Almost 99% Of England's Bathing Waters Meet Strict Standards

New figures show almost 99 per cent of England's bathing waters meet strict quality standards.

Water quality around England's coasts has dramatically improved since last year, new figures from Defra have revealed today.

Nearly all of England's bathing waters have met strict quality standards, with almost 99 per cent of England’s bathing waters meeting the minimum European water quality standard, and over 82 per cent, the highest ever number of bathing waters meeting the tighter guideline standard.

Environment Minister, Dan Rogerson said: "England's bathing waters have seen record improvements, meeting the highest standard this year and we need to make sure they continue to remain of good quality.

"Having quality bathing water and beaches is not only good for the environment but also boosts tourism and creates a stronger local economy."

Govt Agrees Drug Pricing Deal With Pharmaceutical Firms

The Government and pharmaceutical companies have agreed a new five-year, multi-billion pricing deal that will introduce a fixed limit on NHS spend on branded medicines for the first time ever with all additional expenditure above this level paid for by industry.

The breakthrough deal will allow the NHS to increase the availability and use of the best branded medicines and most innovative treatments without risking a spiralling bill for the taxpayer.

At the same time, pharmaceutical companies will benefit from greater certainty on how much will be spent each year and increased use of new and recently developed medicines. This will strengthen Britain’s life science sector and its ability to compete globally.

NHS spending on branded medicines – more than £12bn in 2011/12 – will remain flat for two years, followed by small increases of less than two per cent in the following three years. This marks a significant saving for the taxpayer when compared to an average growth of five per cent in previous years.

The agreement follows many months of negotiation between the Government and industry and signals a shared objective focused on giving patients access to the best medicines, increasing the use of innovative medicines in the UK and balancing the books in a tough economic environment.

Drug Treatment Faces Big Challenges

Drug treatment in England continued to perform well in 2012 to 2013, helping just over 29,000 people to recover from addiction.

According to the latest annual adult statistics released by Public Health England, specialist services remained easy to access for people who need help, with 98% waiting under three weeks to get into treatment.

In 2012 to 2013, the overall number of people in treatment continued to fall, as did the number of people starting treatment for heroin and crack cocaine, particularly among younger age groups. These positive trends echo the overall decline in drug use and the move away from the most problematic substances.

However treatment is now facing a series of significant challenges in sustaining this high performance:

The treatment population is ageing – the over 40s are now the largest group starting and receiving treatment. Many are older heroin users who have failing health and entrenched addiction problems. This group is particularly hard to help into lasting recovery. The impact is beginning to show in the proportion of people successfully completing treatment, which has levelled off in 2012 to 2013 following an increasing trend over the previous 7 years.

While services need to address the demands of this large and complicated group, they also need to adapt and respond effectively to changing patterns in drug use and the needs of the wider population, such as those who get into problems with new psychoactive substances and prescription or over-the-counter medicines.

Public Health England Director of Alcohol and Drugs Rosanna O'Connor said: "Drug recovery is essential to keeping our communities healthy and safe and it remains a high priority for government. Public Health England will continue to support local authorities and treatment services with information to help them understand local need, guidance on what works best, practical tools and resources, and bespoke advice."

(CD)