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New Tender Alert📢 Supported Living Schemes in Norfolk for Adults with Learning Disability and/or Physical Disabilities Norfolk County Council wishes to award a contract to Provider(s) to deliver support and enablement to people with learning difficulties and people with physical disabilities across 3 schemes in Norfolk. These schemes are to be tendered for under 3 lots. You may apply for 1 or all 3 lots. Each lot will be scored and evaluated independently. Buyer: Norfolk County Council Sector: Government And Public Service Location: Eastern Deadline Date: January 6, 2025 11:00 am Check full details here: assuredbid.co.uk #NewTender #OpenTender #SupportedLiving #LearningDisability #PhysicalDisability #AssuredBID

UK doctors warn of risk from expanding water beads marketed as toys Doctors have issued a warning over tiny beads that can expand up to 400 times their original size when exposed to liquid, amid reports linking them to serious harm and deaths among children. The water beads are marketed for various purposes, including for use as toys, in crafting, as home decor or in floristry, and are especially popular at Christmas. They are sold under a variety of names including jelly balls, water balls, sensory beads and water crystals. If swallowed, water beads expand and can block the gastrointestinal passage, which may then require surgery. The beads can also cause choking and have harmed children in the UK, with reports linking them to deaths globally. Water beads can be difficult to detect and do not show up in X-rays. On Monday, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) issued a “safety flash” over water beads marketed as toys, amid fears they could be given to young children over the holiday period. It follows a safety alert from the UK’s Office for Product Safety and Standards, which advised that water beads should be kept away from children under five years old, and only used with older children or vulnerable adults under close supervision. Water beads have been linked to child deaths overseas and to “serious harm” to children in the UK, the RCEM said. The beads start small, only a few millimetres wide, but can grow to 400 times their size in about 36 hours when exposed to liquid. The safety alert has been issued to emergency doctors to ensure they know what to look out for while working, but the RCEM also wants to warn parents and carers of the dangers. The RCEM’s alert also highlighted concerns about the potential for children to swallow button or coin batteries and magnets, which pose a danger to children and vulnerable adults if swallowed. The RCEM vice-president Dr Salwa Malik said: “Any one of these three objects could be found under your tree or in a stocking this festive season, hidden in gifts that are intended to bring joy to a child or vulnerable person, but which, if swallowed, could result in critical illness and the need for emergency medical treatment. “As an emergency medicine doctor, I have seen parents holding their child’s hand and watching over them while they lay on a bed in an emergency department, in need of urgent care because they have ingested one of these items. “As a parent, I can imagine how utterly terrifying and traumatic that would be to go through – for a mum, dad, grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, brother, sister and, of course, the child themselves. “Having seen the effects first-hand, which can be devastating and detrimental, we are asking people to please think twice about the dangers these pose while selecting and gifting presents this season.” Let us know your thoughts and Connect with Us for more insights #Newsfeeds #UKHealthUpdate #AssuredBID

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Quarter of NHS England trusts raised parking fees in cost of living crisis, data shows A quarter of NHS trusts in England Hospital raised car parking fees during the cost of living crisis, data has revealed. Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show parking charges rose for at least 37 trusts – 25% of England’s total – between April 2022 and March 2024. Requests were filed to the 147 NHS trusts in England by PA Media, but 25 did not reply, meaning the number that raised parking fees could be higher. The mark-ups were criticised by the Patients Association charity for punishing people coping with ill health. “The ongoing cost of living crisis is already pushing many households to the brink, and these charges unfairly penalise people simply for being unwell and needing access to essential healthcare,” said Rachel Power, the charity’s chief executive. “While parking fees continue to provide important revenue for hospitals during a period of significant financial strain, it is vital that any additional NHS funding is focused on improving patient care,” she said. Power questioned whether “hospitals are receiving a fair share” of the “considerable profits generated by parking schemes”. The NHS defended the charges. Saffron Cordery, the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “NHS trusts – most of whom are under huge financial pressure – just couldn’t afford to maintain car parks without charging people to use them. The last thing trusts want to do is to have to divert money away from patient services.” During the pandemic, from July 2020 until March 2022, hospital staff had their parking fees waived, which cost the Department of Health and Social Care about £130m. Most of the trusts that increased fees did so for patients and visitors. Some of the trusts that reintroduced fees for staff based the charges on salary, with higher earners paying more for permits. Charging staff for parking was criticised by GMB’s national secretary, Rachel Harrison, who said: “Health workers are on their knees – they need help and support. Charging them to park is kicking them while they are down.” A separate analysis of NHS figures by the GMB union found England’s healthcare workers paid about £70.5m for parking in 2023-24. The union called on the government and the NHS to scrap staff parking charges. Harrison said: “They’ve suffered rocketing workloads, chronic understaffing and the fallout from a global pandemic.” A health department spokesperson said parking fees were the responsibility of NHS trusts, but urged charges to be “reasonable and in line with the local area”. Let Us know your thoughts in the comment section and follow us for more newsfeeds.😊 #newsfeeds #NHSnews #AssuredBID

New Tender 📢 Provision of care and support services for residents with learning disabilities at Emlyn Gardens supported living scheme Buyer: London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Sector: Government And Public Service Location: London Deadline Date: January 27, 2025 10:00 am Check full details here: assuredbid.co.uk #Caresupportservices #supportedliving #OpenTender ##NewTender #AssuredBID

New Tender Alert📢 Social Care Community Support Rolling Select List Buyer: Suffolk County Council (Directorates) Sector: Government And Public Service Location: Eastern Deadline Date: March 31, 2027 12:00 pm Check full details here: assuredbid.co.uk #SocialCareSupport #CommunitySupport #OpenTender #NewTender #AssuredBID

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New Tender Alert📢 Mental Health Early Intervention The Provision of a Mental Health Early Intervention Service. Hillingdon Council is seeking a Service Provider to provide a social inclusion program supporting individuals who have complex and severe mental health issues who would benefit from establishing support networks within their local community. Buyer: London Borough of Hillingdon Sector: Government And Public Service Location: London Deadline Date: January 22, 2025 12:00 pm Check full details here: assuredbid.co.uk #OpenTender #NewTender #MentalHealthSupport #EarlyInterventionforMentalHealth #AccessibleMentalHealthCare #AssuredBID

Government rejects calls to save stroke unit The government has decided not to intervene in the closure of a regional Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU), despite strong opposition from MPs and medical professionals. Adam Dance, Lib Dem MP for Yeovil, said he was "deeply disappointed" after Minister of State for Health Karin Smyth confirmed that the Secretary of State would not intervene in the decision to close the unit. Mr Dance argued that recent developments at Yeovil Hospital, including successful recruitment efforts, meant the reasons for closure no longer applied. However, NHS Somerset defended the decision saying the programme would lead to "better emergency treatment and recovery for patients". 'Urgent review is now needed' A spokesperson for NHS Somerset said: "It's a complex project, and there is still a long way to go, but we will work through issues with our local partners and community representatives as part of the implementation phase. "A considerable amount of work has gone into this programme, including hugely valuable input from clinicians, staff, stroke survivors, and their loved ones". The decision by Somerset's Integrated Care Board (ICB) to close the unit, first announced in January, had sparked significant concern from patient groups and medical professionals. Under the current plans, the most urgent stroke patients would be transferred to nearby hospitals in Dorchester or Taunton, a move that had raised concerns about the impact on patient outcomes and response times. Following the announcement, Mr Dance had vowed to challenge the decision and said he would continue to campaign against the closure. 'Devastating blow' "This decision is not just flawed, it is outdated," Mr Dance explained. "In the four months the Department delayed its response, significant changes have occurred at Yeovil's HASU. "The unit now operates a 24/7 service - a key concern raised by the ICB in its original justification for closure. "This is not a party-political issue but a public health one. "The HASU at Yeovil Hospital provides life-saving services, and its closure would be a devastating blow to our community." In an open letter to NHS Somerset, Dr. Khalid Rashed, a stroke consultant, also voiced concerns and argued the unit has enough specialists to operate seven days a week, addressing previous staffing concerns. Patient representatives from eight Somerset GP surgeries also called for the closure to be reconsidered, claiming that circumstances have changed since the initial decision. Tell us your thoughts in the comment section and connect with us for more insights 😊 #newsfeed #UKHealth #NHS #AssuredBID

Open Tender Alert📢 Provision of Supported Lodgings Service for Looked After Children and Care Leavers Seeking Asylum. Nottinghamshire County Council (the Council) seeks to drive service improvements and expand outcomes for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC). Buyer: Nottinghamshire County Council Sector: Government And Public Service Location: East Midlands Deadline Date: January 15, 2025 12:00 pm Check full details here: assuredbid.co.uk #SupportedLodgingsServices #AsylumSeekersSupport #Childrencare #OpenTender #NewTender #AssuredBID