Latest news with #KevinFoster
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Devon heart attack care trial pulled to review feedback
A proposal to trial changes to heart attack services in part of Devon has been withdrawn to allow time to consider feedback on the Devon's Integrated Care Board (ICB) was due to discuss a "test and learn" process for out-of-hours services in Torbay and Exeter during a meeting on part of the move, the trial could have seen patients driven to hospital in Exeter rather than Torbay to help cut costs and release resources to cut treatment following concerns raised locally, NHS Devon said it had decided to delay the proposal so comments can be reviewed before an updated plan is presented to the ICB in July. 'Deeply concerning' A report which formed part of the trial from NHS Devon said it believed consolidating centres might "provide increased value with minimal and clinically acceptable impact on safety and quality".However, the idea was criticised by Liberal Democrat MPs Steve Darling and Caroline Voaden who both raised the issue in the House of MP Darling said the proposal put patients at risk of not receiving treatment fast enough while South Devon MP Voaden said it would put people in critical Torbay Conservative MP Kevin Foster also raised concerns with the trial, which he described as "deeply concerning". In a statement on Wednesday, NHS Devon said its chair and chief executive had decided to pull the plans from the board meeting off the back of "wide-ranging" comments from politicians, health professionals and patients."This will enable the feedback to be fully considered and allow time to reflect on whether such a process will lead to clarity on future commissioning arrangements to ensure the long-term sustainability of this important service," NHS Devon added its key priority was to commission "safe, reliable and sustainable" services for the future of healthcare in the Devon said: "We will engage with our clinicians and partners to design this and find the most effective solutions for the whole population of Devon."An updated proposal will be presented to the board in July, taking into account the valuable feedback received."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cash use declines as cards rise: Atlanta Fed
This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. The percent of consumers who said last October that they'd recently made payments with cash declined to 83%, from 87% in 2023, according to the results of a survey of payment methods by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Similarly, the proportion of survey respondents who had used checks fell to 35% in 2024, from 40% in 2023. The most popular form of payment for all types of transactions, including purchases and bill payment, were credit cards, according to the report. Of all the transactions tracked in the survey, 35% were made with credit cards, followed by debit cards (30%), cash (14%) and bank account methods (13%), the results showed. Checks captured just 3% and prepaid cards 2%. 'Payment cards retained their dominance in the consumer sphere, representing two-thirds of payments by number and just over one-third by value,' said an abstract of the report by Fed researchers Kevin Foster, Claire Greene and Joanna Stavins. The Atlanta Fed report, called the 2024 Survey and Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, surveyed 5,583 respondents last October about their spending habits from the previous 30 days with help from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the Federal Reserve Financial Services. The percentage of consumer transactions made using credit cards climbed last year over 2023 for the month when the Fed survey is conducted, rising to 35% from 32%, according to the report. The percentage for debit cards remained the same at 30%. Nonetheless, the Fed noted the persistence of cash in a May 13 press release recapping the survey's results. 'Findings from this nationally representative survey showed that amid the increasing digitalization of payments, consumers continue to use cash and keep it handy,' the release said. 'Cash ranked third as a top payment instrument among consumers, a position it has held for the past five years.' The Atlanta Fed's research also illustrates the rise of buy now, pay later services, though perhaps some reluctance to use them. While more than three-quarters (76.2%) of survey respondents said they had heard of BNPL providers, half of them were offered BNPL in the past 30 days, but only 9.7% used the service during that period, according to the survey. BNPL providers have benefited from the rise in businesses offering the payment option. On of the biggest BNPL companies, Klarna, reported this week that the number of merchants using its platform jumped 27% to 724,000. Its customer base also increased by 18% by the end of March to 99 million users. The Atlanta Fed's survey also offered signs that efforts to shield consumers from fraud threats may be working. The proportion of consumers reporting credit card and debit card theft or fraud declined to 10% and 8%, respectively, according to the survey. Still, credit and debit card fraud remains a concern. Nearly three-fourths of financial institutions surveyed by the Federal Reserve Financial Services said debit cards were the top payment method for fraud attempts in 2024, followed by checks (62%), non-bank payment apps (36%), ACH transactions (31%) and credit cards (24%). Research reports suggest that payment fraud will become a greater headache for payment providers in the coming decades. An ACI Worldwide report released last fall predicts that authorized push payment fraud losses will rise to $3.08 billion in the U.S. by 2028. Furthermore, an analysis released in January from the research firm Nilson Report projects that card payment losses will surpass $400 billion globally over the next decade.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Charter renewed for Kansas City's Genesis School through 2030 school year
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Genesis School in east Kansas City will be able to continue operating after this school year, at least for now. The Missouri State Board of Education unanimously approved Saint Louis University's (SLU) proposal on Tuesday to sponsor Genesis School through the 2030 school year. Kansas City rejects $915,000 settlement for firefighter who caused deadly 2021 crash Under the new charter agreement, Genesis will be held to rigorous academic, financial, and operational standards over the charter term, according to Genesis School Executive Director Kevin Foster. 'The organization is energized by the opportunity to serve our students and families with a new partner and a renewed focus,' Foster added. 'We're grateful to our dedicated staff, engaged families, and community supporters for helping make this year a success. As we look ahead to a new chapter with SLU as our sponsor beginning in the 2025–26 school year, we're excited to build on our momentum and continue delivering a high-quality education for our students.' According to the Genesis School, they rank first in growth among 20 charter schools in Kansas City. They say they are second in improvement, 10th in overall academic performance, and their full annual performance report ranks ninth. Back in January, the previous sponsor, Missouri Charter Public School Commission, cited the school's academic performance and lack of an adequate plan for the future in their decision to end its contract with Genesis. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Before the last school year, starting in the summer of 2023, a judge ruled that the Missouri Board of Education's vote to revoke Genesis School's charter was 'unlawful and arbitrary.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Calls for A6136 Catterick Garriosn 'gridlock' to be tackled
Petition calls for A6136 'gridlock' to be tackled More than 500 people have signed a petition calling for action to tackle the "frequent gridlock" on the main road between a military town and the A1(M). Launched by North Yorkshire councillor Kevin Foster, it urges improvements on the A6136 through Catterick Garrison and a better bus service. The Green Party councillor said residents were "fed up with the congestion on this vital route" and called for a "forward-thinking approach" across the region to ease traffic. The petition was launched as North Yorkshire Council accepted £1.2m of funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to develop investment plans for 32 areas across the county, including Catterick Garrison and Colburn.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
£2.5m investment plan to modernise car parks
Card, cash and app payments will be possible in every car park in North Yorkshire for the first time as part of a £2.5m investment. North Yorkshire Council said the authority would also install 430 solar-powered parking machines in its car parks and on-street parking places. An opposition councillor raised concerns about the level of spending on new machines, however the Conservative-run council said the investment in its 176 car parks was "much needed". The new machines, due to be considered by the council's executive next week, will replace current ageing technology, and be easier to use and more efficient, the authority said. A £400,000 programme to replace old sodium lighting with new LED heads and old lamp columns where required is also due to be considered to improve safety and security. Investment in the machines and lights would generate annual cost savings of £587,000, the authority said. It will also seek to update signage across its car parks to meet legal requirements and make sure useful information is clearly displayed, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. Green Party group leader, councillor Kevin Foster, raised concerns about the level of spending at a time when the authority was using money from reserves to balance the budget. "I am very concerned that the council is considering using £400,000 from the local government reorganisation underspend on infrastructure for parking that includes all machines." He said he hoped the money was not spent on replacing logos though agreed lighting should be looked as as the safety of residents "should be a priority". North Yorkshire Council's executive member for highways and transportation, councillor Keane Duncan, said: "This is not an optional rebranding exercise – it's a legal requirement following the establishment of the new council." He said the initial cost of £400,000 predicted for the new signage had been revised to around £270,000 which he said averaged at £783 per sign. Duncan said the whole scheme would "transform our parking service" making car parks easier to use, safer and more efficient. "Right now, some of our car parks appear unwelcoming and are in a poor state of repair. "The technology is outdated, with most machines approaching the end of their working life. Some are now 20 years old and prone to glitches." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. North Yorkshire Council
