NSPCC aims to reset the debate on end-to-end encryption

  • Polling shows majority of adults in Scotland would back end-to-end encryption in private messaging if children’s safety is not compromised
  • NSPCC chief calls for a reset of the debate to protect the safety and privacy rights of children
  • Home Secretary to address NSPCC event on end-to-end encryption

The NSPCC is warning that private messaging is the frontline of child sexual abuse online and is calling for an urgent re-set of debates on end-to-end encryption.

The call comes as polling shows the Scottish public support for end-to-end encryption of private messages would double if platforms could demonstrate children’s safety would not be compromised.

An NSPCC/YouGov survey found 29% of adults in Scotland support using end-to-end encryption on social media and messaging services, but this jumps to 59% if it was rolled out only if and when tech firms can ensure children’s safety is protected.

A total of 183 adults in Scotland were surveyed between 31st December 2020 and 4th January 2021.

Major tech firms currently use a range of technology to identify child abuse images and detect grooming and sexual abuse in private messages.

But there are fears that Facebook’s proposals to end-to-end encrypt Facebook Messenger and Instagram would render these tools useless, with estimates that 70% of global child abuse reports could be lost.

In 2018 these reports resulted in 2,500 arrests and 3,000 children being safeguarded in the UK.

A major NSPCC roundtable attended by the UK Government Home Secretary, Priti Patel, will today (Monday) bring together child protection, civil society and law enforcement experts from the UK, US, Canada, Ireland and Australia.

The charity will call for an urgent reset of the debate around end-to-end encryption which they say has increasingly become an ‘either or’ argument skewed in favour of adult privacy over the safety and privacy rights of children.

However, latest polling suggests public support for a balanced settlement that protects the safety of children while maximising the privacy of all users –  including children who have been sexually abused.

  • More than half (52%) of adults in Scotland believe the ability to detect child abuse images is more important than the right to privacy and more than a third (39%) think they are equally important. Only 3% say privacy should be prioritised over safety.
  • 94% support social networks and messaging services having the technical ability to detect child abuse images on their sites.
  • 95% support a technical ability to detect adults sending sexual images to children on their services.

Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said: “Private messaging is the frontline of child sexual abuse but the current debate around end-to-end encryption risks leaving children unprotected where there is most harm.

“The public want an end to rhetoric that heats up the issue but shines little light on a solution, so it’s in firms’ interests to find a fix that allows them to continue to use tech to disrupt abuse in an end-to-end encrypted world.

“We need a coordinated response across society, but ultimately the UK Government must be the guardrail that protects child users if tech companies choose to put them at risk with dangerous design choices.”

A re-set debate should focus on demonstrating the impact that end-to-end encryption will have on engineering away platforms’ ability to find abuse in private messaging, and how this can be avoided.

The current debate predominantly focuses on the impact of end-to-end encryption for law enforcement, which emphasises the investigation of abuse after it has already taken place – rather than focussing on the loss of platforms’ ability to detect and disrupt abuse much earlier. 

At the roundtable, the NSPCC will share new research and analysis about the implications of end-to-end encryption for child protection and call for tech firms to refocus their approach through safer design features and investment in technology.

It says tech firms should strive to achieve a new settlement that balances properly the benefits and risks of end-to-end encryption, underpinned by legal safeguards through regulation.

The NSPCC is calling for a reset of the debate that allows parties to reach a balanced settlement on both safety and privacy by:

  • Considering the needs of all users, including children
  • Avoiding characterising children’s safety as a simplistic trade off against adult’s privacy
  • Reflecting children’s digital rights under international law
  • Tech firms respecting the full range of fundamental rights at stake, rather than privileging some over others
  • Considering how particular design features can exacerbate the risk of end-to-end encryption to children – e.g. Facebook algorithms that suggest children as friends to adults and plans to auto delete messages on WhatsApp

The UK Government Home Secretary will address the meeting a year after the NSPCC brought together 130 children’s organisations to call on Facebook not to proceed with end-to-end encryption until they can guarantee children’s safety won’t be compromised.

The NSPCC’s report End-to-End Encryption: Understanding the Impacts for Child Safety Online compiled research and interviews with experts from 17 organisations in the UK, US and Australia, including industry, government, law enforcement, civil society and academics.

Its policy briefing Private messaging and the rollout of end-to-end encryption – the implications for child protectionsets out the importance of a range of responses to ensure child protection can be maintained in end-to-end encrypted environments, through technological, civil society and legislative and regulatory action.

Edinburgh College lecturers to strike this week

Edinburgh College lecturers are scheduled for further industrial action this week, Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st April in defence of the Further Education sector and the professional status of qualified lecturers. This follows previous strongly supported strike action taken prior to the Easter holidays.

Colleges Scotland’s refusal to ratify their own agreed definition of the lecturer’s role, a definition the union accepts, has so far prevented a settlement. Their refusal threatens to undermine the delivery of quality education to Edinburgh College students, many of whom have over the years seen unqualified staff on poorer pay, terms and conditions deliver qualifications up to HN level.

EIS FELA members will this week also be balloted on Action Short of Strike Action. This constitutes an escalation of the dispute incorporating a withdrawal of good will. 

Edinburgh College Branch Secretary Penny Gower described what is at stake: ‘Our members are losing money by striking, but this action is not for personal gain. It is to make sure our students get the quality of education they deserve.

“All we ask is that the employers ratify their own proposals which we have already accepted. If they care about students they should do that immediately.”

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “Our members are continuing to stand firm against the practice of replacing lecturers with less qualified, lower paid staff. Colleges claim that there is no plan to do this, yet they continue to refuse to ratify an agreement that would halt this practice.

“If colleges are not seeking to replace lecturers with lower qualified staff, why are they so reluctant to ratify the agreement – incorporating their own proposals – that would stop it from happening?”

A spokesperson for the Colleges Scotland Employers’ Association, said: “Colleges will do everything they can to ensure that students are supported during this difficult time, and that any disruption is minimised.

“The EIS-FELA has refused repeated requests to suspend the strikes while meaningful discussions carry on – national industrial action is wholly unnecessary.” 

Key workers: “We’re worth more!”

Ahead of the start of the 124th STUC Annual Conference today, GMB Scotland members from care, nursing, refuse, ambulance, and school support services, will tell Ministers, “We’re worth more!” as they campaign for a rejection of the NHS and COSLA pay offers for 2021.

GMB workplace representatives in NHS Scotland and COSLA are strongly urging members to reject the respective 4 per cent and £800 increases for the lowest paid workers, arguing the Scottish Government can and should go further after the last twelve months.

The union’s consultative ballot in COSLA will run until Thursday 22 April, and until Wednesday 5 May in NHS Scotland.

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser Drew Duffy said: “We were told at the start of the pandemic that Scotland was prepared for COVID-19, but nothing could have been further from the truth.

“Health and social care staff tackled the first wave of COVID-19 without proper PPE, home carers were left without workplace testing until January, and school support staff were an afterthought in the education recovery plan.

“From PPE, testing, sick pay support and socially distanced working arrangements, everything that’s been put in place to protect the workers on which we all depend had to be fought for by the workers’ themselves.

“And after a wretched year and desperate decade, where their modest incomes have been cut by thousands of pounds, our members are prepared to fight again for their proper value, against pay offers that don’t amount to much more than a £10 a week increase for many.

“They’ve heard the applause and they’ve read all the political platitudes, but now they are telling the Scottish Government to listen, and the message is clear: “We’re worth more.”

The continuing safety concerns due to COVID-19 means that the 2021 annual Congress will be held as a digital event.

Delegates from over 50 affiliated unions and trades union councils, as well as the STUC equalities committees, will meet over three days to debate and agree new policies.

We will also hear from sisters and brothers from other Trade Union Centres and from politicians.

The STUC General Council will deliver its report of the past 6 months work.

The digital format of Congress limits some of the things we can do but we still have a busy fringe event as well as expo sessions from our sponsors and supportive organisations.

You can watch the whole of Congress live on Facebook or YouTube!

Roz Foyer, STUC General Secretary

Congress Documents

Fringe meetings

Congress videos

Congress Live

‘Sheer, naked greed’

England’s ‘Big Six’ clubs set to break from Premier League as new Super League is set up

Twelve of Europe’s biggest football clubs – six of them from England – have announced they have agreed to establish a new mid-week competition, the Super League, governed by its Founding Clubs.

The announcement has been met with fury by the football authorities, football clubs and fans groups.

AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Atlético de Madrid, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, FC Internazionale Milano, Juventus FC, Liverpool FC, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid CF and Tottenham Hotspur have all joined the ‘Super League’ as Founding Clubs. It is anticipated that a further three clubs will join ahead of the inaugural season, which is intended to commence as soon as practicable.

Going forward, the Founding Clubs look forward to holding discussions with UEFA and FIFA to work together in partnership to deliver the best outcomes for the new League and for football as a whole.

The formation of the Super League comes at a time when the global pandemic has accelerated the instability in the existing European football economic model.

Further, for a number of years, the Founding Clubs have had the objective of improving the quality and intensity of existing European competitions throughout each season, and of creating a format for top clubs and players to compete on a regular basis.

The pandemic has shown that a strategic vision and a sustainable commercial approach are required to enhance value and support for the benefit of the entire European football pyramid. In recent months extensive dialogue has taken place with football stakeholders regarding the future format of European competitions.

The Founding Clubs believe the solutions proposed following these talks do not solve fundamental issues, including the need to provide higher-quality matches and additional financial resources for the overall football pyramid.



Competition Format

  • 20 participating clubs with 15 Founding Clubs and a qualifying mechanism for a further five teams to qualify annually based on achievements in the prior season.
  • Midweek fixtures with all participating clubs continuing to compete in their respective national leagues, preserving the traditional domestic match calendar which remains at the heart of the club game.
  • An August start with clubs participating in two groups of ten, playing home and away fixtures, with the top three in each group automatically qualifying for the quarter finals. Teams finishing fourth and fifth will then compete in a two-legged play-off for the remaining quarter-final positions. A two-leg knockout format will be used to reach the final at the end of May, which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue.

As soon as practicable after the start of the men’s competition, a corresponding women’s league will also be launched, helping to advance and develop the women’s game.

The new annual tournament will provide significantly greater economic growth and support for European football via a long-term commitment to uncapped solidarity payments which will grow in line with league revenues.

These solidarity payments will be substantially higher than those generated by the current European competition and are expected to be in excess of €10 billion during the course of the initial commitment period of the Clubs. In addition, the competition will be built on a sustainable financial foundation with all Founding Clubs signing up to a spending framework.

In exchange for their commitment, Founding Clubs will receive an amount of €3.5 billion solely to support their infrastructure investment plans and to offset the impact of the COVID pandemic.

Florentino Pérez, President Real Madrid CF and the first Chairman of the Super League said: “We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world.

“Football is the only global sport in the world with more than four billion fans and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires.”

Backing the new European league, Andrea Agnelli, Chairman of Juventus and Vice-Chairman of the Super League said: “Our 12 Founder clubs represent billions of fans across the globe and 99 European trophies.

“We have come together at this critical moment, enabling European competition to be transformed, putting the game we love on a sustainable footing for the long-term future, substantially increasing solidarity, and giving fans and amateur players a regular flow of headline fixtures that will feed their passion for the game while providing them with engaging role models.”

Joel Glazer, Co-Chairman of Manchester United and Vice-Chairman of the Super League said: “By bringing together the world’s greatest clubs and players to play each other throughout the season, the Super League will open a new chapter for European football, ensuring world-class competition and facilities, and increased financial support for the wider football pyramid.”

The football authorities have responded with their own joint statement:

UEFA, the English Football Association and the Premier League, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and LaLiga, and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Lega Serie A have learned that a few English, Spanish and Italian clubs may be planning to announce their creation of a closed, so-called Super League.

If this were to happen, we wish to reiterate that we – UEFA, the English FA, RFEF, FIGC, the Premier League, LaLiga, Lega Serie A, but also FIFA and all our member associations – will remain united in our efforts to stop this cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever.

‘We will consider all measures available to us, at all levels, both judicial and sporting in order to prevent this happening. Football is based on open competitions and sporting merit; it cannot be any other way.

‘As previously announced by FIFA and the six Confederations, the clubs concerned will be banned from playing in any other competition at domestic, European or world level, and their players could be denied the opportunity to represent their national teams.

‘We thank those clubs in other countries, especially the French and German clubs, who have refused to sign up to this. We call on all lovers of football, supporters and politicians, to join us in fighting against such a project if it were to be announced.

‘This persistent self-interest of a few has been going on for too long. Enough is enough.‘

Fans of the six English Premier League clubs have condemned the move.

Liverpool FC Supporters Union said: “Embarrasing. As fan representatives we are appalled & completely oppose this decision.

“(Liverpool owners) FSG have ignored fans in their relentless and greedy pursuit of money. Football is ours not theirs. Our football club is ours not theirs. We will respond fully to this statement in due course.”

The Football Supporters’ Association said in a statement: “The FSA is totally opposed to the proposals which seek to create a breakaway ‘European Superleague.

“The motivation behind this so-called superleague is not furthering sporting merit or nurturing the world’s game – it is motivated by nothing but cynical greed.

“This competition is being created behind our backs by billionaire club owners who have zero regard for the game’s traditions and continue to treat football as their personal fiefdom.

“The FSA, and no doubt supporters across the continent, will continue to fight against its creation.”

Tips for booking a sustainable holiday

The last year has led consumers to be much more sustainably focused, the public are becoming consistently more engaged and putting their money where their mouth is.

With travel on hold for the best part of the last year, sustainable options are becoming more favourable. Whether that be supporting independent businesses or choosing an environmental option.

Small group tour specialist, Rabbie’s (www.rabbies.com), specialises in sustainable travel and has shared its top tips to consider when booking an eco-friendly holiday.

Consider your mode of transport

While it’s hard to resist the temptation of a self-drive holiday post-pandemic, this convenient way of getting around is not the most eco-friendly. Travelling using communal transport modes, such as by small mini-bus, is a much more fuel-efficient option to reduce your carbon emissions while travelling. Domestic coach tours are a great way to explore the country and visit destinations off-the-beaten track in a sustainable way by lowering the number of independent vehicles on the road.

Visit smaller communities

Steer clear of tourist hot-spots and opt to visit destinations that are typically out of reach. Areas outside of the standard sightseeing trail have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. Tourism spend is worth so much more to these smaller communities and sustainable travellers have an opportunity to really make a difference to the lives of locals. Consider taking a trip to areas such as the Isle of Wight, North Wales and the lesser-known lakes of the Lake District.

Leave no trace

Particularly important when choosing to visit natural beauty locations, travellers should aim to leave places as they found them (or in some circumstances, in a better shape than when they arrived). Travelling on a small group tour allows for groups to avoid making loud noise and let nature’s sound prevail.

A local, knowledgeable guide will help to ensure that travellers respect the communities being visited to ensure an enjoyable journey for those on the tour, as well as those who will visit next. With so many amazing natural beauty locations to visit across the UK such as the woodlands of the Peak District National Park and the beaches of Lewis and Harris, it’s vital to preserve these destinations for years to come.

Choose a responsible operator

Selecting to holiday with a sustainable and morally-sound operator will ensure you’re making the world a better place through travel. Tour companies with substantial green credentials and responsible travel initiatives are a great way to reduce the impact your travels have on the environment in which you are visiting.

Small-group touring company, Rabbie’s, have environmental protection as a core focus of the business. The company even taxes itself £10 for every tonne of CO2 they use, with staff then voting on which community or environmental project this money should go towards each year.

With social distancing measures in place, reduced group sizes and increased cleaning measures, Rabbie’s offers worry-free journeys so you can enjoy a sustainable staycation without concerns.

To arrange a private tour call Rabbie’s on +44(0) 131 226 3133 or email explore@rabbies.com, or for scheduled group tours see www.rabbies.com.

Help to restore our planet on Earth Day

EARTH DAY: 20 – 22 April

Activists like Greta Thunberg are joining this year’s 48 hours of global action. And as former primary school teacher ABBY MILNES of education resource experts PlanBee shows, even the youngest children can get into the spirit of the day with simple activities near to home:

A whopping 70 percent of teachers said say they don’t feel they have been properly trained to teach about climate change, with 40 percent saying it was rarely even mentioned in their school, according to a recent poll by TeacherTapp.

So, it’s all the more important that we can join the movement to educate ourselves, and our children, on the need to protect the global environment.

What is Earth Day?

Earth Day provides a way for us all to demonstrate support for environmental protection and to teach each other about environmental issues.

It was first held in 1970 in the US and has now grown to international dimensions, with events across the globe.

These aim to encourage people to come together and join the world leaders to discuss what we can do to prevent the potential disasters which could result result from climate change.

They include a global youth summit which consisting of panels, speeches and discussions featuring today’s youth climate activists, including Greta Thunberg.

This year’s theme is ‘Restore Our Earth’.

Small cute girl wearing protective mask and holding model planet Earth with message save me

April 21st will focus on the education of children in schools and the crucial role that educators play in ensuring that future generations have a good knowledge of what climate change is, and the steps that can be taken to combat its effects.

On the 22nd there will be a global climate summit with workshops, panels and performances on topics such as:

●        Climate and environmental literacy

●        Climate restoration technologies

●        Reforestation efforts

●        Regenerative agriculture

●        Equity and environmental justice

●        Citizen science

●        Cleanups, and more.

Why join in?

Earth Day offers everyone, young and old, a chance to join together in a common cause: to make changes to combat the effects of and reduce further climate change. It is the perfect opportunity to help to educate the younger generations on steps we can all take to help our environment in the short term, as well as changes we can make to our lifestyles to make changes in the long run.

How can I join in?

Your Earth Day activities can be as large or as small as you want them to be:

Take a walk

This is something everyone can participate in, no matter their age. Take a walk around your local area and take note of all the different animals, insects and plants you can spot. How many different kinds can you spot?

You may like to use these free identification charts for birds to help you.

Or create a scavenger hunt for each other, you could use these I Spy Outdoor Challenge Cards as a starting point.

Encourage younger children to identify where plants are growing, and where they are more likely to find insects – for example, under logs, stones or dark damp spots.

Older children may be encouraged to think about the food chains that they can see. What does a caterpillar eat? Does anything then eat the caterpillar?

This could lead into discussions about biodiversity and what may happen if you took away a food source such as leaves and grass. What would happen to the caterpillars, and their predators?

Clean-ups

One of the main focus of this year’s Earth Day activities is cleaning up our environment to make sure waste ends up in the right place.

Recycling is becoming easier and easier to do and commonplace in the UK, but there are still some areas that end up covered in litter.

Why not take a look around on your walk and do your bit to clear up litter?

Most councils will have litter-picking equipment available to book out to use in a litter pick. Why not organise some of your local community to help?

Or think even bigger and tackle a larger area such as a local park or beach. You can even register your cleanup on the Earth Day website!

Meat-free Mondays

Everyone has a ‘foodprint’. This is the environmental impacts that are associated with growing, transporting, storing of and producing our foods. 

While vegetarian and vegan diets can help reduce your foodprint, you don’t have to give up your favourite foods for good. How about having a meat-free day?

Learn new ways to cook meals with meat replacements, or just tasty ways to cook vegetables in different ways!

Do a taste test with your children. Do they prefer roasted, steamed or boiled carrots? Try new fruits for dessert and have your children help you prepare them. Life skills and new experiences in the same move!

Gardening

Create a garden together. Whether it is a window box, a vegetable patch or just a single herb plant, teach your children how to care for a plant and keep it healthy. E

ven better if you get to use the fruits (and/or vegetables) of your labour in a new recipe!

Save energy and water

Ask your children think about the energy and water being used at school and at home. How can we make sure we don’t waste energy and water unnecessarily?

Challenge the children to create posters to put up around the area to remind users to turn off lights or the tap when they aren’t’t being used.

Our Waters Scarcity lessons may be a suitable resource for this!

PlanBee is passionate about creating age-appropriate resources to help primary school teachers, and parents feel confident when educating children about climate change. 

Their carefully designed ESR (Education for Social Responsibility) curriculum challenges children aged five to 11 to explore what climate change is and how it can affect not only humans but the world around us.

Earthday.org has a bank of educational resources to use with children of all ages to contribute to and learn about the environment around them.

Click here to find out the other areas our ESR curriculum cover.

Councillors to discuss zero emissions plan

The City of Edinburgh Council has unveiled its draft plan to become a net zero organisation by 2030.

On Tuesday (20 April), councillors will consider a draft report outlining some of the first steps the Council could take in its own operations, to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change. 

The draft plan commits the Council to: 

  • Ensuring that all new council operational buildings are constructed to the highest energy criteria and using alternatives to gas boilers for heat as a standard.
  • A £0.6m investment in scoping and planning for the retrofit of existing Council buildings so they can meet the highest energy efficiency standards.  
  • A plan for electrifying all Council car and van fleets.
  • An immediate improvement to school recycling facilities. 
  • Investing in the organisations funding capacity and expertise.
  • Investing in a programme of staff training to develop climate knowledge and skills.

The draft Council Emissions Reduction Plan follows on from the Council signing the Edinburgh Climate Commission’s Climate Compact in December 2020 where it committed to make changes to its operations, transport and buildings to reduce its emissions footprint and support the city’s target of net zero by 2030. 

Councillor Adam McVey, City of Edinburgh Council Leader said: The Council’s carbon emissions have fallen by 62% since 2005/06, well above the 42% target we were aiming to hit by 2021. We’ve made particular progress in recent years, with a 51% reduction since 2017/18. 

“This ambitious plan aims to build on that success and sets out some of the first steps we’ll need to take across our major emissions sources, to become a net zero organisation by 2030.

“Although the Council’s own emissions only account for 3% of Edinburgh’s total emissions, we need to lead by example in our own work to show others what’s possible.

“The journey to net zero emissions will undoubtedly be difficult, but we have a track record of delivery and firm commitment to deliver on our responsivities to future generations. 

“By taking action on climate change and committing to a 10-year strategic approach to deliver a net zero organisation, we’ll not only deliver environmental benefits but deliver wider health, economic and welling benefits for the whole city.

“Becoming a more energy efficient Council; encouraging sustainable travel choices and reducing the amount of waste we produce will positively impact on all of us and help to unlock opportunities to reduce inequalities as we build back better and greener.”

Depute Council Leader, Councillor Cammy Day said: “Edinburgh’s net zero ambition is embedded in a number of our strategies and programmes currently being developed. These will have an impact on both the city and the Council’s emissions footprint. 

“Our commitment to only build to net zero or Passivhaus standard wherever possible is an important preventative measure. Investing in the knowledge, skills and capacity to decarbonise and retrofit our Council estate is an important priority to unlock future plans to deliver change. 

“We all have a part to play in reducing citywide greenhouse gas emissions. This report shows the Council’s leadership and a commitment to action as well as a culture shift in how the organisation thinks about and plans for climate change.”

According to the most recent emissions footprint calculations for the Council, buildings make up 63% of the organisation’s emissions. Other energy consumption is 16%, fleet 9%, waste 8%, business travel 3% and water 1%. 

And, as well as suggesting actions that the Council could take to reduce its impact on the environment, the Emissions Reduction Plan report also highlights opportunities to invest in skills and maximise external funding coming to the Council and the city.

The report is set to be discussed at the Policy and Sustainability Committee on 20 April. 

Read the Council Emissions Reduction Plan

Project using smart rings and watches to detect heart problems receives Heart Research UK grant

A project at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to test how effective smart devices are at detecting heart rhythm problems has received a grant of almost £150,000 from national charity Heart Research UK.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm problem and is thought to affect around 2 million people in the UK. It causes an irregular and fast heartbeat, which makes the heart pump poorly. As a result, blood clots may form inside the heart and, if they travel to the brain, can lead to an AF-related stroke. The risk of stroke in patients with AF is five-fold higher than in people with normal rhythm.

Anticoagulants play a major role in the management of AF. They work by making the blood less likely to clot which therefore reduces the risk of a stroke. However, anticoagulants make patients more prone to bleeding. A significant number of patients on anticoagulants have a major bleed and some, such as brain bleeds, can cause death or severe disability.

Some people are in AF all the time but many have intermittent, infrequent episodes. Currently everyone is advised to take their anticoagulation treatment all the time so many people end up taking it when the vast majority of the time they are in a normal rhythm.

As AF doesn’t always cause symptoms, we need an accurate and reliable way to detect it and alert the patient, so that anticoagulants are taken only when needed. New technologies, such as small heart monitors placed under the skin, watches and rings, can track the heart rhythm continuously and send alerts.

The Medtronic LINQ II implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) is a device the size of a paperclip that is injected under the skin and monitors the heart rhythm and can accurately detect AF. The latest Apple Watch has the ability to detect AF, as does the Sky Labs CART ring. All of these devices connect to a smartphone.

This study, which is being led by Professor Timothy Betts, will recruit 50 patients with AF and follow them for 6 months.

Everyone will receive an ICM. In the first 3 months, Professor Betts and his team will see how well the ICM alerts the patient when AF is detected and how promptly the patient acknowledges the alert.

After 3 months, each patient will then be given either a Sky Labs CART ring or Apple Watch which will send alerts during AF episodes.

The ICM will continue to monitor AF episodes and the team will see if the ring and watch are as good as the ICM at detecting AF, how well the ring and watch alert patients and if the alerts are acknowledged.

The ultimate goal is to use the data collected to guide anticoagulant treatment so that AF patients take anticoagulation only when they need it.

Professor Betts (top, left) said: “It is always fascinating to see advances in new technology and the wide range of applications that they can have.

“This project will allow us to understand if these new and innovative technologies can aid us in improving the treatment of the millions of people with AF in the UK.

“If successful, we will be able to tailor treatment to individual patients, increase the efficacy of treatment and reduce unnecessary medication.

“We are extremely grateful to Heart Research UK for funding this research.”

Kate Bratt-Farrar, Chief Executive of Heart Research UK, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the work of Professor Betts and his team, who are using cutting-edge technology to hopefully improve the lives of people living with the UK’s most common heart rhythm problem.

“Our grants are all about helping patients. They aim to bring the latest developments to those who need them as soon as possible. We are confident that Professor Betts’s project can bring about real and tangible improvements in how we treat patients, using technology that is both non-invasive and simple to use.

“The dedication we see from UK researchers is both encouraging and inspiring, and we at Heart Research UK are proud to be part of it.”

Dobbies celebrates National Tea Day with virtual tea event

Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, is marking National Tea Day (21 April 2021) with an exclusive tea-themed virtual event for Edinburgh residents, hosted by tea experts, Whittard of Chelsea.

With 165 million cups of tea consumed by Brits every day, National Tea Day is the ideal time to celebrate the nation’s favourite beverage. Dobbies’ Whittard of Chelsea virtual event will provide education and information about both the tea plant itself, and the drink that’s become such a huge part of British culture and our daily lives, as well as helping viewers to gain the expertise required to make a perfect ‘cuppa’ every time.

Hosted by Katy Woollard, product specialist at Whittard of Chelsea, the 45-minute expert event will start at 2.30pm on 21 April, and will cover the fascinating history of tea and how it came to be ubiquitous across the UK and around the world.

Katy will also present a demonstration of how to brew the perfect cup of tea, using both tea bags and loose-leaf tea, and will share expert insights on altering methods to suit the most popular brews, including English Breakfast and Earl Grey.

Alongside this, Katy will be on hand to answer those burning questions Edinburgh viewers may have, including advice on optimum temperatures, cups vs mugs, and even the age-old question: milk before or after?

Katy Woollard, Product Specialist at Whittard of Chelsea, said: “We are very excited to share our knowledge, passion and love for tea with Dobbies’ customers and we hope they will enjoy the journey into the Whittard world, as we celebrate National Tea Day.”

The Whittard of Chelsea expert event is part of a series of free virtual events that Dobbies is hosting this Spring.

Following a successful programme of Facebook Live sessions in 2020, they provide a virtual alternative to regular events usually hosted instore.

Further events have already been announced for the coming weeks, including a virtual event on lawns and garden wildlife hosted by Dobbies’ Horticulture Director, Marcus Eyles.

Advance booking is essential for the virtual events, which are hosted on Microsoft Teams, making it quick and simple for viewers to log on and join in the event from the comfort of their homes.

The sessions are free of charge and exclusively available to Dobbies Club members. For those who aren’t yet members of Dobbies Club, membership is free and signing up is quick and simple, giving access to a variety of benefits, special offers and exclusive events. To sign up visit dobbies.com

To sign up for the Dobbies virtual event with Whittard of Chelsea, visit: 

https://www.dobbies.com/content/events.html

UK aid and Unilever reach one billion people with global hygiene campaign to tackle Covid-19

A hygiene campaign launched by the Government and Unilever to tackle Covid-19 has now reached one billion people.

  • The world’s largest hygiene campaign aimed at tackling the spread of Covid-19 has reached one billion people.
  • The UK Government and Unilever partnered to provide soap, sanitiser and surface disinfectants to developing countries, where there is little or no sanitation.
  • This comes as the UK-backed COVAX scheme reaches deliveries of vaccines to 100 countries and territories.

One billion people in developing countries have now been reached with advice, hygiene products and access to handwashing facilities in a campaign launched between the UK government and British business Unilever to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Working through the UN, charities and other partners, the campaign has:

  • Trained 140,000 staff, including community health workers and teachers, to deliver hygiene skills, including deep cleaning of public buildings and effective handwashing.
  • Installed over 500,000 handwashing stations around the world, including in Bangladesh, as well as health care facilities in Iraq.
  • Run information campaigns across TV, radio and social media in 37 countries to increase understanding of the benefits of handwashing with soap regularly and disinfecting surfaces to prevent the spread of Covid-19. These campaigns have also reached refugees living in some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, such as South Sudan and Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.
  • Delivered 75 million Unilever hygiene products, more than three times the original target, to 60 countries, covering South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, South East Asia and the Middle East. These have been donated by Unilever’s leading hygiene brands, including Lifebuoy and Domestos.

The UK has been leading the international response to the Covid-19 pandemic, helping to develop and distribute vaccines support the global economy and bolster health systems around the world.

As one of the largest donors to the COVAX AMC, the UK is also helping stop the spread of the disease through global vaccinations. The scheme has reached 100 countries so far.

The Prime Minister has also confirmed the UK will share the majority of any future surplus coronavirus vaccines from our supply with the COVAX procurement pool to support developing countries.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Minister Wendy Morton said: “This global hand washing campaign has saved lives and protected some of the most vulnerable communities around the world against Covid-19 and other diseases.

“No one is safe until we are all safe. That is why the UK has also provided £548 million for COVAX to deliver more than one billion vaccines around the world, as well as lobbying international partners to increase their funding.”

As well as the UK Government and Unilever, the campaign, funded by UK aid and Unilever, is also supported by experts from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and 21 partners including UNICEF and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees who are helping governments around the world on their own Covid-19 responses.

Charities and international organisations have developed new tools to communicate how Covid-19 is spread. Population Services International developed a WhatsApp chatbot to send new training to health workers while remaining socially-distanced and safe.

Rebecca Marmot, Chief Sustainability Officer at Unilever, said: “Our business has a century-long history of promoting hygiene through our brands, but this unprecedented crisis called for an unprecedented response.

“Public-private partnership has been critical, allowing us to leverage the influence, expertise and networks of both government and business, and our strong network of NGO and UN partners, at home and overseas. We’re pleased to work together with partners to implement initiatives to address the pandemic at scale.”

Robert Dreibelbis, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “Handwashing and hygiene are among the most effective ways to help prevent the spread of many diseases.

“The COVID-19 crisis has shown the important role that hygiene plays in health. Our hope is that this recognition of the vital role of hygiene continues at scale as a key part of COVID-19 recovery.”