Minister Raises Awareness Of Domestic Violence At Christmas

Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone recently visited a Women's Aid refuge to raise awareness of the support available for victims of domestic violence over Christmas. The Minister spent time touring the Solace Women's Aid refuge in North London, and spoke to support workers and victims about their experiences. 

The Home Office is working with Women's Aid and the charity Refuge to encourage victims of domestic violence to seek help and support over the Christmas and New Year period and encourage people to look out for signs of abuse in family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. 

Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone said:

 "Christmas and New Year is a time of great joy for many people but can be difficult for those living in fear of violence or abuse in their own homes.

 If you are a victim, or if you suspect you know a victim, we want you to know that help is available.

 Domestic violence is not a private matter and everyone needs to be involved in helping victims.”

 Last year there were more than a million female victims of domestic violence in England and Wales, nearly two women each minute. And every week two of those women lose their lives at the hands of a current or former partner. Each year more than 300,000 women are sexually assaulted and 60,000 women are raped. Overall in the UK, more than one in four women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.



BMA Responds To NHS Employers' Proposal On Staff Pay



Responding to NHS Employers’ proposal for a two-year pay increment freeze for all NHS staff, Dr Hamish Meldrum, Chairman of British Medical Assocaition Council said:

 “Despite the Government’s promise to protect the NHS budget, this proposal from NHS Employers makes clear that the NHS is in fact facing a real-terms cut in funding over the next two years. Hammering the pay of health care staff still further should not be the first – and indeed, at the moment, the only - response to finding a way out of this mess. The so-called guarantees that are being offered in return for a freeze on contractual increments appear to be very limited and will be left to local agreement. 

Doctors, like other health care staff, have already had a two-year pay freeze – a real-terms pay cut. We understand the financial difficulties facing the country and want to play our part in minimising the impact on patients. Doctors are also playing a key role in helping to identify and deliver the £20 billion of efficiency savings already required and are expected to be at the forefront of current proposals for NHS reform.

 There are whole areas of NHS expenditure that seem to have special protection, such as the huge returns for companies on investments in new pharmaceuticals and PFI projects. And we are about to embark on an expensive restructuring of the NHS in England. 

We will consider the details of the NHS Employers’ proposal but are extremely concerned that it seems hitting staff pay yet further is the only offer on the table.”

Bury Firm Sentenced After Woman Fingers Severed

A worker in a factory, manufacturing lids for food containers, had four fingers severed in a lid-punching machine that had been modified by her employers. Chadwicks of Bury Ltd, which produces lids for yogurt pots, ice cream cartons and other food containers, was prosecuted by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident at the company’s Villiers Street factory in May 2008. The 51-year-old worker, who has asked not to be named, was rethreading silver paper through the machine when the cutting tool restarted, severing four fingers on her right hand.

The HSE investigation found the company had covered the sensors on the machine so it could be used to cut paper instead of foil lids. The sensors would have stopped the machine operating when paper was being rethreaded through the cutting tool, if they had not been disabled. Chadwicks of Bury pleaded guilty to breaching regulations by failing to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery. The company was fined £22,500 with £8,708 costs at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court.

(BMcN/GK)