Latest News Articles from BFRSS.org.uk

Arriva Transport Solutions

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Who are Arriva Transport Solutions Limited (ATSL)?

Arriva Transport Solutions is a specialist transport business within the Arriva group which provides patient and social care transport for thousands of people across the UK every day.

ATSL brings together decades of unrivalled transport and logistical experience with more than 30 year’s clinical expertise through its established Ambuline operations.

We currently have a fleet of 375 ambulance cars, patient transport ambulances and specialist high dependency ambulances.

What does ATSL do?

ATSL currently has some 900 employees and provides more than 5,000 non-emergency patient journeys each day.
We deliver NHS and other public sector organisation contracts in the East Midlands, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Humberside, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. Expertise from our existing 11 UK patient transport service (PTS) contracts is shared to bring value and ensure smooth mobilisation of all new contracts.

With Care Quality Commission accreditation, our Ambuline operations were the first UK company to deploy the innovative and award-winning ambulance decontamination system STERIS VHP®. We also have extensive experience in renal, high dependency and bariatric transport, specimen transfer, medical repatriation, medical courier services and hospital shuttle bus services.

What does ATSL offer patients who need support getting to and from their local hospital?

We recognise that people have differing needs and care requirements and our people, many who have transferred from the NHS, are trained to offer support so travelling to and from hospital is as seamless and comfortable as possible.

We are focused on maintaining and, wherever possible, improving the quality of services. In the past 18 months we have invested more than £11 million on new ambulances and cars, control centres and technology to improve the quality and performance of services for the patients we care for.

In the West Midlands we have worked with the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust to help improve the experience for renal patients. We developed a new phased arrival plan to replace the existing practice which saw all patients attending for treatment at the same time. This has helped reduce patient waiting times and alleviated pressure on NHS staff.

How do we work with the NHS?

We work with NHS Trusts and Commissioning Groups to help identify opportunities for improvement, efficiency and innovation which enhance the experience for patients. We also look to ensure our resources are invested wisely so that we can offer maximum value for the NHS wherever we operate.

How does ATSL support and develop its employees?

All our frontline staff are fully trained in basic first aid, life support and resuscitation techniques. Through our Ambuline operations we are also qualified to provide first aid and manual handling training to other UK organisations.

Our employees offer a unique insight into our operations and can help us innovate and further improve service delivery. We encourage their feedback and keep them informed through newsletters, briefings, open forums and road shows. In all our operations we work closely with the unions to develop positive and productive working relationships. We are experienced in successfully integrating employees joining us from the NHS and we recognise and welcome the skills, experience and value they bring to ATSL.

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BSkyB to create 550 new jobs as demand boosts profits

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BSkyB has said it will create 550 new jobs due to strong demand for its products and services.

The group, which provides TV, broadband and fixed-line telephony services, reported pre-tax profits of £966m for the nine months to 31 March, up from £899m a year earlier.

Revenue was up 6% to £5.4bn from the year before.

BSkyB said it had added 715,000 more subscription products in the January to March period.

"We have had a good third quarter and our multi-product strategy is delivering strong results," said chief executive Jeremy Darroch in a statement.

"Despite the tough consumer environment, we added 715,000 more subscription products in three months, taking the total past 30 million for the first time. On the back of this growth, we are creating 550 new jobs to meet demand for our products and serve our growing customer base."

"These results highlight the way that our successful transition to more broadly-based growth has created a bigger, more profitable business. And having more ways to grow serves us particularly well at a time when household budgets look likely to remain stretched," he added.

For more information regarding the following News Story please go to The BBC....

Royal Dutch Shell wins huge UAE gas deal

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Anglo-Dutch company Shell has beaten France's Total to a multi-billion-pound deal to develop a gas field with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

The two companies will develop the Bab field, a potentially tricky project because it contains so-called sour gas, a poisonous and foul smelling product.

The project, which could be worth about $10bn (£6.5bn), requires highly sophisticated technology to develop.

Prime Minister David Cameron said it was a "fantastic outcome" for Shell.

The deal was announced at the start of a visit to London by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, president of the United Arab Emirates.

Mr Cameron said: "Today's deal, the largest secured by a British company in the UAE in recent years, is a fantastic outcome for Shell and highlights the UK's world class energy sector."

ADNOC will own 60% of the Bab joint venture, and Shell the rest.

The 30-year venture to treat the potentially deadly gases in Bab also puts Europe's largest energy company in a strong position to renew its role in the UAE's largest onshore oil concession, on which the Bab field stands, when that contract comes up for renewal early next year.

French President Francois Hollande is thought to have tried to encourage Abu Dhabi to give Total a share in the project when he visited the UAE in January.

For more information regarding the following News Story please go to The BBC....

American firm creates 70 new technology jobs in Belfast

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An American company is creating 70 new jobs in Northern Ireland.

Merchant Warehouse is setting up a technology development centre in Belfast.

Economy Minister Arlene Foster said they were high-quality, knowledge-based jobs won in the face of competition from other countries.

Invest Northern Ireland has offered £840,000 of assistance towards the job creation.

The Boston-based company provides payment technologies and services to around 80,000 customers.

Having experienced significant growth in recent years, the Belfast operation will support further growth by adding in-house engineering and development resources.

Mrs Foster said: "Invest NI has worked hard to secure this investment for Northern Ireland.

"In this it was aided by very positive reports from other US investors who have set up here, who promoted the availability of highly-qualified staff, and the strong support from local universities and government agencies, as well as cultural and logistical alignment.

"These new jobs will contribute some £2.7m a year in salaries to the economy."

Henry Helgeson, Merchant Warehouse's chief executive officer, said: "Invest NI's offer of support was crucial to our decision to locate the new technology division in Northern Ireland.

"We are confident that the new Belfast centre, which will support our accelerated product evolution and enhance our overall customer support, will help us to maintain our competitive edge."

For more information regarding the following News Story please go to The BBC....

Mango Direct Marketing announces 55 new jobs for Bangor

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A Bangor-based company has announced it is creating 55 new jobs.

Mango Direct Marketing Ltd provides direct telemarketing and customer services to local, national and international clients.

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said the announcement "signals the company's ongoing commitment to the local area".

"The jobs are being supported by Invest NI Jobs Fund and will enable Mango to take on major new contracts in its key target markets," she said.

"It is encouraging to see companies investing in growth even in these difficult times."

Mango has grown every year since it was established in 2008.

The new jobs will help the company meet the demand for its services from home shopping and charity organisations.

Invest NI has offered the company £165,000 of support to assist with the expansion.

For more information regarding the following News Story please go the The BBC...

Anglesey jobs: Chicken factory consults over new shift

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An union has welcomed the possibility of up to 300 new jobs being created at a chicken processing plant on Anglesey.

2 Sisters Food Group has begun consultations with the trade union Unite over the creation of a second shift at its Llangefni site.

It could double the workforce at the old Welsh Country Foods abattoir which the company bought from Vion in March.

Around 300 workers lost their jobs when a Vion plant at Gaerwen on Anglesey closed earlier this month.

"From the meetings we've had about the two new shifts there is the potential for 200-300 new jobs," said Paddy McNaught, Wales regional officer for Unite.

I am very confident that this will go ahead, because after the horsemeat scandal big supermarkets are buying meat locally in the UK."

Mr McNaught said a "big order" from one supermarket was behind the need for a second shift at Llangefni where around 300 people currently work.

"It's really, really positive news because we are desperate for jobs on Anglesey.

"It's positive news and we are keen to work with the company," he added.

Nearly 3,000 jobs were safeguarded at three poultry and meat processing plants in Wales after the buyout of Vion plants by the 2 Sisters Group.

The Birmingham-based company said the purchase of Vion would help the company meet growing demand.

Andrew Hanson of the 2 Sisters Food Group confirmed that a consultation period will start within the week about creating a second shift at the chicken abattoir in the town.

But he told BBC Wales he remained cautious about job creation, and that potentially up to 300 jobs could be created "some years down the line".

The company is still making losses every year, and there was plenty to discuss with the unions in terms of the new shift, he said.

However, he added that 2 Sisters was a growing company, and they were in a "positive mood" on entering negotiations.

For more information regarding the following News Story please go to The BBC....

Huge response expected as North Yorkshire force looks for 60 new recruits

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A MAJOR recruitment drive for new police officers has been launched by a force that was beset by scandal following a similar campaign three years ago.

North Yorkshire Police wants to recruit around 60 officers between now and the end of next year – and expects a huge response from the public.

The county’s police and crime commissioner, Julia Mulligan, said she was launching the drive to ensure the right number of officers were available by keeping numbers stable as officers retired or transferred elsewhere.

“I know that people want to see officers on the streets and this campaign will help to make sure that we maximise coverage across North Yorkshire for the next few years,” she said.

Mrs Mulligan added: “Undoubtedly, there will be a huge number of people who are interested and it is probable the website will be extremely busy during the application period which is open for two weeks.

“If people do experience a delay I would ask that they please bear with us as we work to ensure that the process runs as smoothly as possible. ”

In 2010 a big recruitment drive in which almost 500,000 potential applicants got in touch led to the eventual departure of then-Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell.

He admitted a charge of gross misconduct after an investigation into claims he helped a relative gain an unfair advantage in the recruitment process.

Although he kept his job at the time the then-police authority later decided not to renew his contract and he left in May 2012.

People can log on to northyorkshire.police.uk/pc until 5pm on May 8 to access the application form.

For more information regarding the following News story please visit The Northern ECO

Forces champion role for University of South Wales

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Former servicemen and women will be able to get help and advice on education from a new University of South Wales "forces champion".

The university has signed a formal covenant with the armed forces to provide guidance to leavers on their future.

Prof Kevin Davies, a colonel and deputy commander of the Army's 160 Wales Brigade, is taking on the role.

He said it was a development of work previously done in the valleys.

"The Universities Heads of the Valleys initiative set up by the old Glamorgan and Newport universities [which formed USW] looked at offering all sorts of study for people trying to get back into education.

"To anyone coming back to Wales after leaving the military it would be really useful.

"This is anything from those three education modules to degrees, masters, PhDs - there's every program of study."

As well as his Army role, Prof Davies is also principal lecturer at the university's faculty of health, sport and science and chair of the military education committee for universities in Wales.

He said the two old universities had particular strengths with helping people from the military into civilian roles, with Glamorgan having a good record in engineering and health, and Newport in teaching.

Prof Davies highlighted the concentration of military sites in south Wales, and said it would be added to when the 14th Signal Regiment moved from Cawdor - formerly Brawdy - in Pembrokeshire to St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan.

"There is quite a big defence population here already. The Welsh regiments do recruit extensively in the south Wales area," he said.

He said part of the initiative was driven by a focus on social responsibility.

"We have a really good track record of enabling people from the valleys to access higher education who perhaps don't have formal education."

The covenant will also mean providing specialist support to the forces' training for disaster relief and medical services, as well as supporting university staff who serve in the reserve forces.

For more information regarding the following News Story please go to The BBC....

East of England Ambulance: Plan to recruit 350 staff

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The East of England Ambulance Service has revealed plans to recruit more than 350 employees to improve patient care and staff morale.

The trust's "turnaround plan" lists measures including recruiting more paramedics, tackling sickness and restructuring management.

The trust was ordered to improve by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after its response times deteriorated.

In reply, the trust admitted it was letting both patients and staff down.

The trust said it planned to recruit 82 specialist paramedics, 149 paramedics, 24 emergency medical technicians and 96 emergency care assistants.

It said £5m in "additional investment" would be used to finance for the new posts but has not provided any further details.

The recruitment drive, in addition to reducing staff sickness and its spending on private ambulances, would enable it to provide the equivalent of an extra 25 of its own double-staffed ambulances, available around the clock, the trust added.

'Learned helplessness'

Andrew Morgan, interim chief executive of the trust, said: "We need to improve the service we give to patients and better support our dedicated and committed staff.

"Transforming the organisation will take time but we have the staff and the focus to turn things around together."

Last month's CQC report found that the trust had met standards in four out of five categories, but not in the care and welfare of patients.

A week later, Maria Ball, chairwoman of the trust, resigned after five years in the post.

In its 20-page response to the CQC report, the trust said: "We are not delivering our 999 service, which is our core business, well enough.

"We are letting both patients and staff down.

"This is not acceptable and we need to completely transform the organisation to better support our patients and staff."

'Beggars belief'

The trust admitted to a "lack of clear and visible leadership from the board" and said there was a "learned helplessness" among some managers.

"There are too many managers and not enough management," it said.

Denise Burke, chair of North Norfolk Labour Party, said: "We cautiously welcome talk of further investment.

"More resources and staff will take time to materialise, so we hope the trust has a strategy to bring improvements now to avoid more of the horror stories we have heard from patients."

Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk who is also a health minister, said: "For me it beggars belief that you come up with a turnaround plan days before they receive the report and recommendations from Anthony Marsh, the chief executive of the West Midlands Ambulance Service.

"It doesn't instil great confidence in me that they've got this right.

"They will be judged on their actions as to whether they can implement a clear plan."

Therese Coffey, Conservative MP for Suffolk Coastal, said: "It's very good news to hear about the extra staff planned.

"My concern is there's very little detail on how they will actually train these extra people through their sole education provider."

For more information regarding the following News Story please go to The BBC....

Opening for new £22m Co-op centre in Derbyshire

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A new £22m distribution centre for the Co-operative shops is to be officially opened in Derbyshire later.

The company said the site located in Castlewood, South Normanton, will create 300 new jobs and employ more than 1,000 people.

Steve Murrells, chief executive of The Co-operative Food, said the opening of Castlewood marked a "major milestone" for the firm.

The Co-op said they received more than 2,200 applications for the new jobs.

The distribution centre will be fully operational later in the year serving Co-op food stores in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

For more Information regarding the following News Story please go The BBC....