Category Archives: Top250

A frequent saying many of us are familiar with is, “Justice delayed is justice denied”. Courts have been infamous as places that are slow, mired in adjournments and bureaucracy. This has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Crown Court, there were approximately 50,000 cases waiting to be heard, around 45,000 of employment tribunalsContinue reading “How COVID-19 has exacerbated a backlog in court cases”

COVID-19 policy-making, political and medico-scientific, has been top-down, whereas micro-implementation has eventually depended on practical local knowledge and resources: councils, schools, hospitals, surgeries, geography, infrastructure, networking, charities, volunteers. Consultation between National and Local levels was already habitually inadequate so even worse in a crisis. Volunteering a vivid example, where many on National database were neverContinue reading “Authorities work macro: citizens live micro. COVID-19 handling errors reflect this. Make policy implementation local.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a lot of talk about education, yet no one has recognised the opportunity this presents for a fundamental shift in how society perceives teaching as a profession. We desperately need more teachers, but currently too many are being put off by the image of teaching. This must change. As aContinue reading “The opportunity to change the image of teaching”

Still in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are at a crucial time for the future health of our towns and cities. The big urban centres are experiencing an inevitable plunge in demand for centrally located floor space for offices, retail and leisure. Smaller market towns where the economy has become based around theContinue reading “The challenge of ghost-towns”

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the burden on healthcare systems in the UK, preventing most normal patient visits. People with lung disease need regular lung function testing (spirometry), which is difficult to perform, especially in people with severe classifications of all lung diseases. In the UK approximately 12.7 million people have longstanding respiratory illness. SinceContinue reading “An Opportunity to Provide Lung Function Testing Remotely, Safely and Accurately”

Now is an opportunity to increase the availability and desirability of degree level apprenticeships; COVID-19 has greatly affected the 18-23 age group and the Government should seize the opportunity to create new development paths for our future leaders. A degree level apprenticeship offers the advantages of an income from an employer and a degree qualification,Continue reading “Degree level apprenticeships – an opportunity presented by COVID”

The special place that the NHS has in our hearts and minds has been amply displayed during the current pandemic. The NHS Covid-19 app should now be expanded not just to focus on Covid-19 related matters but should in essence be our first port of call in all aspects of our health and social careContinue reading “New NHS App”

Recent figures show the prescription of antidepressants is at its highest ever level, with long waits for talking therapies and GPs reporting an increase in patients presenting with mental health concerns as they struggle with the impact of the pandemic. There is a challenge for the NHS to deliver effective mental health treatment quickly beforeContinue reading “Improving access to online psychological therapies during the pandemic”

In monetary terms covid-19 recovery is already ¬£300bn and growing; the price paid by individuals, families and communities will sit long in their memories and may prove itself capable of denting confidence in government. What would Covid-19 prevention or preparedness cost e.g. NHS surge capacity; track and trace; vaccine production capability. What would be theContinue reading “Price of recovery vs cost of prevention”

The COVID-19 pandemic has expanded the UK‚’s healthcare requirements at a time when the number of healthcare staff has reduced, in part due to changes in visa and residence entitlements. Our shortage of staff, from healthcare assistants and porters to intensive care nurses and consultants, has been made evident. Inadequate hospital staffing is a hugeContinue reading “A nation of medics – part 1”