Author Archives: wendy

£66 million programme in Scotland to recycle old computers

Festive boost for Highland communities and children

 

Festive boost for communities and children in the Highlands

An innovative project to recycle thousands of computers for use by communities and deserving children across the Scottish Highlands has been launched, in a festive season boost for many in the area.

 

The huge initiative to renovate equipment for re-use instead of landfill is funded by technology company Fujitsu and The Highland Council.

 

It is a spin-off from the current £66 million programme to replace and upgrade The Highland Council’s office and schools IT systems and assist the council in meeting targets to reduce its energy use and carbon emissions.

 

Fujitsu is investing over £300,000 in the recycling project to have up to 3,500 computers processed by specialist north of Scotland social enterprise ReBOOT and then redistributed across the region.

Many patients really value their relationship with their GP

Patients will be able to register with any GP: ministers

Patients will be able to register with a GP miles away from where they live under Coalition plans to give them greater choice, it has been announced.

By , Medical Editor

 

People will be able to have a GP near work or keep the same family doctor when the move house as ministers abolish GP practice boundaries.

The scheme will be piloted in parts of London, Manchester and Nottingham despite concerns from family doctors about the continuity of care.

Free NHS helpline for whistlblowers launching 1st January 2012

NHS whistleblowers helpline due to be launched

 The new free helpline is being launched on 1 January 2012

A free helpline for whistleblowers in the NHS and social services is to be launched on Sunday.

The move is part of Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s drive to ensure staff can raise “genuine concerns” about standards “without fear of reprisal”.

But a whistleblowers’ group said the announcement was an “admission of failure” that existing internal processes were not working.

The helpline – 08000 724 725 – will be provided by the Royal Mencap Society.

It will operate Monday to Friday between 0800 GMT and 1800 GMT, and there also be an out-of-hours answering service at weekends and bank holidays.