The Health Secretary is calling on the nation to help shape the Government’s plans to overhaul the NHS in the future.
Described as being “the biggest national conversation” about the future of the NHS since its birth all the way back in July 1948, and in a bid to form the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, the entire country has today (21 October) been called upon to share their experiences of the nation’s health service – with members of the public, as well as NHS staff and experts, invited to have their say.
Everyone is being urged to give their views and ideas for “fixing the NHS” via an online platform that’ll be live until the start of next year, as well as through the NHS App.
In order for the Government to formulate its 10 Year Health Plan – which is set to be published in spring 2025 – the so-called public engagement exercise will be underlined by three ‘big shifts’ in healthcare.
These are hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.
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📢 We want to hear your experiences of the NHS and your ideas to help us change it.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) October 21, 2024
But what do each of these ‘big shifts’ mean? Well, first up, the Government says it wants to deliver plans for new neighbourhood health centres that are closer to homes and communities, so that patients can see GPs, district nurses, care workers, physiotherapists, mental health specialists, and more all under the same roof.
The transforming of the NHS from analogue to digital shift will put patients in control of their own medical history by bringing together a single patient record that summarises patient health information, test results, and letters, all in one place through the NHS App.
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Finally, by moving from sickness to prevention, the Government says it wants to shorten the amount of time people spend in-ill health, as well as prevent illnesses before they happen.
“My mum worked for the NHS, my sister worked for the NHS, and my wife still works for the NHS, so I know first-hand how difficult it has been for staff, and for patients battling against a broken system for over a decade,” explained Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as the public exercise formally launches today.
“We have a huge opportunity to put the NHS back on its feet, so let’s be the generation that took the NHS from the worst crisis in its history, and made it fit for the future.”
You can find out more and have your say on the future of the NHS here.
Featured Image – NHS Digital
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Police reissue appeal for information into murder of Denton man nearly 30 years ago
Emily Sergeant
An appeal for information into the murder of a Denton man nearly three decades ago has been reissued by police.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) says that anyone who comes forward with information that could help secure a conviction for the murder of Paul McGrath in 1997 will be eligible to receive a £50,000 award for their assistance – which was first offered back in 2020.
Paul – who was said to be “well-liked and respected” within his local community – had gone for a drink at the Dog and Partridge pub, on Ashton Road in Denton, on the evening of Sunday 6 April 1997, before returning home on his own just after midnight, and then being “brutally attacked” at some point during the night.
Police say the 34-year-old suffered 18 stab wounds in what they believe was a “frenzied and targeted attack”.
At around 7.30am the following morning, Paul’s body was found at the foot of the stairs of his home on Holland Street West, in Denton, after a workman who was walking past found the door slightly open and saw him lying dead just inside the hallway.
Nearly 3 decades on, detectives continue to appeal to find out what happened to Paul McGrath & bring justice to a family who have been grieving for nearly 30 years.
Two men were arrested within two weeks of the murder, before going on trial in March 1998, but they were both acquitted following a lengthy trial.
Although through investigations over the years have established that Paul had “no known grievances”, detectives are still appealing to the Greater Manchester public for information into what happened that night, as they believe he was targeted due to one of his acquaintances being involved in an ongoing dispute.
“We know there are people out there who are able to tell us what they know and what they saw all those years ago,” commented Detective Constable Matthew Sharkey, from GMP’s Cold Case Unit, as the appeal for information was reissued.
“Although it was nearly 30 years ago, you can’t just forget what you saw, it will be playing on the mind of someone who knows something, and I hope their conscience will allow them to speak to us after all this time.
“Please come and tell us the truth. Your information could help a grieving family know what happened to their beloved son and it is never too late to come forwards.”
DC Sharkey said all of the work the police are doing is to get Paul’s mother to finally see her son’s killer or killers brought to justice, and to help the family finally come to terms with the death of their loved one.
Anyone with information regarding the murder of Paul McGrath is asked to contact GMP’s Cold Case Review Unit direct on 0161 856 5978, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
All information will be dealt in the “strictest confidence”.
Featured Image – GMP
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Enabling works at the UK’s biggest spa and wellbeing resort are finally going ahead
Thomas Melia
Work on the highly anticipated spa project making waves in Trafford has finally started and with buzz for the project building ever since its announcement in 2020, Therme is without a doubt one of the biggest coming to Greater Manchester.
Located right next to The Trafford Centre, this £250 million spa and wellbeing complex is proposed not only to create more than 5,000 jobs and span a total of 28 acres but will also be the biggest of its kind anywhere in the UK.
Set to be delivered by the global wellbeing leader, Therme – who have nine sites in total four of which are operational and five of which are in development, including two in the UK – it’s a development that’s been watched closely at every stage.
It might still be early days but here’s what the large plot looks like at the moment:
The Manchester spa resort will be erected here.Hard to picture right now, we know.Enabling works have begun to clear the land and underground obstacles ahead of construction starting. (Credit: Rule 5 – supplied)
Opening destinations in both Glasgow and Manchester as well as across the globe, the Therme Group is making its resorts accessible to people wherever and whenever they need them.
The Manchester site, which is replacing the prior EventCity, is set to hold over 25 specific areas, 15 waterslides, 10 pools and plenty more.
These areas and rooms all boast wellbeing benefits ranging from saunas and health areas to steam and snow rooms – even multi-sensory showers, whatever that means.
Inside the massive health and well-being building, the temperature will be kept at a constant 33 degrees all year round using advanced technology to preserve the heat.
At the Manchester resort, the grounds are set to contain warm water lagoons, botanical gardens and palm trees, giving the site a real tropical feel. Now enabling works have officially started, the path towards seeing CGIs like these brought to life feels more real:
Throughout the location, wireless RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology will be used to make payments for vendors, retailers and food inside the retreat on the fly.
It sounds like an arbitrary thing to note initially until you learn that this all works through individual bracelets which are directly paired with lockers in the venue to ensure purchases and belongings are kept safe and secure.
But what exactly has been done so far? Well, following full approval last year, an initial 200-metre borehole has now been drilled on the site next to the Greater Manchester shopping centre, meaning the spa resort build is underway at last.
Once started, construction is set to be completed within the next 24-30 months. Therme is eventually hoping to have a destination available within a 90-minute commute for all UK residents. It also looks set to have a similar and super exciting neighbour at some point in the future too.