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From 1st August 2012 the Health Professions Council (HPC) will become known as the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The HCPC will assume responsibility for the regulation of social workers in England from the General Social Care Council (GSCC)...
The Telegraph has recently reported that as many as 6,000 deaths which are attributable to miscalculated deterioration of a patient’s condition could be prevented if a standard bedside health chart was introduced. The report by the Royal College of...
Last week it was reported by The Guardian that Furness General Hospital is facing 37 compensation claims over deaths and injuries to both mothers and babies as a result of poor care provided by its maternity department. Figures also revealed that 24 of those...
The Telegraph has recently reported that Ambulance staff at the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) left 78-year-old Harold Tinsley for just over 45 minutes after neighbours had called 999 when he had fallen outside his house on the afternoon of 23rd...
A leading business group is calling for the UK’s largest businesses to pay their smaller suppliers on time. The Forum of Private Business says larger businesses should lead the way when it comes to paying on time, as set out in the terms and...
The Census figures released last week shows that the local population in Wigan actually grew in the last decade, by 5.4%, fuelling a demand for more housing. But what it also showed was that the number of households is rising. There are currently 23.4...
Following the recent scandal over the manipulation of LIBOR rates by Barclays Bank, it has now come to light that this manipulation may have rendered thousands of interest rate hedging, interest rate swap and interest rate collar and cap agreements void....
I’m sure it is safe to say we are all aware of the current continual rainy weather adorning the UK. However, it is of concern to me and no doubt to other drivers, how some people lack the awareness of how unsafe our roads become during a bout of wet...
It has been reported that the number of people being killed or seriously injured on Wigan's roads has sadly increased again in 2011 by around a quarter, although the total number of casualties has fallen slightly. The Department of Transport data shows...
The issue of forced marriages has been in the news again. The Times has reported this week on a worrying trend of adults with learning disabilities entering in to marriages with spouses from overseas. The suspicion is that the marriage is used to obtain a...
I am definitely the one who is dragged into a lift, panicking for the next 30 seconds, wondering when the lift doors will actually open. For those of us out there with phobias, my fear of lifts was made worse by reading about a recent accident regarding a...
Kane Gorny, 22, died in May 2009 of dehydration while under the care of St George’s Hospital staff. It was heard at the inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court that a post-mortem examination found dehydration caused high sodium levels to lead to...
Due to a significant increase of road deaths in the Greater Manchester region in 2011, Greater Manchester Police have engaged in a crackdown in Wigan and surrounding areas on law-breaking motorists. Operation Dice has been hailed as a major success in its...
How many times have you heard the term “Common Law Marriage.” Mr Average seems to think that certain rights attach to this terminology but the reality is the term means nothing. If the parties are formally married they are protected by...
Landlords are often faced with the concern that their properties will be targeted by squatters when they are left unoccupied for a period of time. Up until last month anyone squatting in residential property could only be removed using the civil courts. The...
Times are difficult for the retail industry at present which can be seen on many high streets throughout the country. Empty shops and closing down sales are becoming the norm. Company voluntary arrangements (CVA’s) are on the increase but...
The beginning of this month unleashed new motoring laws in France, so for those planning a road trip to France, take note! It is now a legal requirement for motorists to have a personal breathalyser in their vehicles. Failure to do so will result in a fine...
There are currently ten hospitals in England that perform child heart surgery and approximately 3,600 operations are carried out each year on children born with heart defects. However, groups including the Royal College of Surgeons, The Society of...
Stephensons' Central Service team, which handles thousands of new client calls every month, has been shortlisted for a prestigious award. The team - based at our Wigan Investment Centre office - is competing for the title of Frontline Team of the Year...
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has recently released a report into the failures of health and social care providers across England. The report found that more than one in four are failing to meet essential standards of quality and safety. The findings...
A recent Italian ruling has reignited the debate over the controversial MMR jab and its potential links with autism. An Italian court held that nine-year old Valentino Bocca’s autism was provoked by the MMR jab he was given when he was fifteen months...
Following a successful event in London in March, The Justice Gap held a debate in Manchester on “Who Investigates Miscarriages of Justice” jointly hosted by leading Manchester barristers’ chambers, Garden Court North. I was delighted to...
The FSA announced yesterday that some banks have mis-sold interest rate swaps (IRS) to potentially thousands of small and medium-sized businesses. This is following the news I reported last week, that a test case involving alleged mis-selling of IRS will...
