due to a combination of factors. Unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as smoking, heavier drinking and lower physical activity levels are more common in people with lower incomes.



    Read more:
    Rising income inequalities are linked to unhealthy diets and loneliness

    However, research also shows that people with lower socioeconomic status are less likely to receive good quality healthcare than people with higher incomes.

    But, regardless of biological or social risk factors, there are things you can do – right now – to reduce your risk of having a stroke.

    Essential eight

    1. Stop smoking Smokers are more than twice as likely to have a stroke than non-smokers. Smoking causes damage to blood vessel walls, increases blood pressure and heart rate but reduces oxygen levels. Smoking also causes blood to become sticky, further increasing the risk of blood clots that can block blood vessels and cause a stroke.

    2. Keep blood pressure in check High blood pressure damages the walls of blood vessels, making them weaker and more prone to rupture or blockage. It can also cause blood clots to form, which can then travel to the brain and block blood flow, leading to a stroke. If you’re over 18 years of age, get your blood pressure checked regularly so, if you do show signs of developing high blood pressure, you can nip it in the bud and make appropriate changes to your lifestyle to help reduce your risk of stroke.

    3. Keep an eye on your cholesterol According to the UK Stroke Association your risk of a stroke is nearly three and a half times higher if you have both high cholesterol and high blood pressure. To lower cholesterol, aim to keep saturated fat – found in fatty meats, butter, cheese, and full-fat dairy – below 7% of your daily calories, stay active and maintain a healthy weight.



    Read more:
    How can I lower my cholesterol? Do supplements work? How about psyllium or probiotics?

    4. Watch your blood sugar High blood glucose levels are linked to an increased risk of stroke. This is because high blood sugar damages blood vessels, which can lead to blood clots that travel to the brain. To reduce blood glucose levels, try to take regular exercise, eat a balanced diet rich in fibre, drink enough water, maintain a healthy weight, and try to manage stress.

    5. Maintain a healthy weight Being overweight is one of the main risk factors for stroke. It is associated with almost one in five strokes, and increases your stroke risk by 22%. Being obese raises that risk by 64%. Carrying too much weight increases your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, which all contribute to higher stroke risk.

    6. Follow a Mediterranean diet One way to eat a fibre-rich balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight is to follow a Mediterranean diet. This has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, especially when supplemented with nuts and olive oil.

    7. Sleep well Try to to get seven to nine hours of sleep daily. Too little sleep can lead to high blood pressure, one of the most important modifiable risk factors for stroke. Too much sleep, however, is also associated with increased stroke risk, so try to stay as active as possible so you can sleep as well as possible.



    Read more:
    Exercise really can help you sleep better at night – here’s why that may be

    8. Stay active The NHS recommends that people should avoid prolonged sedentary behaviour and aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week. Exercise should be spread evenly over four to five days a week, or every day. Do strengthening activities, usually more than two days per week.

    The good news is that while the effects of stroke can be devastating and life-changing, it is largely preventable. Adopting these eight simple lifestyle changes can help to reduce stroke risk and optimise both heart and brain health.

    Siobhan Mclernon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Eight ways to reduce your stroke risk – no matter what your age you are – https://theconversation.com/eight-ways-to-reduce-your-stroke-risk-no-matter-what-your-age-you-are-251524

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why the future of women’s rugby in England looks stronger than ever

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christina Philippou, Associate Professor in Accounting and Sport Finance, University of Portsmouth

    The women’s rugby side Gloucester-Hartpury have had a pretty good season. On March 16 they won their third Premiership Women’s Rugby Championship in a row, beating Saracens 31-19 in the final.

    But the sport as a whole is enjoying an impressive run too. Fellow Premiership side Harlequins broke the world attendance record for a women’s rugby club game at the Allianz Stadium (Twickenham) in December 2024, with a crowd of 18,055. And ticket sales for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in August (hosted by England) have already broken records.

    There has also been a surge in commercial interest. Research I was involved in suggests that rugby is following a trend seen in other women’s sports, including football and basketball, where brands previously not associated with sport are finally joining the party. The skincare brand Clinique is now a key sponsor of Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), for example.

    And despite issues with financial sustainability across rugby union clubs generally, some clubs are showing a clear appetite for commercial growth. Leicester Tigers’ women’s side, for example, is currently seeking a “principal partner” to sign up to a “six-figure annual commitment” of investment and sponsorship – in return for naming rights of a planned new stadium.

    Broadcasting interest (and income) has increased too. PWR and TNT Sports have a multi-year deal to show live matches, while BBC Sport had live access to four key games this year, starting with Harlequins against Bristol Bears in February and ending with the PWR final. For the national teams, the 2025 Women’s Six Nations tournament will also be shown on the BBC.

    Overall then, women’s rugby in England is winning more coverage, higher attendances, and greater involvement from commercial brands just in time for the World Cup. And the effects are already visible for the tournament, with “unprecedented demand” for tickets an early indicator of financial success. A number of matches already have limited availability.

    That said, any large sporting event carries risks, and research shows that the aftermath (for sporting involvement) can be disappointing and the effects on the domestic game limited. A proper legacy depends on the support of national governing bodies.

    Star power

    So women’s rugby still faces barriers. But without wishing to place further weight on her shoulders, the sport has a not-so-secret weapon in the form of a player who has elevated the sport to new levels in a very short space of time.

    Ilona Maher, 28, has 3.5 million followers on Tiktok, more than any other rugby player in the world, of any gender. She represented the US rugby sevens national team at the Paris Olympics (they came third) and her appearance on the US dance competition show Dancing With the Stars (where she finished in second place) made her even more famous. Next on her list it playing for her country in this year’s World Cup.

    To do so, she needed to bolster her experience in the 15-a-side game – so ended up signing for PWR side Bristol Bears.

    This was a commercially shrewd deal for both sides. Maher is getting semi-professional experience, and Bristol Bears have already seen a financial boost. They doubled their attendance record (to 9,240) on Maher’s debut weekend in January 2025, having moved venue to accommodate the surge in ticket sales. The club is also selling more merchandise.

    Nor is it just Bristol Bears which have benefited from the Ilona Maher effect. Interest in the league as a whole has increased, both in the UK and abroad, bringing new audiences to the sport just in time for the international competition.

    Those audiences can hopefully look forward to an entertaining and exciting World Cup in England this summer. And if the current momentum behind the sport continues, a bright future for women’s rugby.

    Christina Philippou does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Why the future of women’s rugby in England looks stronger than ever – https://theconversation.com/why-the-future-of-womens-rugby-in-england-looks-stronger-than-ever-247117

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Microplastics: are they poisoning crops and jeopardising food production?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Denis J. Murphy, Emeritus Professor of Biotechnology, University of South Wales

    Dusan Petkovic/Shutterstock

    Microplastics are hindering photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert energy from the sun into the fruit and vegetables we eat. This threatens massive losses in crop and seafood production over the coming decades that could mean food shortages for hundreds of millions of people.

    So concludes an alarming new study. The authors combined more than 3,000 observations of the effects of microplastics on plants from 157 separate scientific reports, and then extrapolated the results using machine learning, a type of computer model that trains AI to spot patterns in data.

    Microplastic exposure, they found, reduces photosynthesis in land plants and marine and freshwater algae by 7% to 12%. The authors calculated that this could eventually reduce yields of staple crops such as rice, wheat and maize by between 4% and 14%.

    How realistic is this scenario? While the new study does not fully support such dramatic conclusions, it does draw attention to the possible future risks from microplastics.

    The complexities of microplastics

    Plastics are useful and versatile products. But they are also difficult to recycle and during 2025 alone, will probably account for 360 million tonnes of solid waste.

    More insidious are the trillions of tiny fragments these plastic products break up into, now found everywhere from the deep sea to your brain. These microplastics are less than 5mm in size and some of them are as small as 1 micron (micro-metre), meaning that 10,000 of them could easily fit inside an average plant or animal cell.

    More microplastics are formed as larger plastic waste breaks down in the environment.
    Chayanuphol/Shutterstock

    Scientists have estimated that about 11 million tonnes of these microplastics, including 51 trillion individual particles, are released into the ocean each year.

    Researchers increasingly use AI models to analyse complex datasets. The results can often be useful. My colleagues and I used similar methods to analyse massive molecular datasets and determine the chemical composition of palm oil in different regions of the tropics.

    In that case, it was difficult to analyse one group of compounds across a relatively small geographic region. The risks of misleading conclusions are many times greater when trying to analyse microplastics and their different effects globally, as in this new study.

    Indeed, the authors of the new study sought to answer questions that are orders of magnitude more complex, involving vast quantities of microplastics in the entirety of the global biosphere. Other scientists have expressed concern about the limited data used by the current model, that could lead to overspeculation about the possible consequences for food supplies.

    Despite these concerns, the new study is useful for highlighting the growing body of scientific data on the deleterious effects of microplastics, found in ecosystems from the Arctic to the Amazon. Over the past 20 years, evidence of the potential risk of microplastics has steadily accumulated.

    More research is needed

    The main conclusions of the new study are based on extrapolations that may not apply on a global scale. The reality is that there are many thousands of types of microplastics, that differ significantly in their chemical composition, size, environmental distribution and biological effects. The new study did not discriminate between them. This means that it is difficult to study their effects on individual processes within human or plant health.

    Larger microplastics accumulate in the soil while much smaller microplastics can be present in the air and can be directly absorbed into plant cells. In some cases, the smaller microplastics can damage the cellular bodies, called chloroplasts, involved in photosynthesis.

    Previous studies have shown that exposing some algae to microplastics can reduce photosynthesis and increase stress, leading to cell damage similar to the effects of ageing in people. Other studies on crop plants such as tobacco have concluded that the effects of microplastics on photosynthesis vary with the type and dose, exposure duration and plant species. In other words, there is no single approach for comparing the effects on plants as different as a lettuce and an apple tree.

    Plants exposed to microplastics respond in various ways.
    Volodymyr_Shtun/Shutterstock

    Given the potential (albeit speculative) risk to global food production, more priority should be given to rigorous scientific research of microplastics and their effects on both crops and the marine life that supports fish and seafood stocks.

    The World Economic Forum has labelled microplastics as a top ten threat and recommends urgent action. In its latest analysis, it also reported that the average person could ingest between 78,000 and 211,000 of these particles each year. It is estimated that the emission of microplastic particles is likely to more than double in the next 15 years, possibly over 40 million tonnes annually.

    Despite growing concern among scientists and civil society, several of the larger public bodies involved in microplastics research in the US and Europe are considering radical cuts to both environmental research funding and regulatory oversight.

    While poorly understood, the threat of microplastics could rival other serious threats, including climate change and biodiversity loss.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Denis J. Murphy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Microplastics: are they poisoning crops and jeopardising food production? – https://theconversation.com/microplastics-are-they-poisoning-crops-and-jeopardising-food-production-252060

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council support for Nip it in the Bud campaign

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Council support for Nip it in the Bud campaign

    19 March 2025

    Derry City and Strabane District Council has agreed to promote the Rural Communities Cancer Project aimed at tackling cancer inequalities and helping to raise awareness of cancer locally among those in rural areas, particularly the farming community.

    The Rural Communities Cancer Project is an initiative between The Farming Community Network (FCN) and Macmillan Cancer Support, to help raise awareness of cancer signs and symptoms among the community as part of the “Nip it in the Bud” campaign.

    Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Lilian Seenoi Barr said it was important that council supported this campaign and played its part in sharing information to assist farmers and people living in rural communities to get checked for early signs of cancer and to be aware of the level of support that is available.

    She said: “We understand that farmers and those living in rural communities may not prioritise their health for several reasons – because of the lack of time and close proximity or availability of services and as a result some of the signs and symptoms of cancer – such as prolonged pains, tiredness and fatigue – can be missed or overlooked. It is for this reason that Council has agreed to do what it can to help get the ‘Nip it in the Bud’ message out there and to encourage communities to get any symptoms checked. Council hope that’s its support of the campaign will encourage people in the rural areas of Derry and Strabane to be more familiar with the early signs of cancer, and to take the necessary steps to get checked and ‘nip it in the bud’.”

    Caitriona Crawford, National Manager (FCN Northern Ireland) of the Farming Community Network said: “Thank you to the Derry City and Strabane District Council for supporting our project and for helping us to get our message out to the community in the district. The support from the council and Mayor Cllr Lilian Seenoi Barr is instrumental in encouraging early detection and normalising conversations around cancer care and support. By working collaboratively across farming and rural communities, we can make a real difference in supporting people impacted by cancer.”

    The ‘Nip it in the Bud’ campaign provides a range of useful resources for agri-businesses, Ag Colleges, Young Farmers’ Clubs and others to download or circulate – some focused on specific cancers that farmers can be more at-risk of developing, such as skin cancer, prostate cancer or lung cancer.

    The ‘Nip it in the Bud’ campaign encourages early detection and making time to see the GP if someone notices a change in their health. The campaign is part of a UK-wide partnership between FCN and Macmillan Cancer Support. Throughout the campaign FCN is inviting farmers and people in rural communities who have been affected by cancer to share their stories.

    Mayor Barr also encouraged the public to take part in a new survey that hopes to better understand current cancer service provisions in rural areas, whilst recommending areas for improvement: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W9DQM5M

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City Mayor proposes boundary expansion amid council reorganisation plans

    Source: City of Leicester

    LEICESTER City Council will this Friday (21 Mar) submit its interim proposal for the reshaping of local councils across the city, Leicestershire and Rutland.

    The interim submission – which includes outline plans for expanding Leicester’s boundaries – has been put forward in response to the Government’s invitation to councils to explore how local government could be reorganised.

    It proposes the creation of an expanded city council alongside a second, new unitary authority covering the remaining area of Leicestershire and Rutland, both meeting the Government’s target population of 500,000 or more residents.

    Reorganising the ten existing local councils into two unitary authorities of comparable size would deliver more cost-effective public services, streamlined decision making and a path to financial sustainability.

    To achieve this, the city council’s interim submission outlines a sensible expansion to Leicester’s boundary to include adjoining suburbs and space for future housing growth. This could include land currently within the boundaries of Charnwood, Harborough, Oadby and Wigston and Blaby councils. 

    City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Any realistic option for local government reorganisation in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland must address the historic accident of our city’s boundaries.

    “Leicester is one of the most tightly constrained major cities in the UK. When you compare Leicester to cities like Bradford, Leeds or Sheffield, our population density is huge because our city covers such a relatively small area – less than a fifth of those cities.

    “That’s because, in the 1970s, when the country’s non-metropolitan districts were determined, the boundaries of most other cities were extended while ours have remained largely unchanged since the 1920s.

    “Critically, our almost uniquely constrained boundary means that now – unlike comparable cities – we have no chance of delivering the extra housing that our city so desperately needs within existing confines.

    “The county and district councils all know that the existing city boundary makes no sense and has to change. The Conservative leader of the county council and the Liberal Democrat leader of Rutland joined me in writing to the Minister in January saying those boundaries should be extended.

    “Unfortunately, although understandably, the forthcoming county elections mean they have chosen to withdraw from that initial proposal. I hope that we will be able to return to sensible discussions about where boundary lines should be drawn after the May elections.”

    Expansion of the city’s boundaries is key to unlocking devolution and the transfer of more powers and funding from central government to a new Mayoral Strategic Authority for the area.

    Initial engagement with stakeholders has been positive and further consultation is planned over the coming months as the proposal is developed, ahead of its final submission in November. It will then be up to the Government to determine which proposals are taken forward and to lead on formal consultation.

    The English Devolution White Paper – published in December 2024 – sets out the Government’s intention to end two tier councils, such as in Leicestershire, and create new, larger single tier unitary authorities. This will see an end to small district councils and pave the way for strategic authorities across England which will be given greater powers over issues such as planning and transport.

    Leicester City Council’s interim proposals for local government reorganisation would see the city population grow from 372,000 now to just over 600,000 by 2028. It would also provide more land for new development and help to accommodate the estimated future need for 32,000 new homes, 18,000 new affordable homes and an expansion of existing employment land.

    Leicester City Council’s full interim submission for local government reorganisation is available to view online at www.leicester.gov.uk/keystrategies

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leader tours new Drumgeith Community Campus and Greenfield Academy

    Source: Scotland – City of Dundee

    Dundee City Council leader Councillor Mark Flynn visited the site of the new Drumgeith Community Campus and Greenfield Academy on Wednesday March 19 to see progress on the £100 million development. 

    As the largest investment in education, sport and community provision in the city, the flagship Community Campus will deliver state-of-the-art facilities and services to the area.  

    Greenfield Academy will replace the current Braeview Academy and Craigie High School. 

    Set to open in August 2025, Drumgeith Community Campus will serve as a modern and vibrant central hub for the north and east of the city for both pupils and the community to use.  

    It will provide specialist pupil support provision, citywide music and performing arts, as well as community, library, leisure, and sports facilities for use by the wider community.   

    Facilities at the campus will support partnership working with Dundee & Angus College to provide Senior Phase Education curricular experiences for young people with complex additional support needs. 

    Sport facilities which include floodlit all weather pitches, a fitness suite and a dance studio in addition to gym and games halls.  

    Councillor Flynn said: “This is a really exciting time for the whole community, and I am pleased to see progress on such an important investment for the future of our city. 

    “It will host superb facilities for young people and the wider community that will help them to develop skills to take advantage of new opportunities in the years ahead. 

    “Drumgeith Community Campus and Greenfield Academy show our ambition to deliver real improvements and make the city a better place for everyone. 

    “I am delighted that pupils are also getting the chance to look at facilities that will become their learning environment from the start of the next school year.” 

    Children, Families and Communities Convener Councillor Stewart Hunter said: “Our ambition is for the campus to be the heart of the community with state-of-the-art facilities for everyone to enjoy and it’s great to see the vision coming together.”  

    Fair Work, Economic Growth and Infrastructure Convener Steven Rome added: “This £100 million investment in creating the Drumgeith Community Campus in the north east of the city is a significant project to transform educational and community facilities, replacing two outdated school buildings with a secondary placed within a modern and vibrant campus.” 

    Drumgeith Community Campus is being delivered through Procurement Hub Major Projects 2 Framework. 

    Elliot Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, Robertson Group, said: “As we near completion of the state-of the-art campus and academy, it’s been fantastic to show how we have realised Dundee City Council’s ambitious vision, which will be at the heart of the community for generations to come.   

    “We have been partner of choice with the Council for several years now and this project represents a shared vision of creating modern, sustainable, high quality buildings that make a difference to the people who use them, as well as the local economy through the construction process and beyond.”  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement by Jim Allister KC MP in Response to the Third Parcels Border Implementation Date

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Statement by Jim Allister KC MP in Response to the Third Parcels Border Implementation Date

    Jim Allister said:

    “Today we received yet another reminder of the fact that we are still being shielded from the destructive consequences of the Irish Sea border as it disinherits us from our wider home economy, on account of the fact that it has not yet been fully implemented and has indeed had its commencement postponed to a third date.

    “First the Irish Sea Parcels Border was to have been implemented on 30 September 2024, with seminars provided to help people get ready from April 2024.

    “Then on 19 September, in the context if growing concerns, and less than two weeks before implementation day, it was suddenly announced that it was being delayed until 31 March 2025.

    “Unbelievably today the Government has announced that it has been put back yet again until 1 May and now they are saying implementation will only begin on that date.

    “Trying to impose a customs border on parcels movements within a national economy is completely absurd, just as has been the attempt to frustrate the flow of other goods within what was the UK single market for goods through the imposition of other aspects of the customs border.

    “The costly and destructive implications of doing so are plainly demonstrated in the fact that we are now on our third commencement date and in the concerns eloquently presented by businesses to the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee last week.

    “The introduction of the parcels border would seal the demise of the UK single market for goods for many purposes and its replacement with what is effectively a GB single market for goods, and an island of Ireland single market for goods, subject to all island laws, imposed on us.

    “This is a deliberate attempt by the Republic of Ireland and wider EU to undermine the UK and is contrary to international law, including the Declaration on Principles of International Law, Friendly Relations and Co-operation among states in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations which states:

    ‘Every State shall refrain from any action aimed at the partial or total disruption of the national unity and territorial integrity of any other State or country.’

    “Lest anyone should be in any doubt about the importance of these principles, the Declaration also affirms:

    ‘The principles of the Charter which are embodied in this Declaration constitute basic principles of international law, and consequently appeals to all States to be guided by these principles in their international conduct and to develop their mutual relations on the basis of the strict observance of these principles.’

    And

    ‘Where obligations arising under international agreements are in conflict with the obligations of Members of the United Nations under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligations under the Charter shall prevail.’

    The introduction of the Parcels border would also place further pressure on the Windsor Framework itself by means of generating further trade diversion in violation of Article 16.

    “The Windsor Framework is now failing not only in the sense that it is causing real difficulty but in its own terms, generating trade diversion in violation of Article 16.

    “In this context it must be replaced with the viable alternative Mutual Enforcement.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Minister Kinnock speech at Pulse GP conference

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    Minister Kinnock speech at Pulse GP conference

    Minister Stephen Kinnock spoke at the Pulse Live London Conference for GPs.

    Thank you very, very much indeed for that very kind welcome.

    It’s such an honour and a privilege to be here with you today, coming off the back of another quiet and uneventful week at the Department of Health and Social Care.

    So it’s really good to be with you today.

    Complexity – that’s a word and an idea that’s been on my mind a lot recently.

    And when you look at the agenda for these two days of pulse live – stimulating and hugely varied, it’s such an insight into the complexity that you face every day.

    As GPs, you don’t know who’s coming through the door with what and what it will ask of you.

    It’s your ability to deal with that complexity and the needs of the person in front of you that will largely define their experience of the health system.

    That responsibility and reality for you is so important to acknowledge and to honour.

    So really, I wanted to start by saying thank you.

    Thank you both as a representative of the government, but also just as a citizen of this country for everything that you do.

    And as we look at the transformation that our healthcare system needs, complexity is our reality.

    For some, it is the reason to say, no, we can’t change.

    It’s all too complex.

    It’s all too hard.

    But we know that the complexity of the challenge itself is a call to action.

    It’s a call to get started on the work that needs to be done, because delay only intensifies complexity.

    And it’s also because of the scale of the mess that we inherited. [Political content redacted].

    When we came into office last year, we were facing a primary care sector that was underfunded, understaffed and in crisis.

    A bizarre situation where people were looking for GPs and qualified GPs were looking for jobs, and GPs were spending far too much of their time – a fifth of their working hours – in the back office pushing paper due to poor communication with secondary care.

    So we are utterly committed to getting primary care back on its feet.

    For every GP and for all those who need their family doctor, within weeks of coming into office, we put in place just shy of £100 million to put a thousand more GPs onto the frontline.

    And in October we included GPs in the additional roles reimbursement scheme and practice.

    Nurses are going to be included from April.

    At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced £100 million of capital for GP estate upgrades over the next financial year.

    And just before Christmas, we announced an additional £889 million, which was the biggest uplift to the GP contract in years.

    Now, as you all experience every day, the context of every decision matters, that we have made these choices in the context of the dire financial situation we found in July last year, hopefully tells you that we both understand the reality of general practice now, and that we are determined to change it.

    So why are we so determined?

    You’ve probably heard me or Wes talk about the three shifts that we need to make over the next ten years to make our health service fit for the future: from hospital to community, from sickness to prevention, and from analogue to digital.

    Well, GPs are pivotal to all of those three shifts.

    You sit at the heart of our NHS and you are its front door, but you’ve been neglected for far too long.

    When you ask people what their top priority for the NHS is, the chances are they’ll say, fix general practice.

    And from the Treasury’s point of view and the taxpayers’ point of view, a GP appointment costs around £40, whilst a visit to A&E costs up to £400.

    So it is perfectly sensible to prioritise primary care as a way to relieve pressure on those parts of the service that are struggling to cope.

    Now look, none of the problems in general practice are going to be fixed overnight.

    We’ve taken the important first steps to fix the broken door, and you should look at all of our decisions in the context of reversing the decade long cuts to GPs as a share of the NHS total budget, and we will be, for the first time in a very long time, reversing that trend.

    Our GPs are already going above and beyond, delivering more than ever, with over a million appointments a day last year, but with only a fraction more qualified GPs than there were in 2019.

    So that’s why it’s been so important for us to reset our relationship, and I’m proud of the progress that we’ve made together since July.

    Following extensive consultation and collaboration with the General Practitioners Committee of the BMA, the committee voted to accept the 25/26 GP contract, the first agreement in four years.

    I’d like to extend my appreciation to Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer and her team for the collaborative and constructive way in which they engaged in the recent contract consultation.

    We greatly appreciate their efforts and look forward to continuing this positive working relationship going into the future.

    This is a fair deal for patients, the profession and the public purse.

    And it’s the product of a relationship that’s built on dialogue, trust and respect.

    In place of strife, we see the 25/26 GP contract as an important first step in shifting the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community, and towards rebuilding general practice.

    And today, we hope that GPs across the country can see our genuine intent to continue working together with GPs to build an NHS that is fit for the future.

    So I want this to be a conversation today, so not a lecture.

    So let me just quickly touch upon a few things that I hope will come up in our discussion.

    First, moving to a neighbourhood health service.

    I hope our investment and contract changes are the first steps towards broader reform.

    Primary care will be the foundation of the service with GPs at its heart.

    Second, bringing back the family doctor.

    The new contract will support practices to identify and prioritise patients who would benefit most from continuity of care, such as those with complex and long term conditions.

    And this was a pledge that was at the heart of our manifesto.

    Third, cutting bureaucracy.

    Back in October, we launched our Red Tape Challenge to bust bureaucracy between primary and secondary care.

    We also announced that we’re bringing NHS England back into the department, to scrap duplication and to give more power and tools to local leaders and systems so they can better deliver for their local communities.

    We’ve been listening closely to the sector, learning about what works and what needs to change, and we are removing 32 outdated indicators in the Quality Outcomes framework while prioritising key areas of prevention, such as cardiovascular disease.

    Fourth, integration – we are reinforcing collaboration between general practice and pharmacies by improving access to records for community pharmacists to give patients more coordination of care.

    Fifth, on waiting lists, we will invest up to £80 million supporting GPs to seek specialist advice before making referral, reducing unnecessary hospital visits and ensuring patients receive the right care at the right time.

    We could also touch on digital.

    The shift from analogue to digital must come with more online access for patients, providing parity with walk in and telephone access.

    These actions reflect our commitment to securing the long term sustainability of general practice as part of a wider transformation of the NHS.

    It is Change NHS.

    The development of a 10 Year Health Plan that we want to be shaped by as much expertise and lived experience as humanly possible.

    Change NHS is the biggest ever conversation about the NHS, with over 2,900 staff at workshops and events.

    This has been a collective effort and I want to take the opportunity to thank all of our partners for running 600 events in communities across the UK to ensure those whose voices often go unheard can have their say.

    We see GPs as the bedrock of the NHS and the 10 Year Health Plan.

    That’s why we’re engaging with GPs online and in person, and working with the BMA to promote these opportunities to its members.

    The 10 Year Health Plan represents a major opportunity for your profession to shape the next 50 years of health care in this country and beyond.

    We are seeking submissions until the 14th of April, so please make sure you’ve had your say.

    There’s still some time to provide your inputs and your insights.

    The relationship we want with the general practice profession is bigger than just one contract.

    It’s about partnership that can work through the complexity to create a system that works and delivers for the people that all of us serve.

    We will keep working with you, the BMA and the wider profession to shape the future of general practice.

    Moving towards a neighbourhood health service that focuses on prevention and proactive care.

    It’s why I’m so grateful to have the chance to be here and speak with you today.

    General practice is the front door of the NHS, so let’s fix it together. Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Employability and Skills conference embraced by local employers

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    Front Row (l-R): Mark Simpson, Lord Mayor Cllr Sarah Duffy. Roger Wilson OBE (ABC Chief Executive) Back Row (L-R): Deirdre Ward (DfC), Alderman Paul Greenfield (Chair of EDR Committee), Harry Hamilton (Vice Chair of ABC LMP), Graeme Wilkinson (DfE), Tracey Rice (Chair of ABC LMP)

    Over 130 local employers attended the ‘Get Future Ready: Employability and Skills’ Conference on Thursday 13 March in The Armagh City Hotel.

    The annual conference was organised by the Labour Market Partnership and funded by the Department for Communities. This year the theme was ‘Recruit, Retain and Reskill’ focusing on building a resilient and talented workforce.

    Hosted by Mark Simpson, guest speakers including Dr Eoin Magennis from Ulster University; Ann Watt from Pivotal; Kathleen O’Hare from Northern Ireland Skills Council and Elaine Leonard from The Appleby Trust.

    Local employers MTM Engineering, Alternative Heat, Irwin M&E and The Deluxe Group participated in a panel discussion touching on their strategies to support employees and boost their productivity.

    The event closed with an opportunity to network and speak to various support organisations present.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Have your say on Edinburgh’s Local Housing Strategy

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    The Council is inviting stakeholders to share their views on the draft Local Housing Strategy (LHS) which outlines the vision and priorities for housing in Edinburgh over the next five years.

    It aims to address current and future housing needs across all tenures to make sure the housing landscape is responsive to changing demands.

    The draft strategy has already been shaped by two phases of consultation from May to October 2024. Following the final round of engagement, further revisions will be made before the strategy is presented to the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee in May 2025.

    The consultation period, which is open until Tuesday 22 April 2025, offers stakeholders a chance to provide feedback on various aspects of the strategy, including its vision, strategic objectives, and proposed actions. There is also an opportunity to make more general comments and suggestions.

    Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Lezley Marion Cameron said:

     Edinburgh is currently facing a housing emergency, with rising demand for affordable homes. This Local Housing Strategy will seek to address these challenges and create a future where everyone can access homes that meet their needs – homes that are warm, safe and of high quality.

    Your input will ensure that the Local Housing Strategy is not only forward-thinking but also responsive to the issues that matter most to our residents. That’s why I’d encourage everyone to share their views during this consultation period, so we can work together to create a housing system that is inclusive and sustainable for the long term.

    Find out more and share your views here.

    ENDS

    Published: March 19th 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The numbers add up for our economy and air quality

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    Council Leader Jane Meagher reflects on the latest edition of Edinburgh by Numbers.

    As those of us who live in the city know, it’s fair to say ‘Auld Reekie’ is no more thanks to our fantastic parks and air quality.

    Edinburgh has almost halved (a 40.9% reduction) greenhouse gas emissions over the last decade or so and people are 1.5x more likely to take up cycling or running in Edinburgh than other parts of Scotland.

    The city benefits from high wages and employment. Plus, we boast some of the highest satisfaction rates in the UK for public transport – testament to the value of keeping services like Lothian Buses publicly owned.

    That’s according to data collated for our latest Edinburgh by Numbers report, an annual snapshot of statistics gathered by the Council’s data team which tells us how our city is performing.

    I’m pleased that this year’s findings paint a picture of a green and thriving city. Most of us (74%) can enjoy local green space within a five-minute walk from home, and in my own ward of Portobello / Craigmillar I’m grateful to see the first signs of spring starting to appear in our fantastic parks.

    Perhaps it is this love for our parks which leads us to be one of the most climate conscious cities in the UK? According to the data, the percentage of people who believe that climate change is an urgent problem continues to increase and has reached nearly 88% in Edinburgh, the highest in Scotland.

    This has been evident during the council’s recent work with young residents to plan for the revitalisation and regeneration of Princes Street, Princes Street Gardens and the area around Waverley Station, with over 100 primary and secondary school pupils sharing their hopes as part of our public consultation on the Waverley Valley. The plans have ignited much debate, with architects choosing to share their own vision for the future of our most famous high street.

    I recognise that Princes Street is a vital and iconic part of our city’s economy and while it experiences the same challenges all high streets face, it is performing better than most with a low vacancy rate. I’m confident that recent changes to non-domestic rates relief on vacant buildings will also encourage landlords to bring long-term empty properties back into operation.

    It’s welcome news that it continues to attract significant investment, with news last week of a Zedwell Hotel replacing the former Debenhams. Cranes along the skyline signal work underway on the former Forsyth’s/Topshop, Next/Zara and Jenners stores, which are also set to become hotels. Eateries Blank Street, Ben & Jerry’s and Popeyes plus retailers MINISO, UNIQLO, and Panerai have all opened in the past year, or have announced plans to do so.

    Plus, as the new St James Quarter fills up, we expect to see demand spill onto Princes Street. Meanwhile, a new approach has been adopted to staging a year-round programme of events at the Ross Bandstand and Princes Street Gardens.

    I have no doubt that this investor confidence is thanks to the resilience of our local economy and our healthy business community. The numbers tell us that Edinburgh has retained its position as the UK’s most economically productive city outside of London, while tourism continues to recover from the pandemic.

    Hotel occupancy rates are at their highest in 6 years (81.4%), 5 million visitors are staying overnight in Edinburgh and it has been a remarkable year for air and rail travel with Edinburgh Airport posting its highest ever passenger numbers in 2024. Edinburgh is well and truly welcoming the world to visit.

    While there is much to celebrate, these findings also speak to the challenges Edinburgh faces. Drawn by good jobs and a good quality of life, migration means our population is growing three times faster than other Scottish cities. We’re living longer, but the birth rate has dropped.

    We know these challenges are on the horizon and that’s why the council budget we set in February prioritises vital services for residents. More affordable housing and infrastructure to help our growing population to move around the city will be key, particularly as we continue to grapple with our housing emergency and work with the Scottish Government to secure the additional resources we need. The ground-breaking visitor levy will also present a unique opportunity, which will invest tens of millions of pounds in preserving and enhancing the features that make our city such a fantastic place to be.

    The latest edition of Edinburgh by Numbers is available to view now.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Boston arrests fugitive wanted in Brazil for manslaughter

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WALTHAM, Mass. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended an illegally present 29-year-old Brazilian alien convicted in his native country for manslaughter while driving a motor vehicle Jan. 25 in Waltham.

    The Brazilian fugitive failed to appear for his prison sentence following the manslaughter conviction.

    “This Brazilian fugitive attempted to flee justice in his home country by hiding out in Massachusetts,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “He presented a threat to the residents of our communities that we will not tolerate. ICE will not allow our New England communities to become a safe haven for the world’s bad actors. We will continue to arrest and remove them from our streets.”

    A Brazilian court convicted the fugitive Dec. 11, 2018, for manslaughter while driving a motor vehicle and sentenced him to serve a prison term of four years, eight months, and 21 days

    The U.S. Border Patrol arrested the Brazilian fugitive Nov. 22, 2018, after he illegally entered the United States near Hildalgo, Texas. Immigration Officials issued the fugitive an order of expedited removal and released him on his own recognizance.

    The Brazilian alien remains in ICE custody following his arrest.

    Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How a lack of period product regulation harms our health and the planet

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Poppy Taylor, PhD Candidate, Women’s Health, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol

    JLco Julia Amaral/Shutterstock

    Did you know that in the UK period products are regulated under the same consumer legislation as candles? For 15 million people who menstruate each month, these items are used internally or next to one of the most sensitive parts of the body for extended times.

    Consumers should be entitled to know what is in their period products before choosing which ones to buy. Yet, because of the current lack of adequate regulation and transparency, manufacturers are not required to disclose all materials. And only basic information is available on brand websites. Campaigners are now calling for better regulation.

    Independent material testing shows that single-use period pads can contain up to 90% plastic. An estimated 4.6 million pads, tampons and panty liners are flushed away daily in the UK. These contribute to blocked sewers and fatbergs. They also pollute rivers and oceans.

    Meanwhile, reusable period products are promoted by aid charities as a way to tackle period poverty and reduce waste. But independent tests by organisations such as Which? have found harmful chemicals inside both single-use and reusable period products.

    These include synthetic chemicals that disrupt hormones – known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals – and forever chemicals or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that don’t degrade. These chemicals have been associated with a range of health harms from cancers to reproductive disorders and infertility. They have no place in period products.

    I work as a women’s health researcher at the University of Bristol’s Digital Footprints Lab alongside a team of data scientists. We harness digital data, such as shopping records, to study public health issues. My research looks at how things like education affect which menstrual products people choose.

    In collaboration with the charity Women’s Environmental Network, I am exploring intersections between gender, health, equity and environmental justice – especially among marginalised women and communities. But social stigma prevents open discussions about menstruation and how best to improve period product regulation.

    Menstrual stigma influences everything from the information and support people who menstruate receive to the types of products we use and how we dispose of them. In a study of menstrual education experiences in English schools, my colleague and I found evidence of teacher attitudes perpetuating menstrual stigma.

    Lessons typically lacked content about the health or environmental consequences of period products. Our study showed that just 2.4% of 18- to 24-year-olds surveyed were taught about sustainable alternatives to single-use tampons and menstrual pads.

    An environmenstrual workshop hosted bythe charity, Women’s Environmental Network.
    Women’s Environmental Network / Sarah Larby, CC BY-NC-ND

    For decades, period product adverts portrayed menstrual blood as a blue liquid. The social taboos around periods, largely created and reinforced by period brands over decades of fear-based marketing, has left its mark.

    For example, in response to customer’s anxieties about supposed menstrual odour, manufacturers are increasingly using potentially environmentally harmful antimicrobials like silver and anti-odour additives in period products. This is despite there being no evidence that period products such as menstrual pants or pads transmit harmful bacteria that need sanitising. The silver also washes out after a couple of washes.

    The role of regulation

    In New York state, the Menstrual Products Right To Know Act means that a period product cannot be sold unless the labelling includes a list of materials. In Scotland, a government initiative provides free period products to anyone who needs them.

    Catalonia in Spain has introduced a groundbreaking law that ensures access to safe and sustainable period products, while also working to reduce menstrual stigma and taboos through education.

    A new European “eco label” is a step forward, but companies don’t have to use it. This voluntary label, which shows a product is good for the environment, doesn’t cover period underwear.

    Now, campaigners at the Women’s Environmental Network are calling for the UK government to adopt a Menstrual Health, Dignity and Sustainability Act, backed by many charities, academics and environmentalists. This will enable equal access to sustainable period products, improved menstrual education, independent testing, transparent product labelling and stronger regulations.

    The regulation of period products is currently being considered as part of the product regulation and metrology bill and the use of antimicrobials in period products is being included in the consumer products (control of biocides) bill introduced by Baroness Natalie Bennett. By tackling both health implications and environmental harms, period products can be produced in a safer way, for both people and planet.

    Poppy Taylor’s PhD is funded by the University of Bristol and the Health Foundation.
    Poppy Taylor is a member of the Women’s Environmental Network.

    – ref. How a lack of period product regulation harms our health and the planet – https://theconversation.com/how-a-lack-of-period-product-regulation-harms-our-health-and-the-planet-248941

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: NHS approval of endometriosis therapy Ryeqo enhances patient care, eases healthcare strain, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    NHS approval of endometriosis therapy Ryeqo enhances patient care, eases healthcare strain, says GlobalData

    Posted in Pharma

    The National Health Service (NHS) in England has approved Gedeon Richter’s Ryeqo, the first long-term pill available for endometriosis for patients who have exhausted all other treatment options. The approval addresses the long-standing gap in long-term treatment options for endometriosis, improving overall disease management while easing the burden on healthcare resources, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s report, “Endometriosis Market Size and Trend Report,” reveals that the endometriosis market size across the seven major markets* (7MM) is expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of more than 9% during 2020-2030.

    A few of the major endometriosis market growth drivers across the 7MM include improvements in non-invasive diagnostic methods, such as the utilization of biomarkers, which should further increase the number of early diagnoses.

    Ryeqo is a combination medication containing relugolix (a GnRH antagonist), estradiol (a form of estrogen), and norethisterone (a synthetic progestin). Together, these three components help regulate estrogen and progesterone levels—key hormones involved in endometriosis—effectively reducing symptoms and improving overall disease management.

    According to the key opinion leaders (KOLs) interviewed by GlobalData, injectable treatments for endometriosis often present challenges in patient adherence and comfort. The approval of relugolix-estradiol-norethisterone as a standard NHS treatment improves accessibility, reduces the need for invasive procedures, and gives patients more control in managing their condition.

    By eliminating the need for multiple medications and frequent clinic visits for injections, this oral treatment offers a more convenient alternative. Unlike injections, which may initially worsen symptoms, the pill is taken at home and combines all necessary hormones into one convenient tablet.

    Dr Shireen Mohammad, Senior Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “By eliminating the need for multiple medications and frequent clinic visits for injections, this oral treatment offers a more convenient alternative. Unlike injections, which may initially worsen symptoms, the pill is taken at home and combines all necessary hormones into one convenient tablet. The oral route of administration offers greater clinical control over treatment, as dosages can be adjusted, and the medication can be quickly discontinued if necessary. This flexibility provides a significant advantage over long-acting injectable medications, allowing for easier management of side effects and treatment interruptions when needed.”

    Additionally, KOLs highlighted the lack of long-term treatment options for endometriosis, as most available medications are only approved for short-term use. Ryeqo helps address this gap by offering a sustained, long-term therapy, providing continuous symptom relief through hormonal regulation. This makes Ryeqo a valuable, non-invasive alternative for patients seeing effective, ongoing management of their condition, ultimately improving their quality of life.

    Dr Mohammad concludes: “The UK joins other nations in expanding access to endometriosis treatment, offering hope for continued progress in patient care. This approval enhances patients’ quality of life while also reducing strain on the NHS by decreasing hospital visits and the need for surgical procedures. Additionally, Ryeqo’s approval brings the UK in line with global advancements in endometriosis treatment, ensuring women have access to a more effective and convenient option.”

    7MM: The US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and Japan.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Derby Arena celebrates its 10th anniversary!

    Source: City of Derby

    Derby Arena is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The landmark building opened in 2015, with the aim of inspiring the next generation and put sport, health and physical activity at the heart of the city.

    Since opening, the Arena has offered citizens the opportunity to be more physically active and improve their health and wellbeing. It’s not just a fitness facility – it’s a national cycling hub, a stage for top performers and a venue for major sporting events, as well as conferences and tradeshows.

    In the past decade, Derby Arena has had over a 4 million visits and, in the last five years, has held over 300 events. These have included shows by top comedians Jimmy Carr, Sarah Millican, national hockey and international handball finals, and University of Derby graduations.

    It was also an important part of the city’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, becoming a huge vaccination centre which saw more than 100,000 people vaccinated.

    The Arena was constructed on behalf of Derby City Council by Bowmer + Kirkland – the same company that completed the new Becketwell Live performance venue.

    Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Streetpride, Public Safety and Leisure said:

    For a decade, Derby Arena has thrived, becoming a leading hub for fitness, wellbeing, sport, and entertainment. Looking ahead, this ambitious facility will no doubt continue to enhance Derby’s appeal as a great place to live, work, and visit.

    As a centre for fitness and wellbeing, the Arena is continuing to inspire people to change their lives through physical activity.  

    Fitness member Dave Martin said: 

    I can now lift, press, push, and pull weights that I couldn’t have imagined handling before. Initially, even lifting the bar was a struggle. All of this progress is thanks to the dedicated personal training team. The PTs both challenge and support you at your desired level. At 56 years old, I’ve learned that with the right team and motivation, anything is possible.

    The Arena is one of only five cycling velodromes in the country and boasts four world champions coaches.

    Derby’s track cyclists have shone in national and world competitions, achieving huge medal success in both the 2024 National Masters Track Championship and the 2024 UCI Masters Track World Championships.

    Track cycling at Derby Arena

    Cyclist John Baugh is a regular at the velodome. He said:

    Since our first visit to the Arena three years ago, my son and I have shared many happy hours riding the velodrome. This venue is unique, in our experience. Where else could a father and son share an interest and passion for cycling, ride with multiple world champions, under the guidance and supervision of the finest coaches in the UK?

    The atmosphere on Track League evenings is superb – there’s a sense of camaraderie that is a joy to be a part of. I can’t thank the team at Derby Arena enough for their kindness and encouragement.

    The facility has attracted top-flight cyclists with the Great Britain Cycling Team track squads relocating to Derby Arena in 2022 while their usual home, the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, was renovated. Team GB’s track cyclists won one gold, three silver and four bronze medals at the Paris Olympics

    The Arena hosted the British University and College Sport (BUCS) cycling championships for the first time. Joe O’Loughlin, event organiser for the BUCS Track Championships, said:

    The first BUCS Track Championships in Derby was a huge success and we received amazing feedback, with members experiences overwhelmingly positive. We look forward to making next year even bigger and better and continuing to provide a platform where student riders can display their immense talent.

    The Arena is an important sporting centre for Derbyshire’s young people, as home to Derbyshire Institute of Sport. DIS provides bespoke support services to individual athletes, sports teams and club members to enable them to achieve success. 

    Managing director Chloe Maudsley said:

    We are proud to be hosted at the iconic Derby Arena, where we can deliver exceptional sports science, accessible to all the young athletes of Derbyshire. Together, we are showcasing that Derby can compete with the best in the world.

    The cast of Cinderella outside the Arena

    Beyond sport, Derby Arena has become a key entertainment venue, and has hosted Derby LIVE and Little Wolf Entertainment’s much-loved pantomimes since it opened. Last year’s Cinderella was Derby’s highest grossing panto ever, enjoyed by almost 40,000 people with sparkling reviews from audiences. The award-winning team will be back this year with Dick Whittington.

    Further exciting shows coming up this year include comedy from Jimmy Carr and Al Murray, the mind-blowing family show Jurassic Earth and music from world-renowned acts celebrating the sounds of Taylor Swift, Tina Turner and Elvis, to name a few.

    The Arena team will be celebrating the landmark 10th anniversary throughout the year with a host of events and activities, including Les Mills fitness launches, our popular family Fun-Fest, Cycle-Fest and other local, regional and national events. 

    Look out for the upcoming National Track Series Cycle Championships, the England Boxing National Amateur Championship Finals in April and, in September, the UK’s first full DEKA FIT competition –  billed as ‘the ultimate fitness test’.

    For more information visit the Derby Arena website and follow us on Facebook.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Stepwise, Coordinated Plan for Stone Wall Conservation

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    New England’s expanse of stone walls is not only picturesque: each wall contains a rich history about the region’s geological past and insights about those who placed each stone.

    Department of Earth Sciences Professor Robert Thorson has worked for decades to tell these stories and build an appreciation for these historical structures, but he says we need a systematic and methodical way to collect and catalog the information to effectively manage and conserve these emblematic features of the landscape.

    In a paper published in The Public Historian, Thorson presents the case for conservation based on scenic, legal, historic, ecologic, and Indigenous values, and lays out a stepwise plan for effective management to ensure stone walls are preserved.

    The Plan for Conservation

    After advocating for stone walls for many years, including writing books and articles, and giving over a thousand talks on the subject, Thorson says, “I asked myself, ‘Why am I doing all of this work for conservation if we do not have a methodological or rational approach?’ I see a very clear parallel to managing stone walls the same way we did with wetlands conservation.”

    Professor Robert Thorson examines a stone wall (UConn Photo)

    This inspired Thorson to develop a plan to bridge this gap. His plan starts with engaging the community to ensure that everyone involved with the project understands and appreciates the importance of preserving relics of local and regional history.

    The next step is locating and mapping the sprawling networks of stone walls across whatever jurisdiction is involved, whether private, town, state, federal, or Indigenous. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) software, Thorson says entities can create a layer and database for the stone domain, just as they do for wetlands, zoning, emergencies, or parks. Using a top-down approach, they can implement the new technology of light detection and ranging technology (LiDAR), to locate potential sites for ground-truthing. From the bottom up, they can import whatever information is already available, for example, inventories from historical commissions and land trusts.

    The next steps involve on-the-ground, inventory, cataloging, and classifying of each wall and related object using a taxonomy—or systematic method of naming—developed by Thorson.

    Description comes next, which Thorson says reveals information not found in any other data source, but the stone walls themselves; for example, their construction methods, types of stone, and idiosyncratic folk art. An example of difference in context includes the layouts of walls across the landscape in New Hampshire compared to Connecticut. The regions have distinct patterns, Thorson says, due to later and earlier settlement patterns.

    An important next step is to determine where the stone walls lie in relation to current property lines. Whether public or private, this will dictate what conservation measures can be taken. Management is the following step in Thorson’s plan, which he says will vary case by case. The final step is interpretation, which culminates in integrating the information, now centrally gathered, and sharing the findings with the public. This can happen through talks, walks, field trips, websites, curricula, and many other types of public programming to share what stories unfold.

    The Stories Waiting to be Told

    The result of the plan is the public would essentially have a library of stone stories for each wall available. For example, we can learn more about the largely lost history of ordinary individuals who tossed or placed each stone by hand as they worked land, often humorously described as containing more rocks than dirt.

    “Ultimately the goal is storytelling, using a source of information that is independent of conventional history,” Thorson says.

    Thorson also hopes to convey that anyone can learn how to interpret the wealth of information from the walls. One can begin scratching the surface by looking at the stones themselves. For example, the familiar rounded gray stones are glacially milled fragments of granite that reveal a story of past climate change. And those with drilled holes can help date a wall, based on technology.

    The structure of the walls reveals more details. As farmers “made land” they stacked the plentiful waste stones at the periphery of their fields, sometimes more haphazardly. During the laborious initial clearing to establish a farm, many were placed by the less experienced hands of younger helpers. Those of later years, may reveal the techniques of a master mason.

    A stone wall along RT 195 near the Jacobson Barn. (UConn Photo)

    “For example, a sprawling band is a pioneering wall, and a well-built double wall with a capstone says something different from a moderately built one without a capstone, which tells you something differently from a single wall that’s just your basic triangular shape,” says Thorson. “Farmers, would toss stones that would become a pasture wall.”

    Later, perhaps as the farm was more well-established and they are past the point of barely surviving, a farmer may have had more opportunities to take the time to build a more deliberate and aesthetically pleasing wall. Or not. All these observations give clues about the people who constructed the walls and sometimes that evidence can be confirmed with additional information gathered from historical archives. With Thorson’s proposed plan, this will be easier to do.

    “The idea is that if you have a GIS layer of the stone domain, you can continue to grow it with field evidence, using students, volunteers, citizen scientists, whoever is interested. And it will be higgledy, piggledy to the extent that whatever your entity is, whether it be town, Park, forest, state, federal, Indigenous, you’ll be using it as a database for management, conservation, research, history, and storytelling.”

    This topic gains a lot of attention, says Thorson, who is regularly contacted by people reaching out for advice or with the hopes that he can help advocate on their behalf.  For example, later this spring he will be working with the Connecticut towns of Litchfield, Lyme, and Stonington, and elsewhere in three other New England states. The interest is accelerating.

    “The main thrust of this recent paper is for people wondering how to go about managing stone walls. Each wall is analogous to a library of Earthly stories or to a natural history museum of specimens. None of this information is available from historical documents. Yet it is easily accessed with limited training. That’s what I’m really getting at for the end user. Though the cataloging is more boring, it has to be done.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Proscia Raises $50M To Advance AI-Driven Pathology And Deliver The Future Of Precision Medicine

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Proscia is rewiring pathology to speed up the development of targeted therapies, accelerate diagnosis, and match more patients with the best course of treatment
    • Funding led by global software investor Insight Partners comes as the surge in cancer cases compounds the impact of the shrinking pathologist workforce
    • The company will use the funds to grow its customer footprint and advance Concentriq, with focus on extending the platform’s core AI capabilities

    PHILADELPHIA, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Proscia®, a software company leading pathology’s transition to digital and AI, has secured $50M in funding, bringing its total raised to $130M. This investment follows Proscia’s record-breaking growth in 2024. Proscia now counts 16 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies among its users and is on track for 22,000+ patients to be diagnosed on its Concentriq® software platform each day.

    Cancer patients often wait more than two months to receive a diagnosis and start treatment1 as the rest of medicine races ahead. Pathology—the bedrock of up to 70% of clinical decisions2 and a critical driver of every drug brought to market—is among the last fields of healthcare to modernize, despite mounting pressures from a workforce shortage and rising case volume. Proscia is rewiring pathology, shifting it from microscope to data-rich images, to overcome these challenges, unlock new insights, and shape the future of care.

    At the center of this transformation is Proscia’s Concentriq, the only AI-driven pathology platform underpinning the precision medicine value chain. In powering drug discovery to diagnostics, Concentriq is a foundation for fueling the next novel therapies, accelerating diagnosis, and connecting a network of life sciences organizations and laboratories to match more patients with targeted treatments.

    “We are living through an extraordinary moment in medicine,” said David West, Proscia’s CEO. “Demand for advanced diagnostics is surging, digital pathology is gaining global traction, and AI is moving faster than the boldest predictions made just a few years ago. Patients are waiting to realize the future of precision medicine. With this investment, we will ensure that more pathologists and scientists can deliver it.”

    The funding was led by global software investor Insight Partners along with AI Capital Partners (Alpha Intelligence Capital’s US fund) and Triangle Peak Partners. Other investors included Avenue Venture Opportunities Fund, Emerald Development Managers, GPG Healthcare, Fusion Fund, Interwoven Ventures, and Razor’s Edge.

    “Insight has had a long-standing thesis on digitization and AI in pathology, and we’ve been waiting for a winner to emerge,” said Scott Barclay, Managing Director at Insight Partners. “Proscia is poised to be that leader. With its fast-growing customer base and strong champions of its product, it will continue to solidify its position as digital pathology moves into the mainstream.”

    Proscia will use the capital to propel its commercial momentum, growing adoption of its platform. This includes leveraging its OEM partnerships with Agilent Technologies and Siemens Healthineers. The company will also continue to weave AI into the core of Concentriq and expand its lead in offering the industry’s most extensive collection of applications through its precision medicine AI portfolio. Building on the impact of Concentriq Embeddings, which brings foundation models to the platform and has been demonstrated to accelerate AI development by 13x, Proscia will further enable researchers and data scientists to develop and deploy algorithms for biomarker discovery, clinical trials, and companion diagnostics on its platform.

    “Adoption of digital pathology and AI is creating an opportunity for a more connected and data-driven healthcare ecosystem,” said Katie Maloney, Partner at industry-leading strategy consulting and market intelligence firm DeciBio. “This shift is enabling precision medicine by making breakthroughs more technologically achievable, commercially viable, and clinically impactful for patients.”

    Learn more:

    About Proscia
    Proscia is a software company accelerating pathology’s transition to a digital, data-driven discipline and enabling AI to advance precision medicine. Its Concentriq enterprise pathology platform, precision medicine AI portfolio, and real-world data fuel the development and use of novel therapies and diagnostics to drive the fight against humanity’s most challenging diseases, like cancer. 16 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies and a global network of diagnostic laboratories rely on Proscia’s solutions each day. The company has FDA 510(k) clearance and CE-IVDR certification for its diagnostic software. For more information, visit proscia.com, and follow Proscia on LinkedIn and X.

    ________________________________

    1 Lowes, S., & Cropper De Andres, I. (2025, February 13). Cancer waiting times: Latest updates and analysis. Cancer Research UK. ​news.cancerresearchuk.org
    2 NHS England (2017). Digital First: Clinical Transformation Through Pathology Innovation. National Pathology Programme; doi: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/pathol-dig-first.pdf

    For Proscia
    Sydney Fenkell
    VP, Marketing Communications
    sydney@proscia.com
    215.816.3436

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Latest update on Clade Ib mpox

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Latest update on Clade Ib mpox

    The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) latest updates on Clade Ib mpox.

    Updates on clade Ib mpox case numbers are published on the UKHSA data dashboard

    Latest update

    Clade I mpox no longer considered a high consequence infectious disease

    Clade Ia and Ib mpox will no longer be classified as a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) following a review of available evidence by the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens, the UK Health Security Agency has confirmed today.

    This decision has been taken because the evidence related to this clade no longer meets the criteria for an HCID, which includes having a high mortality rate and a lack of available interventions.

    However, the decision should not be interpreted as clade I mpox no longer being of any public health consequence. The disease is still a public health emergency of international concern as defined by the WHO.

    Sexual and close physical contact is the main way that mpox spreads.

    There have been no reported deaths from mpox in the UK to date, and vaccination is available for higher risk contacts, healthcare workers, and those who are most at risk.

    Emma Richards, Incident Director at the UK Health Security Agency, said:

    There is now firm evidence of vaccine effectiveness and a low mortality rate for cases of clade I mpox, alongside heightened clinical awareness of symptoms, and access to rapid diagnostic testing and safe therapies with emerging evidence of efficacy.

    This change does not alter our overall public health response and we remain committed to preventing the spread of clade I mpox within the UK.

    While mpox infection is mild for many, it can cause severe symptoms including unusual rashes and blisters, a fever and headache.

    The majority of people who have presented with symptoms report close physical contact, including massages, or sex prior to developing symptoms. It’s important people who have travelled to affected countries in Africa remain alert to the risks and seek medical advice if necessary.

    All 4 UK Chief Medical Officers have agreed to accept the recommendation.

    There have been no cases of clade Ia mpox in the UK, and only a small number of cases of clade Ib mpox. Most of these cases have appeared in returning travellers from affected areas in Africa with the others being household contacts of a case.

    There has been no community transmission of clade I mpox within the UK and the risk to the population remains low.

    In the context of the outbreak in parts of Africa, we expect to see the occasional imported case of clade Ib mpox in the UK.

    Previous

    13 February 2025

    A new case of clade Ib mpox has been detected in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm. 

    The case was detected in London and the individual is now under specialist care at the Royal Free Hospital High Consequence Infectious Diseases unit. They had recently returned from Uganda, where there is currently community transmission of clade Ib mpox. The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.

    The risk to the UK population remains low. In the context of the outbreak in parts of Africa, we expect to see the occasional imported case of clade Ib mpox in the UK.

    This is the eighth case of clade Ib mpox confirmed in England since October 2024. This case has no links to the previous cases identified in England.

    Close contacts of the case are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. Contacts will be offered testing and vaccination where needed to prevent further infections and they will be advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.

    Dr Merav Kliner, Incident Director at UKHSA, said:

    The risk to the UK population remains low. Close contacts have been identified and offered appropriate advice in order to reduce the chance of further spread.

    Clade Ib mpox has been circulating in several countries in Africa in recent months. Imported cases have been detected in a number of countries including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden and the United States.

    There has been extensive planning undertaken to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to confirmed cases.

    Further updates on clade Ib mpox case numbers will be published on the following page: Confirmed cases of mpox clade Ib in United Kingdom.

    Previous

    27 January 2025

    Another case of clade Ib mpox has been detected, bringing the total number of confirmed cases since October 2024 to 7, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm.

    The individual had recently travelled to Uganda. The risk to the UK population remains low.

    The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.

    Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:

    The risk to the UK population remains low. Close contacts have been identified and offered appropriate advice in order to reduce the chance of further spread.

    20 January 2025

    A new case of clade Ib mpox has been detected in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm.  

    The case was detected in East Sussex and the individual is now under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. They had recently returned from Uganda, where there is currently community transmission of clade Ib mpox. The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual. 

    The risk to the UK population remains low. In the context of the outbreak in parts of Africa, we expect to see the occasional imported case of clade Ib mpox in the UK. 

    This is the sixth case of clade Ib mpox confirmed in England since October 2024. This case has no links to the previous cases identified in England.

    Close contacts of the case are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. Contacts will be offered testing and vaccination where needed to prevent further infections and they will be advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive. 

    Dr Meera Chand, Deputy Director at UKHSA, said: 

    It is thanks to clinicians rapidly recognising the symptoms and the work of our specialist laboratory that we have been able to detect this new case.

    The risk to the UK population remains low following this sixth case, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread.

    Clade Ib mpox has been circulating in several countries in Africa in recent months. Imported cases have been detected in a number of countries including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden and the United States. 

    There has been extensive planning undertaken to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.

    29 November 2024

    A new case of clade Ib mpox has been detected in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm.  

    The case was detected in Leeds and the individual is now under specialist care at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. They had recently returned from Uganda, which is seeing community transmission of clade Ib mpox. The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual. 

    The risk to the UK population remains low. We expect to see the occasional imported case of clade Ib mpox in the UK. 

    This is the fifth case of clade Ib mpox confirmed in England in recent weeks. This case has no links to the previous cases identified. All 4 previous cases were from the same household and all have now fully recovered.  

    Close contacts of the case are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. Any contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive. 

    Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said: 

    It is thanks to clinicians rapidly recognising the symptoms and our diagnostics tests that we have been able to detect this new case. 

    The risk to the UK population remains low following this fifth case, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread. In accordance with established protocols, investigations are underway to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases. 

    Clade Ib mpox has been widely circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya in recent months. Imported cases have been detected in Canada, Sweden, India, Thailand and Germany. 

    There has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.

    6 November 2024

    One further case of clade Ib mpox has been detected in a household contact of the first case, the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) can confirm.  

    This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 4, all of which belong to the same household. 

    The patient is currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. The risk to the UK population remains low. 

    The patient has been isolating since identified as a contact of the first case and no additional contact tracing is required. 

    Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said: 

    Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household. 

    The overall risk to the UK population remains low. We are working with partners to make sure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted to reduce the risk of further spread.

    Contacts of cases are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. All contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive. 

    There has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.

    4 November 2024

    Two cases of clade Ib mpox have been detected in household contacts of the first case, the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) can confirm. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 3.

    The 2 patients are currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. The risk to the UK population remains low.

    There has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.

    Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:

    Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household.

    The overall risk to the UK population remains low. We are working with partners to make sure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted to reduce the risk of further spread.

    Contacts of all 3 cases are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. All contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.

    30 October 2024

    The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has detected a single confirmed human case of clade Ib mpox. The risk to the UK population remains low.

    This is the first detection of this clade of mpox in the UK. It is different from mpox clade II that has been circulating at low levels in the UK since 2022, primarily among gay, bisexual and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (GBMSM).

    UKHSA, the NHS and partner organisations have well tested capabilities to detect, contain and treat novel infectious diseases, and while this is the first confirmed case of mpox clade Ib in the UK, there has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any confirmed cases.

    The case was detected in London and the individual has been transferred to the Royal Free Hospital High Consequence Infectious Diseases unit. They had recently travelled to countries in Africa that are seeing community cases of clade Ib mpox. The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.

    Close contacts of the case are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. Any contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.

    UKHSA is working closely with the NHS and academic partners to determine the characteristics of the pathogen and further assess the risk to human health. While the existing evidence suggests mpox clade Ib causes more severe disease than clade II, we will continue to monitor and learn more about the severity, transmission and control measures. We will initially manage clade Ib as a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) whilst we are learning more about the virus.

    Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:

    It is thanks to our surveillance that we have been able to detect this virus. This is the first time we have detected this clade of mpox in the UK, though other cases have been confirmed abroad.

    The risk to the UK population remains low, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread. In accordance with established protocols, investigations are underway to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, said:

    I am extremely grateful to the healthcare professionals who are carrying out incredible work to support and care for the patient affected.

    The overall risk to the UK population currently remains low and the government is working alongside UKHSA and the NHS to protect the public and prevent transmission.

    This includes securing vaccines and equipping healthcare professionals with the guidance and tools they need to respond to cases safely.

    We are also working with our international partners to support affected countries to prevent further outbreaks.

    Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccination and screening, said:

    The NHS is fully prepared to respond to the first confirmed case of this clade of mpox.

    Since mpox first became present in England, local services have pulled out all the stops to vaccinate those eligible, with tens of thousands in priority groups having already come forward to get protected, and while the risk of catching mpox in the UK remains low, if required the NHS has plans in place to expand the roll out of vaccines quickly in line with supply.

    Clade Ib mpox has been widely circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent months and there have been cases reported in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sweden, India and Germany.

    Clade Ib mpox was detected by UKHSA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.

    Common symptoms of mpox include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last 2 to 4 weeks. It can also cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.

    The infection can be passed on through close person-to-person contact with someone who has the infection or with infected animals and through contact with contaminated materials. Anyone with symptoms should continue to avoid contact with other people while symptoms persist.

    The UK has an existing stock of mpox vaccines and last month announced further vaccines are being procured to support a routine immunisation programme to provide additional resilience in the UK. This is in line with more recent independent JCVI advice.

    Working alongside international partners, UKHSA has been monitoring clade Ib mpox closely since the outbreak in DRC first emerged, publishing regular risk assessment updates.

    The wider risk to the UK population remains low.

    UKHSA has published its first technical briefing on clade I mpox which provides further information on the current situation and UK preparedness and response.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Australian Oilseeds Sees Surging Demand for its Canola Oil from China

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COOTAMUNDRA, Australia, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: COOT) today announced that it is seeing surging demand for its canola oil products from China in response to the ongoing trade war between China and Canada.

    “Our high-quality oils are well positioned for growth in China and the partnership with Shanghai Maiwei Trading Co., which we announced in January 2025, provides a strong foundation to capitalize on the recent surge in demand for our canola oil,” said Gary Seaton, Chief Executive Officer. “We have received numerous inquiries from both private and state-owned enterprises and anticipate entering into several long-term supply agreements with Chinese companies over the next 12 months.”

    According to the United States Trade Representative (USTR), in 2024, the United States (US) goods trade with Australia totaled an estimated $51.3 billion, with US goods exports to Australia at $34.6 billion and imports from Australia at $16.7 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $17.9 billion for the US.  Currently, a majority of sales are from the domestic market through major supermarkets and retailers, thus any current or future trade tariff’s implemented by US are expected to have no significant impact on sales or profitability of business.

    About Australian Oilseeds Investments Pty Ltd. Australian Oilseeds Investments Pty Ltd. is an Australian proprietary company that, directly and indirectly through its subsidiaries, is focused on the manufacture and sale of sustainable oilseeds (e.g., seeds grown primarily for the production of edible oils) and is committed to working with all suppliers in the food supply chain to eliminate chemicals from the production and manufacturing systems to supply quality products to customers globally. The Company engages in the business of processing, manufacture and sale of non-GMO oilseeds and organic and non-organic food-grade oils, for the rapidly growing oilseeds market, through sourcing materials from suppliers focused on reducing the use of chemicals in consumables in order to supply healthier food ingredients, vegetable oils, proteins and other products to customers globally. Over the past 20 years, the Company’s cold pressing oil plant has grown to become the largest in Australia, pressing strictly GMO-free conventional and organic oilseeds.

    Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding our financial outlook, business strategy and plans, market trends and market size, opportunities and positioning. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “believe,” “hope,” “target,” “project,” “goals,” “estimate,” “potential,” “predict,” “may,” “will,” “might,” “could,” “intend,” “shall” and variations of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control. For example, global economic conditions could in the future reduce demand for our products; we could in the future experience cybersecurity incidents; we may be unable to manage or sustain the level of growth that our business has experienced in prior periods; our financial resources may not be sufficient to maintain or improve our competitive position; we may be unable to attract new customers, or retain or sell additional products to existing customers; we may experience challenges successfully expanding our marketing and sales capabilities, including further specializing our sales force; customer growth could decelerate in the future; we may not achieve expected synergies and efficiencies of operations from recent acquisitions or business combinations, and we may not be able to pay off our convertible notes when due. Further information on potential factors that could affect our financial results is included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent our views only as of the date of this press release and we assume no obligation and do not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

    Contact
    Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited
    126-142 Cowcumbla Street
    Cootamundra New South Wales 2590
    Attn: Bob Wu, CFO
    Email: bob@energreennutrition.com.au

    Investor Relations Contact
    Reed Anderson
    (646) 277-1260
    reed.anderson@icrinc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greens repeat call for UK to suspend all arms exports to Israel

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    Reacting to the resumption of attacks by Israeli forces on Gaza, Ellie Chowns, MP for North Herefordshire and Green Party Foreign Affairs spokesperson, said: 

    “As Israel returns to its bombardment of Gaza, hundreds more lives have been lost. Families, children, entire communities – gone in an instant. This is horrific. Each of these lives mattered. Each of these deaths was preventable.

    “The UK cannot remain complicit while bombs rain down on civilians. The government must act now: we must use all diplomatic means necessary to secure an immediate ceasefire and suspend all arms exports to the Israeli military including components of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which evidence suggests have been used in ways that violate international law and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis. There can be no justification for continuing to supply arms while international law is being violated and humanitarian catastrophe unfolds.

    “The people of Gaza are not only facing bombardment – they are also being starved. The blockade is preventing essential food, water, and medical aid from reaching those in desperate need. The UK government must demand the full and immediate flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and apply real diplomatic pressure to make that happen.

    “We also repeat our call for the release of the hostages still held in Gaza. The families of those hostages deserve to see their loved ones return home.

    “For too long, the UK has failed to take the necessary steps towards justice and peace. We must formally recognise the State of Palestine – a vital step towards a future based on equality, dignity, and the rule of law.

    “The cycle of violence will not end without justice. There must be accountability for war crimes, an end to the occupation, and a real commitment to peace. The UK government must make a stronger stand now, before more lives are lost.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ESFA Update: 19 March 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    ESFA Update: 19 March 2025

    Latest information and actions from the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academies, schools, colleges, local authorities and further education providers.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    ESFA Update further education: 19 March 2025

    HTML

    ESFA Update academies: 19 March 2025

    HTML

    ESFA Update local authorities: 19 March 2025

    HTML

    Details

    Latest for further education

    Article Title
    Information Transfer of Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) functions to the Department for Education (DfE)
    Information National Insurance contributions grants
    Information Update on adult skills funding for 2025 to 2026
    Information 16 to 19 funding allocation statements for 2025 to 2026
    Information Applications for cohort 5 of the Teacher Mentoring Programme are open
    Information Training provider apprenticeship service account
    Reminder Framework certificates must be claimed by 31 March 2025

    Latest information for academies

    Article Title
    Information Transfer of Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) functions to the Department for Education (DfE)
    Information National Insurance contributions grants
    Information Pupil premium funding rates for 2025 to 2026
    Information Pupil premium allocations for 2024 to 2025 financial year – quarter 4 update
    Information 16 to 19 funding allocation statements for 2025 to 2026
    Reminder Framework certificates must be claimed by 31 March 2025
    Events and webinars Academy finance professionals March power hour – Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool
    Events and webinars Q&A drop-in sessions – academies chart of accounts and automation
    Events and webinars Risk protection arrangement (RPA) members only – summer fetes
    Events and webinars RPA members only – stress

    Latest information for local authorities

    Article Title
    Action Data collection – centrally employed adult education staff
    Information Transfer of Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) functions to the Department for Education (DfE)
    Information National Insurance contributions grants
    Information Pupil premium funding rates for 2025 to 2026
    Information Pupil premium allocations for 2024 to 2025 financial year – quarter 4 update 
    Information Update on adult skills funding for 2025 to 2026
    Information 16 to 19 funding allocation statements for 2025 to 2026
    Reminder Framework certificates must be claimed by 31 March 2025
    Events and webinars Risk protection arrangement (RPA) members only – summer fetes
    Events and webinars RPA members only – stress

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 March 2025

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Over £4,900 a year for student carers

    Source: Scottish Government

    Extra money available to many in education.

    Carers in full and part-time education could be entitled to over £4,900 a year in financial support from Social Security Scotland.  

    It is estimated that there are over 30,000 students at college or university in Scotland providing unpaid care for a family member, friend or neighbour. Research from Carers Trust Scotland shows student carers are four times more likely to drop out of their studies with a key reason being financial struggles.  

    Together, Carer Support Payment and Carer’s Allowance Supplement could provide over £4,900 a year to unpaid carers. 

    Carer Support Payment replaces Carer’s Allowance in Scotland, which was delivered by the UK’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Unlike its predecessor, Carer Support Payment is available to many student carers in full-time education.   

    Carer’s Allowance Supplement, only available in Scotland, is paid twice a year to people receiving Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance. 
     
    Students aged 16, 17 or 18 may be able to get Young Carer Grant if they aren’t eligible for Carer Support Payment. 

    Speaking to student carers and staff at Edinburgh College today (Wednesday 19 March), Social Justice Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said:  

    “We worked with carers and support organisations in designing Carer Support Payment to ensure it worked better for the people who receive it. Extending Carer Support Payment to more carers in education is an example of doing just that. 

    “I recognise the challenges many students face juggling their studies with caring responsibilities and hope the increased support available provides additional financial security and helps them to complete their course.”  

    Anna Vogt, Assistant Principal Student Experience at Edinburgh College said:  

    “We are committed to supporting our student carers to be able to come to Edinburgh College and achieve their educational ambitions. We do this by individualising support for carers, engaging with carer organisations in our region and by designing systems that acknowledge our students have responsibilities and communities outside of college. 

    “Colleges change lives and we are pleased that this new benefit will support more carers to think about becoming a student at any institution across Scotland.” 

    Josh, a student at Edinburgh College, added: “The support from Edinburgh College has made a real difference to me and is very different from the support I received at school. It has been particularly helpful to be linked up with my local carer’s association – I didn’t know about them. Now I know about this new benefit, I’m going to explore a bit more about it.”

    Background 

    The £4,900 a year calculation is based on a carer receiving a full year entitlement for Carer Support Payment (52 weeks) and Carer’s Allowance Supplement (a payment in June and then in December) at the 2025-26 rates coming into effect from 1 April 2025.   

    Carers Trust Scotland works to transform the lives of unpaid carers. They estimate there are more than 30,000 students with caring responsibilities in Scotland. Student research report https://carers.org/downloads/resources-pdfs/young-adult-carers-at-college-and-university.pdf  

     Carer Support Payment is a payment of £81.90 a week (increasing to £83.30 from 1 April 2025) and is available to carers who are aged 16 or over and who provide unpaid care for 35 hours or more a week to someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit.  Carers need to earn £151 a week (increasing to £196 a week from 1 April 2025) or less after tax, National Insurance and certain expenses.  
    Carers in education who may be eligible include:      

    • Part time students – those who spend less than 21 hours a week in class or doing coursework for any course     
    • Students aged 20 and over and who study full time for any course     
    • Students aged 16-19, who study full time in advanced education at university or for a college course such as a Higher National Certificate or Higher National Diploma    
    • There are also some circumstances where students aged 16-19 studying over 21 hours a week in non-advanced education, such as studying for National Certificates and Scottish Highers, may also be eligible if they meet certain criteria. Find out more at   If you study – mygov.scot  

     Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an extra payment for eligible unpaid carers who are getting Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on two qualifying dates. The payment is made twice a year and is unique to Scotland. Each payment of Carer’s Allowance Supplement is £288.60 (increasing to £293.50 from 1 April 2025). It is paid automatically without the need to apply.    

     Young Carer Grant  is available for carers aged 16, 17 or 18 who provide support for an average of 16 hours a week to someone receiving a qualifying disability benefit. It is a yearly payment of £383.75 (increasing to £390.25 from 1 April 2025) and the money can be spent on whatever the young person wants.    

    Information on other support for carers, such as financial support, wellbeing support and short breaks from caring, can be found at Help if you’re a carer – mygov.scot   

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Godiva Festival tickets to go on sale this month

    Source: City of Coventry

    Tickets for Coventry’s Godiva Festival are to go on sale on Monday 31 March – and prices have been frozen at the same level as last year.

    The announcement means music lovers and families can enjoy an amazing three days of music and fun at affordable prices and ensures the Festival remains one of the best value-for-money events across the region.

    The 26th Festival will be held at the War Memorial Park over three days in the summer from Friday 4 – Sunday 6 July 2025.

    Tickets will be on sale from 9am on Monday 31 March and can be purchased via the Godiva Festival website.

    Details of the eagerly awaited line-up will be announced soon, along with everything festival-goers need to plan a fantastic weekend in the city.

    As usual, there will be a diverse line-up of musical acts and attractions, with food stalls, exhibitions, and family-friendly activities, making it the perfect summer outing for the whole family.

    Coventry City Council, organisers of the annual event, have always kept ticket prices as low as possible to ensure Godiva remains a fun family event that is open and accessible to everyone.

    Cllr Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Leader of Coventry City Council and Cabinet Member for Events, said: “We are delighted that we have been able to hold ticket prices at the same level as in 2024 and keep our Godiva Festival an event that everyone can enjoy.

    “Every year we see thousands of people from the city and beyond enjoy an amazing three days of top music acts, local talent and family fun, and I’m already looking forward to this year and another incredible line-up.

    “Also this year we have extra security measures and new entry conditions designed to help people feel at ease and able to enjoy everything that is on offer.

    “The prices really do offer great value for money and I would advise everyone to book quickly and make sure they don’t miss out.”

    Early Bird prices mean tickets to this year’s festival can be bought for as little as £26 for a Standard Weekend Ticket and £79 for a Family Weekend Ticket which covers two adults and two children/teens.

    News of the ticket price freeze comes with the announcement of increased security measures and a change of entry conditions.

    This year, the minimum age for teenagers attending without an accompanying adult will rise from 16 to 18 years, and there must also be one responsible adult aged 21 or over for every two accompanied minors instead of the previous number of four.

    A new ‘Teen Ticket’ category has been introduced for those aged from 13-17 at a lower rate than an adult 18+ ticket, and a child’s ticket for those aged five to 12 years, which is at a lower cost than last year.

    Family ticket prices will allow for any combination of teens and children at no extra cost and a new single parent family ticket is being introduced. In all cases, under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult aged 21 or above.

    There will also be increased security around the perimeter of the Festival site, and those seen not wearing a wristband will be asked to leave.

    Last year’s super concession rate ticket for validated Go CV+ members to purchase will also remain this year. The Go CV+ Super Concession Weekend Ticket will be available for just £15.50 in the Early Bird category before gradually increasing once Early Bird tickets have sold out. Go CV+ Super Concession Day Tickets cost £6.50 for a Friday ticket, £7 for Saturday and just £4 to attend on Sunday when bought at Early Bird prices. Go CV+ members can buy a maximum of four tickets per person at super concession prices.

    Those eligible for Go CV+ must live in Coventry and either be in receipt of a qualifying benefit, a carer registered with Carers Trust Heart of England, a Coventry City Council foster carer, a student with an NUS card, a young person aged 16 – 19 years old in fulltime education or a resident with asylum seeker status.

    Cllr Kamran Caan, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport, said: “The introduction of the Go CV+ offer last year really helped many residents and families who might otherwise struggle with finances to attend and enjoy the amazing atmosphere of Godiva.

    “In line with our city’s beliefs of equality and giving a little extra help to those who need it, we are again offering some support to ensure people such as carers, students, those on benefit and those newly arrived in our city can enjoy the weekend at a price they can afford.

    “Please make sure your Go CV+ accounts are validated and you’re ready to take advantage of this great offer when tickets go on sale.”

    To find out more about Go CV+ and to register, visit the Go CV website. Go CV+ accounts must be validated in order to access these ticket prices.

    Full admission terms and conditions can be found on the Godiva Festival website.

    View the full pricing structure on the Godiva Festival Tickets page.

    To keep up to date with all the latest news and announcements, head to the Godiva Festival website, sign up for the Godiva Festival newsletter or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

    Godiva Festival is brought to you by Coventry City Council.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chancellor’s National Wealth Fund to deliver growth and boost security

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Chancellor’s National Wealth Fund to deliver growth and boost security

    Chancellor sets new strategy for National Wealth Fund to reflect our Plan for Change, unlocking billions of pounds of private investment into the UK.

    • New strategic steer will see National Wealth Fund take on higher risk projects as government goes further and faster to kickstart economic growth, make Britain a clean energy superpower and boost security.
    • Government also launches recruitment for a new National Wealth Fund CEO to build on the £1.8 billion unlocked in private investment since July.

    The National Wealth Fund will unlock over £70 billion in private investment to help deliver economic growth, make Britain a clean energy superpower, and strengthen the defence sector, the Chancellor has confirmed today [19 March]. 

    The new strategic direction sets clean energy, advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, and transport as new priority sectors for the National Wealth Fund. Money will be invested across the United Kingdom in projects like carbon capture, green hydrogen, gigafactories, green steel, and ports.  

    Crucially, the Chancellor’s steer will help direct investment to the industries our defence sector relies on – advanced manufacturing and digital and dual-use technologies – working with industry to keep Britain safe and building on the Government’s commitment to increase spending on defence and national security to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027.   

    The National Wealth Fund’s economic capital limit will also be increased from £4.5 billion to £7 billion, allowing it take on greater risk. This means it has more flexibility over its investments and can support more projects that struggle to access private finance.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP, said:

    My number one mission is kickstarting economic growth through our Plan for Change to make Great Britain a stronger, more resilient country and put more money into the pockets of working people.

    I am determined to go further and faster to get our economy growing. By directing tens of billions of pounds into the UK’s industrial strengths, we’ll deliver the high-skilled, high-paid jobs of the future in every corner of the country.

    Since July last year, the National Wealth Fund has unlocked 9,900 jobs and nearly £1.8 billion of private investment in growth-driving industries like green energy and technology. 

    Investment has already started flowing into priority sectors including £55 million for Connected Kerb to increase coverage of EV charging networks and a £28.6 million investment into Cornish Metals. 

    The Chancellor’s strategic steer comes as a new £9.6 million National Wealth Fund investment was announced today for Solihull Council to improve the area’s heating infrastructure and reduce bills, providing low carbon heating, hot water and power to town centre buildings. 

    To lead this new chapter for the UK’s flagship public investor, the Government has also launched a recruitment campaign for the National Wealth Fund’s next CEO. 

    John Flint will step down from the role of CEO in the summer after successfully seeing through the National Wealth Fund’s transition from the UK Infrastructure Bank. 

    The Chancellor will also establish a new UK Strategic Public Investment Forum joining up the UK’s leading policymakers and public financial institutions including the CEOs of the National Wealth Fund, British Business Bank, UK Export Finance, Homes England, Innovate UK, and Great British Energy and The Crown Estate. 

    The forum – the first of its kind – will cooperate on delivering investments to the priority areas set out by the Chancellor and will be tasked with ensuring the Government is getting maximum impact for its investments.  

    Stemming from this, the National Wealth Fund will work closely with Great British Energy to support its quick establishment as a publicly owned clean energy company that will boost Britain’s energy security making it a clean energy superpower, lower bills, create jobs, and grow the economy.

    Investing in homegrown clean energy industries is an essential part of the government’s drive to replace the UK’s dependency on fossil fuel markets controlled by petrostates and dictators with clean, homegrown power.

    Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, said:

    Clean power is the economic opportunity of the 21st century – and through the National Wealth Fund we will seize this opportunity to invest in British industries and workers.

    We are delivering our clean energy superpower mission to make our country energy secure and deliver the good jobs that the British people deserve.

    More details on Great British Energy’s developer mandate have also been released today.

    The partnership between Great British Energy and the National Wealth Fund will see the former bringing project development expertise as well as investment, and the latter providing finance, a model already being deployed in Japan and Denmark. 

    Harnessing private investment via the National Wealth Fund is part of the Government’s wider efforts to kickstart economic growth and deliver a new era of security and renewal through our Plan for Change. 

    Cutting red tape so major infrastructure projects can progress, removing unnecessary hurdles in the planning system so more homes can be built, and progressing new economic partnerships with international partners like Japan and India is part of the work being undertaken to grow the economy and put more money in people’s pockets.

    More information

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Minutes reveal Scottish Government agency’s doubts about Flamingo Land support

    Source: Scottish Greens

    19 Mar 2025 Nature

    Flamingo Land’s plans would be a scar on Loch Lomond.

    More in Nature

    Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer has urged the Scottish Government’s business agency, Scottish Enterprise, to withdraw its support for Flamingo Land’s controversial proposals for a mega-resort on the banks of Loch Lomond.

    The call comes after revelations that, despite continuing to publicly back the plans, agency bosses privately acknowledged the proposal has “no clear alignment with Scottish Enterprise’s mission focus.”

    The admission was found in minutes of a Scottish Enterprise Enterprise Executive Leadership Team meeting, obtained via a Freedom of Information request by Nick Kempe of Park Watch Scotland. [1]

    Flamingo Land’s application for a sprawling tourist resort on the southern shore of Loch Lomond at Balloch was unanimously rejected by the board of Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park in September.

    This came after an almost decade-long campaign led by Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer collected a record 155,000 individual objections. Opposition to the plans also came from the Woodland Trust, Ramblers Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland and environmental watchdog SEPA.

    After the plans were rejected, Scottish Enterprise, which owns most of the land, extended their exclusive agreement with Flamingo Land. This was done in order to support the developer lodging an appeal against the Park’s decision. That appeal is now sitting with the Scottish Government awaiting a decision.

    Mr Greer said:

    “Flamingo Land’s proposed mega-resort is the most unpopular planning application in Scottish history. For almost a decade they have ignored Balloch residents and tried to force these daft plans on Loch Lomond – but we have beaten them at every stage.

    “Scottish Enterprise knows how ridiculous, damaging and widely opposed the proposals are. Their own leadership team have admitted that it doesn’t match their mission, but they’ve decided to continue backing it out of a misguided sense of obligation.

    “By extending Flamingo Land’s exclusive contract for the site, they are stopping others from putting forward different proposals which would actually benefit the community and protect the world famous local environment.

    “The community is absolutely exhausted by all of this. Balloch residents will continue to defend Loch Lomond but they shouldn’t have to. It’s time for Scottish Enterprise to finally pull the plug on Flamingo Land and end this whole sorry saga.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NSF Project Evaluates Students’ Attitudes Toward Human Rights in Engineering 

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Every year, more than 2 million tourists flock to the Peruvian Andes town of Cusco, to visit remnants of the Inca Empire and its world-famous citadel, Machu Picchu. Rapid urbanization with this tourism boom however, didn’t develop at the same pace as infrastructure and transportation services. 

    “As a result, low-income residents who live on the outskirts of the city’s center have less access to employment, medical care, education, and social events because they don’t own a private vehicle or their communities lack public transportation,” explains Davis Chacón-Hurtado, an assistant professor jointly appointed in Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute. “This is a key barrier for many people to access opportunities and services, resulting in barriers to participation and disparities in access.”

    By using an engineering for human rights-based approach, Chacón-Hurtado and doctoral student Ashley Benítez Ou developed a metric of transport disadvantage and equal access in Cusco’s outer districts. Their goal is to provide data-driven insights so that rural Cusco residents have equal access to essential services. 

    “We as engineers have the potential to either alleviate or intensify societal challenges. Engineering shapes every facet of human life, and with this level of influence comes a profound responsibility.” — Davis Chacón-Hurtado

    “Having the ability to see a doctor or travel to the inner city to work is a human right,” Chacón-Hurtado says. “We as engineers have the potential to either alleviate or intensify societal challenges. Engineering shapes every facet of human life, and with this level of influence comes a profound responsibility.” 

    Chacón-Hurtado is Principal Investigator on a recently awarded National Science Foundation grant, “Measuring Changes in Attitudes Towards Human Rights in Engineering Students,” that explores ways expand students’ awareness of engineering’s societal impact. He and fellow UConn researchers will use the study’s findings to shape human rights curriculum for engineering students. 

    Other members of the research team include Arash Esmaili Zaghi, professor of civil and environmental engineering; Shareen Hertel, Wiktor Osiatyński Chair of Human Rights and professor of political science; and Betsy McCoach, professor of research methods, measurements, and evaluation from the Neag School of Education. Chacón-Hurtado and Hertel also co-direct UConn’s Engineering for Human Rights Initiative, a collaborative venture between UConn’s College of Engineering and the UConn’s Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute. 

    “As students progress through their undergraduate education, their concern for societal well-being tends to diminish,” Chacón-Hurtado says. “The Measuring Changes project proposes that incorporating human rights—particularly principles like indivisibility of rights, accountability, and participation—into the engineering curricula can bridge this gap, fostering a more socially aware generation of engineers.” 

    The Learning Modules  

    Chacón-Hurtado and his team are developing contextualized training modules that will be deployed within current engineering curriculum. The four main modules are aligned with specific learning objectives. They cover foundational concepts of human rights and related ethical paradigms; historical perspectives and connections between engineering and human rights; human rights-based and ethical approaches to engineering practice; and tools used by engineers to assess the impact of human rights and consideration of human rights impacts. The content is based in part on critical observations gleaned during teaching that Chacón-Hurtado carried out jointly with Sandra Sirota, assistant professor in residence in Human Rights and Experiential Global Learning—in particular, from their course on “Engineering for Human Rights” (ENGR/HRTS 2300). The team has the help of a graduate research assistant, Natalie Goncalves, a Master’s student in Human Rights.  

    During the NSF grant period, the research team will integrate the four modules within a controlled comparative research setting, by applying them selectively to student cohorts across two classes: Transportation Engineering and Planning (CE 2710) and Civil Engineering Projects (CE 4900W). Not every student will receive the extra training modules. As part of this quasi-experimental design structure, one group is considered the “treatment” and the other the “control” group.  

    After deploying the modules, the team will survey both groups to measure the effectiveness of the modules by measuring the change in attitudes towards human rights in engineering. They’ll derive psychometric measures from the survey results and use statistical reports to support the quantitative differences.  

    “Our hypothesis is that tailored engineering modules focused on human rights positively influence the attitudes of engineering students towards human rights and the social impact of engineering in society, when compared to a control group of students who do not receive human rights education using a quasi-experimental design,” Zaghi says.  

    Beyond UConn 

    Assistant Professor Davis Chacón-Hurtado, pictured here at an EWB project in Peru, received an NSF grant to study how engineering students perceive human rights in engineering. Findings from this project are relevant to broader human rights education in STEM (contributed photo)

    Once the study is completed, the outcomes and modules will be available freely to both English and Spanish speakers on the Engineering for Human Rights website. 

    “We hope that these dissemination efforts will reach not only engineering educators but also human rights organizations and community-based groups with experience in engaging communities in New England and abroad,” Chacón-Hurtado says. “We hope this will also facilitate research on the development of practical and cross-culturally appropriate tools for education, training, and mentorship tools from diverse contexts and schools in both the U.S. and Global South.”  

    “Human rights are critical enablers of economic development and shared prosperity, promoting progress within the United States and throughout the world – whether in global regions like Cusco, Peru or rural parts of the US,” Chacón-Hurtado says.  

    Ongoing Efforts in Engineering for Human Rights  

    This innovative approach to engineering education is integral to the broader Engineering for Human Rights Initiative at UConn, which applies a human rights framework to diverse engineering challenges—from sanitation to sustainable transportation, and from environmental risk management to economic resilience research. Several students, faculty, and alumni have already completed projects in the discipline: 

    • Faculty are contributing to the UConn Brownfields Program, supporting the remediation of contaminated sites throughout New England.  
    • And alumnus Kevin Musco ’19 (ENG, Human Rights), H’23 JD is using his degree in human rights to objectively assess risk and opportunities in a more wholistic manner. He uses these skills in his current job as an associate attorney at Cohen and Wolf, P.C. in New York City.  

     “The field of human rights offers something for everyone,” Musco says in this past Engineering News article. “For those who currently study the natural or applied sciences, concepts from human rights can be applied to ‘humanize’ subjects which otherwise lack a prominent social aspect.” 

     Additionally, UConn has already gained national recognition for its novel integrative approach to developing the engineering and human curriculum.  

     In November 2024, Chacón-Hurtado and Hertel collaborated with staff of the National Academy of Engineering’s Cultural, Ethical, Social, and Environmental Responsibility in Engineering (CESER) Program and the National Academies’ Committee on Human Rights (CHR) to develop and host a two-day symposium on “Issues at the Intersection of Engineering and Human Rights.” The workshop engaged academic, industry, government and NGO representatives in considering together how engineering solutions could be aligned with human rights principles to address local and global challenges. Chacón-Hurtado, who was integral to the organizing committee, characterized the symposium as “an inspiring event to understand the many ways in which engineering can not only impact human rights but also be enriched by incorporating them at its core.” 

    Recordings of the symposium are available on YouTube.   

     Zaghi believes attitudes toward human rights in engineering should focus on epistemic justice, which means valuing diverse talent, perspectives, and knowledge without forcing any political agendas or ideologies. 
     “Engineering should serve humanity as a whole,” he says. “Engineers need to ensure fairness by including different voices and avoiding biased designs. The focus must remain on technical evidence and practical solutions rather than virtuous narratives. Human rights in engineering are about creating systems that are fundamentally fair, accessible, and enable economic development and shared prosperity. This approach keeps engineering grounded in universal principles and ensures that it benefits everyone.” 

    Read more about human-rights centered engineering at UConn in this recent UConn Today story.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Stoke-on-Trent City Council becomes an Endometriosis Friendly Employer

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Wednesday, 19th March 2025

    The city council has become only the second local authority in England to be officially recognised as an Endometriosis Friendly Employer.

    The city council has signed up to the national scheme – run by leading charity Endometriosis UK – to pledge its support to colleagues impacted by the chronic condition.

    The move highlights the council’s commitment to creating a more inclusive, supportive workplace.

    Endometriosis affects around 1.5 million people across the UK. The condition occurs when cells similar to the lining of the womb grow elsewhere in the body.

    These cells can grow and change in response to hormones in the menstrual cycle and can cause inflammation, pain and scar tissue.

    Symptoms include chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, painful bowel movements and pain when urinating. It can take on average nearly nine years to get a diagnosis, showing the lack of understanding of the condition.

    As part of the scheme, the council will appoint Endometriosis Champions. These staff – who will be trained by Endometriosis UK – will provide guidance, raise awareness, and offer practical support to colleagues living with the condition.

    Councillor Lynn Watkins, cabinet member of health and wellbeing, said: “I am proud that the city council has become only the second local authority in England to be an Endometriosis Friendly Employer. Joining this scheme is a significant step towards creating a more understanding and supportive workplace to support our employees who live with endometriosis.

    “This condition can take a physical and mental toll on those diagnosed, but we are committed to making our staff feel supported as they navigate balancing the condition with their work.

    “We look forward to working with Endometriosis UK and hope that it inspires others in the city and others in local government to take this step and join the scheme as well.”

    Emma Cox, CEO of Endometriosis UK said: “I’m delighted to welcome the Stoke-on-Trent City Council to the diverse range of organisations tackling taboos around menstrual health and endometriosis through the Endometriosis Friendly Employer scheme.

    “By showing its team that they are valued and can expect support and reasonable adjustments to help those with endometriosis and menstrual conditions succeed at work, they will be increasing engagement across the whole of their workforce, ultimately making the organisation more successful.”

    As well as providing support services, reliable information and a sense of community, Endometriosis UK works to ensure that everyone with the condition gets a prompt diagnosis and the best treatment and support, whilst raising awareness to the wider public.

    For more information about the Endometriosis Employer Scheme, visit: https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/endometriosis-friendly-employer-scheme  

    To learn more about Endometriosis and support available, visit the Endometriosis UK website: https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –