Government: News and people

Published on Wednesday 3 December 2008 19:42

THE assistant chief constable of Strathclyde Police is among three new members appointed to the Risk Management Authority last week.

Jim Green, who is the force's emergency planning officer, will join Professor Hazel Kemshall and Dr Anne MacDonald on the board of the body for five years.

Prof Kemshall is a former probation officer and currently lectures in community and criminal justice at Leicester's De Montfort University.

Dr MacDonald is a consultant forensic psychiatrist and has worked within the NHS for 30 years.

&#149 PROFESSOR Sir Timothy O'Shea has been re-appointed to the board of Scottish Enterprise, it was announced on Friday.

A computer scientist, he is the current principal of Edinburgh University and was recently appointed chair of the Joint Information Systems Committee. He will serve on the Scottish Enterprise board until 2010.

NEWS

THE current economic climate will cause a shortfall between the funding of public services and the services expected by communities in the next three years, according to research published yesterday by the Hay Group.

A survey of 131 public sector leaders across the UK revealed nearly all (93 per cent) expressed concern that public expectations of their service levels were growing.

And three-quarters believed that the recession and the increase in government debt would lead to a growing disparity between the services demanded by local people and the cash available to finance their work.

Over half of respondents reported that funding for public services was already static or reducing and 45 per cent expressed concern that community expectations were already above what their organisations could realistically deliver.

The study found that the major factor in the upsurge in demand on public services was the changing demographic of communities. This was cited in 85 per cent of responses.

Other factors were reported to be an increasing personalisation of services and the fact that communities were now more informed about what was available.

Additional pressures, such as anti-terrorism and knife crime, were also cited by the leaders, which included senior police officers and council leaders. Health trust leaders also reported a growing demand on their budgets in relation to treatments such as IVF.

&#149 PEOPLE with a disability, illness or injury could benefit from a central information hub to help them retain their independence if proposals published by the Scottish Government are approved.

Shona Robison, the public health minister, has launched a consultation on the plan, which could also see a guide published providing good practice in home disability equipment and adaptions.

The online centre would highlight what changes are available to the homes of disabled or injured people, and who they should contact to apply for amendments.

The proposals also include the introduction of a carer's assessment, and the provision of adequate training to care staff.