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NEW GUIDANCE ON TACKLING MODERN SLAVERY West Midlands Employers have published a new guide, in partnership with WM-ADASS , for care providers across the West Midlands: ‘Modern Day slavery: Ensuring Compliance with Overseas workers Employment Rights and Safety.’ With a belief prevention is better than cure, this guide provides information on what Modern Day Slavery is, a little about the legislation itself and how to spot the signs of Modern Day Slavery. For more information and to download a copy of the guide please visit the International Recruitment Hub. The WMCA have links to various international recruitment resources within the West Midlands region. Some are provided by the care association and some are provided by external agencies such as WM Employers. Find out more here .

New 5 year National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance launched New National Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance launched to protect people and animals from the risks of drug resistant infections. Plan supports the government’s 20-year vision to contain and control AMR by 2040. Plan builds on the progress made in the previous 5-year National Action Plan and lessons learned from COVID-19 and sets ambitious targets to drive down inappropriate use of antibiotics and stimulate further development of new drugs and vaccines. The new National Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance can be accessed here . A new plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a global issue that makes infections difficult or impossible to treat, has been launched today. The National Action Plan will commit the UK to reducing its use of antimicrobials – such as antibiotics, antifungals and antivirals – in humans and animals, strengthen surveillance of drug resistant infections before they emerge and incentivise industry to develop the next generation of treatments. It commits to continue to innovate through initiatives such as indicating that that the world-first ‘subscription model’ for antimicrobials, which was launched in 2019 as a pilot, could be expanded. This will see more companies paid a fixed annual fee for antimicrobials based primarily on their value to the NHS, as opposed to the volumes used. The plan will build on progress towards the UK’s 20-year vision for antimicrobial resistance which will see AMR contained, controlled and mitigated – protecting public health by increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, disability and death. Health Minister Maria Caulfield said: “Almost 8,000 people in the UK die from drug resistant infections every year. If this continues to spread, common infections and injuries that were once easily treatable become harder, and in some cases impossible, to treat. Our five-year action plan outlines our commitment to leading the way in tackling AMR, including through expanding our world-first subscription model to accelerate research into new treatments. In a world recovering from the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, international collaboration and preparedness for global health challenges have taken on an unprecedented level of importance.” This is the second of a series of five-year National Action Plans that will ensure sustained progress by tackling the global threat of AMR. Learning from the achievements and challenges faced in delivering the previous plan, which was launched in 2019, this new National Action Plan will run from 2024 to 2029. It embeds lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and will include specific commitments focusing on infection prevention and control, and the development and use of diagnostics and vaccines. Action has already been taken across sectors, including the medical and farming industries, to decrease the number of infections and prevent antimicrobial resistance from spreading. The new plan has nine strategic outcomes organised under four themes: Reducing the need for, and unintentional exposure to, antimicrobials – this includes activity to prevent infections arising in the first place (through good infection prevention and control, including vaccination), to monitor the emergence and spread of AMR through strengthened surveillance, and to minimise release of antimicrobials and resistance into the environment. Optimising the use of antimicrobials – through ensuring antimicrobials are only used when needed in humans, animals, and the environment. Investing in innovation, supply and access – by supporting and incentivising the development of new vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics (including alternatives to antimicrobials), making them accessible to those who need them, and ensuring our work on AMR is informed by cutting edge research. Being a good global partner – maintaining the UK’s role as an international leader on AMR and supporting low- and middle-income countries to respond to the threat of AMR through research, good supply chains and access to antibiotics. Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said: “Antibiotics are one of the most powerful tools we have against infection. Resistance to these drugs therefore poses a significant threat to the lives of many people in the UK and around the world. AMR is not just a matter for clinicians – it is important to work across sectors to help preserve these vital medicines to minimise the impact of AMR.” UK Special Envoy on AMR Dame Sally Davies said: “It is incomprehensible for any of us to imagine a world without effective antibiotics. But we are facing an antibiotic emergency already. And this menace is deeply unfair – with the burden disproportionately falling on the world’s most vulnerable, in low-and middle-income countries and also children. We have to work together, across the world, with those countries that need action the most, to make progress and contain AMR.” AMR occurs when bacteria, and other microorganisms, develop resistance to antimicrobial drugs, such as antibiotics, making them less responsive or unresponsive to treatment. Avoiding unnecessary antibiotic usage in humans and animals is crucial to slowing the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. In 2022, the government invested £210 million to partner with countries across Asia and Africa to tackle AMR and reduce the threat posed to the UK, through the Fleming Fund *. It is estimated that in 2019, 1.27 million deaths globally were caused by infections resistant to antibiotics. The UK is committed to playing a central role in the global effort to confront AMR by taking a comprehensive approach that leverages the country’s expertise and domestic experience. The scale of the AMR threat, and the need to contain and control it, is widely acknowledged by governments, international agencies, including the WHO and World Bank, researchers and private companies alike. Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “Antimicrobial resistance is a threat to all of us – simple lifesaving interventions in the form of antimicrobials are in danger of becoming ineffective. Through our priority AMR programme, including one health surveillance, collaborative working with the health service, international collaborations and novel approaches to therapies and diagnostics, UKHSA has risen to meet this active threat – but it will take collective action across government, industry, academia and the public to ensure that antimicrobials remain available for ourselves and our communities, now and in the future.” The Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden said: “Antimicrobial resistance is the invisible threat we must tackle to protect the welfare of our society and safeguard the NHS. I am pleased to see the publication of this second National Action Plan, which fulfils our commitments in the Biological Security Strategy to progress towards the vision of a world where AMR is effectively contained, controlled and mitigated by 2040.” UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: “The UK has made fantastic progress in the past 10 years to reduce AMR in animals, working between government, farming industry, vets, and animal keepers to reduce the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals by more than half. The new National Action Plan will build upon these achievements, and I urge vets and animal keepers to continue to support the UK’s 20-year vision to contain and control AMR.” Richard Torbett, Chief Executive, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry said: “Antimicrobial resistance is a pressing health challenge which requires urgent global action. The UK has been proactive in finding practical solutions to this problem, and this new National Action Plan sets a precedent that countries worldwide should follow. Expanding the pilot of the innovative antibiotic subscription model is a crucial next step with our industry's full support. This type of innovative thinking is needed to address the issues associated with AMR and safeguard public health from this shared threat”. James Anderson, Executive Director, Global Health at the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) and Chair of the AMR Industry Alliance said: “Tackling the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance will depend on having a continuous pipeline that delivers new, innovative antibiotics. To do this, society needs to take bold action to redefine the value we place on them and attract more R&D investment. The successful results of the UK’s pilot programme provide an important reference point ahead of this year’s UN High-Level Meeting on AMR. As a truly global challenge, we need to see countries working together to make a step change in how the world is addressing AMR.” The UK will continue to innovative and influence with expansion to the subscription-style model, piloted 2019, to more antimicrobials across the UK which can be found here Antimicrobial Products Subscription Model: consultation on proposals *The Fleming Fund is a UK aid programme supporting up to 25 countries across Africa and Asia to tackle antimicrobial resistance. There has already been progress made towards reducing antibiotic use in animals – sales of antibiotics for use in food-producing animals fell by nearly 10 percent in the last year and have more than halved since 2014.

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Falls and the resulting harm caused by falls can significantly impact a person's well-being and mobility. Within care settings, older people are three times more likely to fall than older people living in their own homes with more serious consequences. In today's dynamic healthcare landscape, resident well-being is paramount and care homes are looking for innovative solutions to improve care outcomes. Here, Mike Hamilton from My Improvement Network (one of our Falls Based Prevention Suppliers), explains how their RITA system can help in care home settings. ******************** How can RITA help manage and reduce incidences of falls? The Daily Mail recently reported that 250,000 NHS Patients a year suffer a dangerous or even fatal fall estimated to cost £2.3 Billion pounds a year and if you take in to account falls in the community including in Care Homes, the issue is even greater. The sad reality is that a great deal of falls are preventable and some would argue that all of them are, but let's be realistic. It is commonly overlooked that many falls frequently occur as a result of behaviours that challenge. So, what causes behaviours that challenge and what can be done to prevent it? Many fallers in hospital are elderly and have complex conditions such as Dementia and other underlying cognitive issues. Hospitals are incredibly scary and daunting places; they are unfamiliar and full of unfamiliar faces. These patients become very confused, unsettled, bored and restless in hospital and their behaviours deteriorate and escalate as a result. This can lead to wandering with purpose that leads to falls and combative behaviour leading to other safeguarding incidents. Hospitals and care homes in general offer globally admired Clinical and Nursing interventions focussed on physical health; however, the Mental Health and Wellbeing of service users is sadly commonly overlooked and can be viewed as a 'nice to have', due to under resourcing, underfunding and a lack of awareness of the problem. Scotland are ahead of the game. Last year, I wrote to the UK Government, lobbying for more investment, resources and standards focused on enhanced therapeutic proactive and preventative care to be considered. I was delighted to receive an invitation to meet with Government officials and received a letter from Michael Matheson Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care. I was really reassured to hear that new reforms are being implemented, including a proactive and preventative care programme. So how does our RITA technology help to prevent falls and support the proactive and preventative care initiative? The answer is that it is not the RITA device specifically, that helps to prevent a fall, it is the proactive therapeutic use of the RITA technology with patients/service users that helps to prevent falls. Why? When staff use RITA as an alternative therapeutic intervention, they are ultimately proactively enhancing the care environment and service users Mental Health, Quality of life and wellbeing. By doing so, this helps to prevent behaviours that challenge (Common root cause) occurring in the first place which in turn contributes to prevention of incidences of falls that may occur otherwise. It is critical for other NHS leaders to follow Scotland's lead and to see the opportunity here. This is a prime example of an invest to save case. If falls are costing the NHS an estimated £2.3 Billion pounds a year, surely it is logical to invest in a proactive and preventative care agenda. Even if this approach were to help prevent just 10% of falls a year, we are talking a cost release saving to the NHS of £230M a year! Arguably, the biggest challenge of course, is changing mindsets and culture; and this can only be achieved by implementing new standards, procedures and quality monitoring assessments. ******************** My Improvement Network are offering a 30% discount on their RITA system to WMCA members . For more information, contact Mike Hamilton by email at: mike.hamilton@myimprovementnetwork.com You can find out more about My Improvement Network here . ******************** As part of Digital Transformation Fund (DTF) there is funding available for allocation to CQC registered homes to support Care Homes to introduce falls technologies to help identify and prevent falls and to engage in small pilots of other technology enabled care (TEC). If you are interested to learn about your eligibility, what funding is available, and how the WMCA can support you through the selection and purchasing process, please click here .