A government department has announced that it will be opening its new headquarters in Manchester city centre, and it will create up to 400 job opportunities.
A part of the recently-announced Levelling Up plans, and in what is said to be in a move away from “London-centric decision making”, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced that the new Manchester city centre building on Marble Street will be the largest DCMS hub outside of the capital.
The new Manchester HQ will contain the head office for Building Digital UK (BDUK).
BDUK is said to be “the driving force” behind Project Gigabit – the government’s £5 billion plan to roll out faster broadband in hard-to-reach and rural areas, and deliver gigabit-capable connections to 85% of UK homes by 2025.
“The days of London-centric decision making belong in the past,” said Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries on the announcement.
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“It’s an exciting time for DCMS as we expand our regional offices and tap into a more diverse talent pool. Our strength comes from our people and this will allow us to recruit the best, wherever they may be, to deliver the wide range of DCMS policies which drive growth and enrich lives all over the UK.”
Hello Manchester!
Our new hub opens today in the heart of the North West, strengthening our commitment to recruiting talented individuals from across the country and ensuring job opportunities are spread equally across the UK.#LevellingUphttps://t.co/yLGX0zpdKB
The creation of this new HQ in Manchester city centre comes as part of wider government plans to relocate 22,000 civil service roles out of London by 2030, with Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, Loughborough, and Darlington also all set to benefit from these plans.
The plans have for the new HQ have ben hailed as “welcome news” by Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, who added: “Not only is it a reflection of Manchester’s role as a northern epicentre for culture, media and sport – and our thriving and fast-growing tech sector – it is also move which should help stimulate further innovation and investment in the city and beyond.
“The city is at the heart of a huge and diverse talent pool and tapping into will benefit the government, as well as bringing hundreds of jobs and other opportunities here.
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“Government must not be concentrated in the capital and having more decision-makers based in the north should help bring a different perspective.
“Our door is always open to discuss further such relocations.”
Marble Street in Manchester city centre where the new DCMS HQ will be located / Credit: Google Maps
Councillor Martyn Cox – GMCA’s lead for Culture – also added: “A new DCMS office in the centre of Greater Manchester will create hundreds of good quality jobs in the city-region… [which] is the fastest-growing digital and tech hub in Europe.
“This is also a step in the right direction of redirecting decision-making from London to our regions.”
Advice issued as ‘quademic’ of winter bugs continues to take hold in Greater Manchester
Daisy Jackson
People in Greater Manchester are being urged to get any vaccinations they are due done, as a ‘quademic’ of winter bugs runs rife.
Cases of flu, Covid, norovirus and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) are continuing to take hold across the country, and here in Greater Manchester.
The city is seeing more flu cases and hospital admissions than usual for this time of year.
So now health chiefs are urgently reminding eligible people to get their flu jabs and other vaccinations, to protect themselves and others.
Mancs are also being reminded to follow key public health advice, such as frequent hand washing and staying at home when you’re ill.
The flu vaccination drive runs until the end of March and people who are eligible for it can get it from their GP, pharmacy or one of the city’s walk-in clinics, where no appointment is needed.
Dr Cordelle Ofori, Manchester’s Director of Public Health, said: “Our advice is very similar to recommendations made during the Covid pandemic.
“It’s really important to keep washing hands well and regularly; cough or sneeze into tissues or your arm; wipe down key communal surfaces like handles on doors; and where possible, stay at home if you are ill to avoid passing on any infections.
“And, in addition to this we would urge anyone who is also feeling financial or food pressures to ring our free cost of living advice line on 0800 023 2692 or text on 07860 022876.”
Councillor Thomas Robinson, Executive Member for Healthy Manchester and Social Care, at Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester people are well-known for how they look after one another – and passing the flu message on could save lives, as well as unnecessary illness at a time when people face many pressures.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for people to have their vaccination, so please do go to our walk-in clinics if you are 18 and over and eligible for the vaccine. No appointment is needed: it’s quick, easy and done by teams who want to help you.”
Nurses plea for Government support as 90% say patient safety is being ‘compromised’
Emily Sergeant
Patients dying in corridors, a lack of equipment, and generally unsafe practices are the findings of a harrowing new report into nursing.
Towards the end of last month, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) – which is biggest nursing union and professional body in the world, with more than 500,000 members – asked its members to answer a short survey into the state of nursing throughout 2024, and thousands of nurses across the UK responded.
The report documents the experiences of more than 5,000 NHS nursing staff, with several raw, unedited, and often heartbreaking responses included, all of which confirm that ‘corridor care’, as it’s known, is “widespread” nationwide.
Almost seven in 10 (66.8%) respondents said they’re delivering care in “over-crowded or unsuitable places”, such as corridors, converted cupboards, and even car parks, on a daily basis.
More than nine in 10 (90.8%) said patient safety is being “compromised”.
According to the findings from the survey, demoralised nursing staff reported caring for as many as 40 patients in a single corridor, and find they are unable to access oxygen, cardiac monitors, suction, and other lifesaving equipment during this time.
Some of the more shocking accounts including in the report are of female patients miscarrying in corridors, and nurses being unable to provide adequate or timely CPR to patients having heart attacks.
Nursing staff also report cancer patients being put in corridors and other “inappropriate” spaces.
Nurses are calling for Government support as 90% say patient safety is being ‘compromised’ / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
More than a quarter of nursing staff surveyed said they weren’t told the corridor they were providing care in was classed as a “temporary escalation space”, which is what the report says NHS England referred to it as, and this means that certain risk protocols and measures may not be in place to ease pressures and protect patients.
This is why the RCN is calling on officials to publish how many patients are being cared for in corridors and other inappropriate places.
The union is urging the Government and NHS England from an RCN-led coalition.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, said this devastating testimony from frontline nursing staff shows patients are coming to harm “every day”, and are “forced” to endure unsafe treatment.
“The revelations from our wards must now become a moment in time,” Professor Ranger said.
“A moment for bold Government action on an NHS which has been neglected for so long. Ministers cannot shirk responsibility and need to recognise that recovering patient care will take new investment, including building a strong nursing workforce.”
Emily Sergeant -
15th February 2022 
