Latest news with #Government
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
TUC Cymru calls for not-for-profit adult social care model
TUC Cymru has urged the Welsh Government to remove private profit from the sector, following its decision to do so in children's services from April 2026. Shavanah Taj, general secretary of TUC Cymru, said: "TUC Cymru welcomes the Welsh Government's actions in legislating to remove profit from children's social care. "That's a real win for our most vulnerable children and the unions which campaigned for this change. "But this must be just the beginning." She said public money intended for adult social care should not become profit for investors and called for a new approach led by local authorities and trusted charities. Ms Taj said care workers must also be properly valued, with fair pay, secure contracts, and opportunities for training and career progression. TUC Cymru held a fringe meeting on the topic during the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno on Friday, June 27.
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
MS says government should support Monmouthshire farmers
Bluetongue, a disease spread by midges, affects sheep and cattle but poses no risk to humans. The new regulations put in place by the Welsh Government will prevent livestock from England from entering Wales. This move is expected to impact normal trading practices. Peter Fox, Member of the Senedd for Monmouth, voiced his worries regarding these restrictions. He said: "These new regulations will cause huge financial problems for farmers, but they will not keep Bluetongue out of Wales. "We should align with England's restricted zone policy with increased vaccinations to avoid unnecessarily harming the farming community further." Mr Fox also highlighted the resultant decline in livestock at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show, an event hailed as one of Europe's leading agricultural exhibitions. Further criticism was directed at the Labour Government, with Mr Fox stating: "I am disappointed that once again, Welsh Labour are abandoning our farmers, we need to support farmers in Monmouthshire." Huw Irranca-Davies, deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, addressed the situation with the disease. He said: "My goal at this stage remains to keep Bluetongue out of Wales for the benefit of our animals and those who keep them. "The economic and farmer well-being concerns caused by dealing with severe Bluetongue are first and foremost in my mind." He also expressed his willingness to review and adapt the current policies, should the situation change. "Our shared priority over the coming weeks is to promote vaccine take-up," he added.
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Health
- Leader Live
NHS keeps public away as patients seen as ‘inconvenience', new boss says
In his first interview since his appointment as chief executive of NHSE, Sir Jim Mackey told the newspaper the health service has retained too many 'fossilised' ways of working, some of which have barely moved on since its creation in 1948. His statement comes as he prepares to implement a 10-year health plan to be published by the Government next week. Sir Jim, who was knighted in 2019 for services to healthcare, told The Telegraph: 'We've made it really hard, and we've probably all been on the end of it. 'You've got a relative in hospital, so you're ringing a number on a ward that no-one ever answers. 'The ward clerk only works nine to five or they're busy doing other stuff; the GP practice scramble every morning. 'It feels like we've built mechanisms to keep the public away because it's an inconvenience.' Sir Jim warned the disconnect between NHS services and the public could result in the loss of the public health service altogether. 'The big worry is, if we don't grab that, and we don't deal with it with pace, we'll lose the population,' he told the Telegraph. 'If we lose the population, we've lost the NHS. 'For me, it's straightforward. The two things are completely dependent on each other.' The Government's 10-year health plan will aim at improving NHS services through relocating patient care from hospitals to community-based health centres, a greater use of digital tools, and preventive care. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said on Wednesday the plan will also aim to 'address one of the starkest health inequalities', which he claims is the unequal access to information and choice when it comes to healthcare. Sir Jim told the Telegraph: 'We've got to somehow re-orientate it; think about how do we find people who need us, how do we stop thinking 'it's going to be a pain in the arse if you turn up because I'm quite busy' and instead think about how do we find out what you need and get it sorted.' Sir Jim added his concerns are driven by his own traumatic experience of NHS services, when his father died in a hospital locally known for its poor standards of care. He told the paper: 'My dad died in a hospital where the local folklore was terrible about the hospital, but the hospital was deaf to it and didn't know what was actually being said. 'I wasn't long into the NHS, it was a long time ago now, and I felt really powerless. 'I found out too late that the clinical community knew the guy who looked after him wasn't as good as I would have wanted him to be. 'I'll carry that for the rest of my life.' In an effort to take pressure off hospitals and cut down waiting lists, the Government previously announced that 85 new mental health emergency departments will be built across England. The 85 units will be funded by £120 million secured in the Spending Review, the Department of Health and Social Care said. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they will be staffed by specialist nurses and doctors. Patients who need help will be able to walk in, or will be able to be referred by their GP. Under the new plans, mental health patients will also be able to self-refer for talking therapies using the NHS App The new measures could also pave the way for AI-driven virtual support, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. Mr Streeting also unveiled plans to divert more than £2 billion in NHS spending to working class communities.
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Health
- Powys County Times
NHS keeps public away as patients seen as ‘inconvenience', new boss says
The NHS has built 'mechanisms to keep the public away' as patients are seen as an 'inconvenience', the new head of NHS England has told The Telegraph. In his first interview since his appointment as chief executive of NHSE, Sir Jim Mackey told the newspaper the health service has retained too many 'fossilised' ways of working, some of which have barely moved on since its creation in 1948. His statement comes as he prepares to implement a 10-year health plan to be published by the Government next week. Sir Jim, who was knighted in 2019 for services to healthcare, told The Telegraph: 'We've made it really hard, and we've probably all been on the end of it. 'You've got a relative in hospital, so you're ringing a number on a ward that no-one ever answers. 'The ward clerk only works nine to five or they're busy doing other stuff; the GP practice scramble every morning. 'It feels like we've built mechanisms to keep the public away because it's an inconvenience.' Sir Jim warned the disconnect between NHS services and the public could result in the loss of the public health service altogether. 'The big worry is, if we don't grab that, and we don't deal with it with pace, we'll lose the population,' he told the Telegraph. 'If we lose the population, we've lost the NHS. 'For me, it's straightforward. The two things are completely dependent on each other.' The Government's 10-year health plan will aim at improving NHS services through relocating patient care from hospitals to community-based health centres, a greater use of digital tools, and preventive care. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said on Wednesday the plan will also aim to 'address one of the starkest health inequalities', which he claims is the unequal access to information and choice when it comes to healthcare. Sir Jim told the Telegraph: 'We've got to somehow re-orientate it; think about how do we find people who need us, how do we stop thinking 'it's going to be a pain in the arse if you turn up because I'm quite busy' and instead think about how do we find out what you need and get it sorted.' Sir Jim added his concerns are driven by his own traumatic experience of NHS services, when his father died in a hospital locally known for its poor standards of care. He told the paper: 'My dad died in a hospital where the local folklore was terrible about the hospital, but the hospital was deaf to it and didn't know what was actually being said. 'I wasn't long into the NHS, it was a long time ago now, and I felt really powerless. 'I found out too late that the clinical community knew the guy who looked after him wasn't as good as I would have wanted him to be. 'I'll carry that for the rest of my life.' In an effort to take pressure off hospitals and cut down waiting lists, the Government previously announced that 85 new mental health emergency departments will be built across England. The 85 units will be funded by £120 million secured in the Spending Review, the Department of Health and Social Care said. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they will be staffed by specialist nurses and doctors. Patients who need help will be able to walk in, or will be able to be referred by their GP. Under the new plans, mental health patients will also be able to self-refer for talking therapies using the NHS App The new measures could also pave the way for AI-driven virtual support, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Fueling frustration: Why Irish petrol prices stay high, even when oil doesn't
Donald Trump, as he so often does, opted for all capital letters for this post on Truth Social earlier this week. 'EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN,' he said. 'I'M WATCHING! YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON'T DO IT!' Like he told major retailer Walmart to 'eat the tariffs' he has imposed, the US president was telling oil markets to eat the instability he had directly contributed to in the Middle East with a direct attack on one of the biggest producers of oil in the world. As much as he appears to desire the power to dictate such terms, how much we all pay at the petrol pumps is not at the whim of Donald Trump. So far, however, prices appear to be singing to his tune somewhat, if not for the reasons he may think so, that is, himself. Here in Ireland, it was only three years ago that we saw geopolitical forces brought to bear as Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine saw prices for everything skyrocket, including for petrol and diesel. While the impacts on us pale into comparison when compared to the Ukrainian people, Russia's actions did precipitate a cost-of-living crisis charities say is still biting to this day. But, despite bombs falling in Tehran, Tel Aviv and Doha in recent weeks, the oil markets so far — and this must be stressed, so far — have not reacted like they did back in 2022. Back then, there was a 'perfect storm' of Russia being such a big supplier, coupled with a relative shortage of oil supply coming out of the pandemic, according to transport commentator Conor Faughnan. This time, due to tariff threats and concerns about the global economy, as well as additional supply in the market at the moment, oil prices had been expected to trend down in the second half of this year prior to the recent Israel-Iran hostilities. 'It's been notable to observe when we had the Russian invasion in 2022, there was a very strong and prolonged reaction in world oil prices,' Mr Faughnan said. 'They went up and stayed high. That's different from the current crisis. Conor Faughnan: 'About 55%-60% of the money you pay at the pump goes directly to the Government in taxes. The oil price component is surprisingly small.' 'There hasn't as yet been the sort of extreme reaction we might have expected to see. Over the years, there's been a very serious set of circumstances, there's been multiple geopolitical shocks to the oil price. Often, they'll cause turbulence on a two-to-three day basis. When Russia invaded, we had a sustained effect. This time around, it's different. Mr Faughnan said it was more a case of the markets having 'bated breath', or there being a 'pregnant pause' while they waited to see how events would play out in the Middle East conflict. On Tuesday, oil prices hit their lowest in two weeks after Trump claimed there had been a 'total ceasefire' agreed between Israel and Iran. But, as we know, the bombing did not fully stop there. Later in the week, JP Morgan analysts said global energy prices were 'moderating' following the ceasefire. However, the lobby group for fuel retailers said that prices were already coming from a high base. Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartland said even prior to US strikes on Iran, wholesale prices had already surged by nine cent per litre for petrol, eight cent for diesel and seven cent for kerosene. And this is before tax and retailer margin is applied. 'We fully understand the pressure that rising fuel costs put on households and businesses, particularly as we move through a cost-of-living crisis,' Mr McPartland said. These are global effects being felt locally. Fuel retailers in Ireland are not setting prices arbitrarily. They are responding to international costs that are outside their control. One factor that could send the price ballooning even higher is Iran's actions at the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. About a fifth of the world's oil passes through this area, which has Iran to the north and Oman and the United Arab Emirates to the south. Iran has in the past threatened to close the strait, which would restrict trade and affect global oil prices, but has never followed through on the threat. Mr Faughnan said a shock to the world oil price is 'possible if the situation worsens, or the Strait of Hormuz is involved'. 'It hasn't happened yet,' he said. 'If it does hit, we'll reassess. What's remarkable to note is that post-Israeli attacks on Iran last week, the global oil market was, relaxed is the wrong word, but it wasn't the extreme reaction we might have expected.' Petrol and diesel prices in Ireland Then again, Irish consumers will not need to experience another geopolitical shock to see the cost of filling the car be unwelcomingly high. They have been paying high prices at the pumps for some time. While the cost of a litre of petrol has fallen from its peak of more than €2 in the summer of 2022, it still remains stubbornly high at arobout €1.79, according to figures from AA Ireland. Its figures suggest prices have fluctuated wildly, ranging between €1.50 and close to €1.90 a litre for both diesel and petrol in recent years. Even going further back, and the price at the pumps has been high. Heading into 2020, prices going back five years had been in the range of between €1.20 and €1.50 a litre. If we were to factor in general inflation since then, using data from the Central Statistics Office, it has reached over 25% in that time. So, the €1.31 you spent for a litre of petrol in January 2015 translates to about €1.64 now. While fuel inflation is higher than this, they're in the same ball park. In other words, the prices were high enough then and even higher now. For its part, an AA spokesperson said: 'Any volatility in international markets inevitably can affect wholesale costs and, ultimately, prices at the pump. If tensions escalate or shipping routes are disrupted, it could lead to price increases for Irish consumers. We've already seen some fluctuations this year, and continued instability could keep upward pressure on prices in the months ahead. Mr Faughnan said an increase in the cost of oil would also lead to consumers paying more Vat on the cost of filling the car, as it is calculated as a percentage of the cost. Government taxes 'About 55%-60% of the money you pay at the pump goes directly to the Government in taxes,' he said. 'The oil price component is surprisingly small. You've the oil price, refinery cost, shipping cost, wholesale margin, retail margin. On top of that then the price is doubled. 'A big move in the oil price translates to a more modest move at the pump price.' Mr McPartland, whose organisation represents fuel retailers, said when fuel prices go up the tax on them goes up too, which he said warranted a 'comprehensive review of how fuel for heating and transport is taxed'. 'We are calling on the minister for finance to establish a group of experts to undertake this review as a matter of urgency,' he said. We've been here before. To help mitigate cost-of-living rises, the Government temporarily reduced excise rates on fuel at a 'significant cost to the exchequer', according to officials from the Department of Finance. It said last year this measure had effectively been a fossil fuel subsidy and was a 'climate negative measure'. It appears any measures to ease the taxes paid at the petrol pumps remain unlikely. On carbon taxes — which make up about 13c-14c of the €1.79 litre of petrol — finance minister Paschal Donohoe told the Dáil that if 'we want to invest more in a greener and lower carbon future, we need to have a way of paying for it'. At the same time, in terms of an alternative, take-up of electric vehicles is accelerating but not yet at the kind of critical mass needed to significantly reduce our transport emissions. Just last week, the Climate Change Advisory Council said new EV grants of €10,000 should be given to the lower-paid to encourage them to make the switch. 'The benefits and savings from existing policies and measures are not keeping pace with the causes of increased emissions, including increasing transport demand in terms of fuel sales and vehicle kilometres, and corrective action is needed in the sector,' it said. CSO data tells us despite 16% of new car sales so far this year being EVs, with similar market shares for plug-in hybrids, a further 44% were for petrol and diesel cars. For now, the reliance on the petrol and diesel car remains strong in Ireland. And while it does, so too will we be reliant on factors outside of our control. Read More Fuel prices rise again putting further pressure on motorists, AA warns
