RAND Europe

📢 Reducing Violence Against Ambulance Staff: Key Insights from RAND Europe’s Evaluation of Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) Violence against ambulance staff remains a persistent challenge, affecting their safety, wellbeing, and ability to perform their critical roles. To tackle this, NHS England introduced Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) as part of broader initiatives to address workplace violence. Here are the key takeaways from our comprehensive evaluation: 🔍 What We Found 1. BWCs Are No Silver Bullet: While ambulance staff hold largely positive views about BWCs, they are not a standalone solution. Their effectiveness is enhanced when paired with strategies like de-escalation training and effective communication techniques. 2. Institutional Support is Crucial: A supportive work culture and strong management significantly influence the success of BWCs. 3. Barriers Exist, But Can Be Overcome: Issues such as poor battery life and inadequate attachment points can hinder use but are addressable through targeted interventions. 4. Increased Reporting: Since the introduction of BWCs, there’s been a notable rise in the reporting of violent incidents. 🛠 Key Recommendations For continued use: o Combine BWCs with complementary strategies like training and supportive policies. o Address technical barriers to improve usability. o Balance centralised oversight with the flexibility for local ambulance trusts to adapt. o Explore broader applications, such as using footage for training and development. If discontinued: o Communicate changes clearly to staff and stakeholders. o Invest in alternative violence prevention measures to maintain staff confidence. 🌍 Adding to Global Research Our evaluation highlights the need for more robust studies to understand how and why BWCs work in reducing violence. Effective deployment requires embedding technology within supportive organisational practices. 🚑 The Bigger Picture BWCs are one piece of the puzzle. Reducing violence requires creating workplaces where aggression is no longer part of the job. Technology like BWCs can support this mission, but success hinges on people and policies. Let’s continue to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of those who save lives every day. 💙 👉 Read our full evaluation to dive deeper into these insights. https://lnkd.in/gMGYzZHK #HealthcareSafety #BodyWornCameras #AmbulanceStaff #WorkplaceSafety

Heart failure has significant impacts on patients and the health system. The Managing Heart Failure @home (MHF@home) programme was developed by NHS England to improve heart failure management and population outcomes, reduce hospital admissions and readmissions, and to improve quality of life for people living with heart failure. The programme consists of a personalised care approach, remote support and monitoring, and integrated care As part of the NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) DECIDE Centre for rapid evaluation, RAND Europe, together with the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences - University of Oxford, is conducting rapid scoping phase of an evaluation of MHF@home programme. This scoping phase will assess the feasibility of conducting a full evaluation of the MHF@home programme, and would help inform the design of such evaluation. The evaluation is led by Frances Wu, with Sonja Marjanovic, Agnė Ulytė and Sara Shaw. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/ePf8p6vH #NHS #HeartFailure #HealthTechnology #Evaluation #DigitalHealth

🌌 Space: From Futuristic Dream to Daily Essential 🚀 Access to space has transformed from an ambitious vision to a cornerstone of modern life. Around the globe, militaries, governments, and commercial players are engaging in what some are calling a 'second space race.' The UK Space Agency partnered with our Centre for Futures and Foresight Studies to explore the future uses of space to 2050—examining potential game-changers and the implications for the UK space sector. Discover the possibilities and key insights: Read the findings here https://lnkd.in/eEf2v5hP #Futures #SpaceSector #Innovation #UKSpace #SpaceRace

🚨 The NHS Isn't Broken – But Its Systems Are 🚨 At the end of October, the UK Health Secretary invited the nation to shape the government's plans for fixing the NHS. It's a vital conversation, and one that demands a clear focus on systemic reform. What needs fixing isn’t the effort or dedication of NHS staff. It's the systems in which they operate. Here's how we can approach meaningful reform: 🔑 Focus on the Big Shifts: 1️⃣ Hospital to Community Care: how can we make healthcare more accessible outside hospitals? 2️⃣ Analogue to Digital: how do we leverage technology to enhance service delivery. 3️⃣ Treatment to Prevention: how can we prioritise preventing illness over just treating it? 📉 A Chronic Underspend The UK needs to spend 17% more per person just to match Denmark’s healthcare investment, let alone France, Germany, or the Netherlands. Low capital investment, particularly in social care, and short-term decision-making have left the NHS unprepared for crises like COVID-19. ⚙️ Systemic Challenges Require Systemic Solutions Decision-Making: Shift from short-termism to long-term, joined-up strategies. Innovation: Streamline disconnected innovation programs to support patient care and professional improvement. Accountability: Create a unified, transparent system that aligns responsibilities across public and private providers. 🚀 Real Change Requires Collective Action The NHS needs a system that matches the dedication of its staff, one designed with the public’s trust and expectations at its core. The solution isn’t in patches or incentives but in a fundamental redesign of the systems that underpin healthcare delivery. 💡 Let’s stop talking about a “broken NHS” and start building a resilient, future-ready health system that earns our trust—and our taxes. What’s your take on how we can drive this transformation? Read our commentary and let’s discuss 👇 https://lnkd.in/eyMFEFi3 #NHS #HealthCareReform #SystemsThinking #Innovation #Accountability #Leadership

💼 Strengthening the Fight Against Corruption and Illicit Trade The UK Government has taken decisive steps to combat corruption and economic crime with the appointment of Baroness Margaret Hodge as the new Anti-Corruption Champion and an additional £36 million in funding for the National Crime Agency (NCA). These measures aim to bolster the UK’s efforts to disrupt corrupt practices and safeguard economic stability at home and abroad. One critical focus area is tackling the illicit gold trade, which undermines legitimate markets, fuels corruption, and supports human rights abuses such as child labour. Russia, in particular, leverages illicit gold trade to evade sanctions and fund its war efforts. As highlighted by the Government: “The UK has also imposed further sanctions to tackle dirty money, this time targeting the illicit gold trade. Illicit gold is an assault on the legitimate trade of a valuable commodity, fuelling corruption, undermining the rule of law, and entrenching human rights abuses such as child labour. Russia uses the illicit gold trade to launder money and evade sanctions, in doing so bolstering Putin’s war efforts.” RAND Europe’s latest research explores this pressing issue and offered insights including: 🔹 Gold has become a strategically important resource for the Russian state since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 🔹 Before the war, Russia was the world’s most important sovereign buyer of gold, and it holds an undisclosed – and possibly sizeable – among of gold and precious stones. 🔹 Russia’s gold interests are international, and it holds significant stakes in the gold industries of several countries of the former Soviet Union and Africa. 🔹 Gold is crucial to Russia’s most important wartime trading relationships, specifically with China, Turkey, Iran and the UAE. As John Kennedy, lead author of the report, writes in this blog post, corruption is central to how the Russian government works, and its international trade now increasingly takes place in the shadows. 📖 Read more about these important efforts: • UK Government announcement: https://lnkd.in/emSEb49u • RAND Europe report: https://lnkd.in/eVxqCsxT Together, these initiatives underscore the urgency of addressing corruption and illicit trade to protect global governance, economic stability, and human rights. #AntiCorruption #IllicitTrade #GoldMarket #EconomicCrime #Transparency #HumanRights #GlobalGovernance

🌟RAND Europe is now on Bluesky! 🌐✨ Follow us for the latest insights, research highlights, and discussions on the issues that shape our world. Find us on Bluesky and join the conversation @randeurope.org #RANDEurope #Bluesky #Research #Insights #PolicyInnovation

As Google unveils Willow, its quantum computing chip, the pace of development of quantum technologies is set to accelerate. Over the next few years, quantum computers and simulators could alter many aspects of our lives, including the life sciences. Supported by @Digital Science, our landscape review found that quantum computing is expected to help in areas such as: -       Small-molecule drug design and discovery -       New and more effective biological products and drugs -       Develop personalised precision medicine Read the full report, exploring trends, possibilities, challenges and opportunities in applying quantum tech to the life sciences, at https://lnkd.in/e9PnCsjK #QuantumComputing #Quantum #LifeSciences #Biologics #SmallMoleculeDrugs #MedicalInnovation #Medicine #Futures

Recently, RAND Europe, in collaboration with the Convoco Foundation and the University of Buckingham, hosted a thought-provoking lecture and panel discussion on one of the most pressing issues of our time: AI governance. A special thanks to Dr Jeff Alstott, Director of RAND’s Technology and Security Policy Center, for his insightful lecture on the complex challenges AI presents to policymakers. We also extend our gratitude to the expert panel for an engaging and lively discussion: Professor Carl Benedikt Frey, Dieter Schwartz Associate Professor of AI & Work, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford Dr. Laura Gilbert CBE, Chief Analyst & Director of Data Science, 10 Downing Street Gaia Marcus FRSA, Director, Ada Lovelace Institute Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the conversation. We look forward to continuing these important discussions on shaping the future of AI governance. 👏

As we near the third anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine early next year, we reflect on the return of warfare to Europe that has prompted rapid innovation, keenly watched by both global militaries and analysts. To make sense of the growing pool of analysis and commentary on the conflict in Ukraine by think tanks, academics and industry, the UK MOD asked us to review relevant literature and extract implications for UK and NATO joint doctrine. Our report explores overarching observations, considers domain-specific (across land, maritime, air, cyber and space) and actor-specific (relating to Ukraine, Russia and NATO) observations and identifies implications for joint doctrine. https://lnkd.in/eAPM_DX9 #WarInUkraine #JointDoctrine #UKDefence #NATO #DefenceInnovation

Honored to contribute to Xiaoying You's insightful article on China's roll-out of ultra-high voltage technology for BBC Future, alongside my colleague Ismael Arciniegas Rueda Ph.D. China's pioneering role in UHV technology is a testament to the State Grid Corporation of China's skillful lobbying, securing its interests within the government's S&T agenda. UHV was added to China's Mid- to Long-Term Plan for S&T Development (2006-2020) because State Grid promised that at least 80% of the technologies and standards used for the roll-out of UHV would be Chinese. Such promise subsequently unlocked all sort of research and funding support. For more info on the topic, check out our RAND report on China's global power grid initiative: https://lnkd.in/g8iqanmJ