Latest news with #MartinGreen
The Independent
30-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Dementia patients being forced to wait up to two years for a diagnosis, damning study reveals
Patients are being forced to wait up to two years for a dementia diagnosis in what a report has described as a 'government failure'. The report from charity Care England states there are ongoing gaps in diagnosis, significant regional disparities, and serious challenges in the co-ordination of care. The review – called The Current State Of Dementia Diagnosis & Care In England – adds that waiting times from referral to diagnosis in England are now hitting the two-year mark, in comparison to a maximum waiting time of 34 weeks in 2019. It states the average waiting time from referral to dementia diagnosis has increased by more than a third, from 13 weeks in 2019 to 17.7 weeks. Care England – a registered charity which represents independent providers of adult social care – says the findings point towards a 'government failure to deliver timely and effective strategies to address the growing demand for dementia services'. The charity is calling for a 'unified national strategy, enhanced dementia-specific workforce training, and sufficient sustainable funding'. It argues the demographic trajectories mean dementia care will continue to deteriorate without intervention, owing to an ageing population and the projected rise of those needing care and support. Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, has urged national leaders to treat dementia as a priority. He said: 'People living with dementia, and the professionals who care for them, are navigating a system that is too often reactive, underfunded, and disjointed. 'This report is a call to redesign that system from the ground up, which needs national leadership, long-term investment, and a commitment to treating dementia care as a priority, not an afterthought. 'Behind every statistic is a person whose journey with dementia could have been better if there were earlier diagnosis and more co-ordinated care. 'We need leadership, investment, and urgency – as a society, we owe it to the nearly one million people living with dementia to build a system that acts before crisis, supports every stage of the journey, and delivers dignity, not disparity.' The review has pointed to specific changes it would like to see introduced to improve dementia care. These include a national standardised diagnostic pathway, a nationally mandated standard of care across every stage of the dementia care pathway, and provision and funding for national education for care providers. The report also calls for the reintroduction of a national dementia diagnosis benchmark as part of a Dementia Accountability Framework. Jill Quinn, chief executive of the charity Dementia Forward, claims the current system leads to inequality in dementia treatment She said: 'Without a national dementia strategy and a uniformed approach, not only do we create dangerous gaps in the support and care, but we also fail to share good practice and ultimately improve lives. 'Our hope is that we can work together to create a system that helps people, avoids crises and improves lives.'
The Herald Scotland
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Students risk falling through ‘qualifications gap' under post-16 plans
A report by the Protect Student Choice campaign warned reducing student choice for post-16 qualifications risks 'reversing' progress in widening access to higher education and it could lead to more young people not in employment. The coalition – which includes organisations representing students and staff in colleges and schools – is calling on the curriculum and assessment review to recommend 'reversing the ban on AGQ diplomas and extended diplomas in T-level areas' in its final report which is due to be published in the autumn. AGQs are Level 3 qualifications, which include BTecs, for students who want to undertake a broad study of a specific vocational area. In December, the Labour Government announced 157 vocational qualifications, which the previous Conservative administration had planned to remove funding from, would be retained beyond July this year until reformed qualifications become more established in the system. Following a review of Level 3 qualifications that 'overlap' with T-levels, the Government said 57 qualifications in digital, construction and health and science would be funded until July 2026. A further 100 qualifications in engineering, agriculture, business and creative would retain their funding until July 2027. The first T-level courses – which are considered to be broadly equivalent to three A-levels – were launched in 2020 in England and they are being rolled out gradually. Department for Education (DfE) guidance, published in February, has outlined plans to remove funding from 'large qualifications' in a number of T-level subject areas in the future. An analysis from the Protect Student Choice campaign suggests there could be 52,000 fewer young people studying health and science courses each year if funding is removed for AGQs in this area, and it added that nearly 11,000 fewer young people could study digital courses each year. It said more than 200,000 students are currently studying AGQs that are 'either being scrapped or have an uncertain future' which makes it 'difficult' for colleges and schools to plan their curriculum, recruit and train the right staff, or to provide appropriate guidance to younger pupils. The report warned: 'We are deeply concerned that the Government's blanket ban on diplomas and extended diplomas will create a qualifications gap that tens of thousands of students will potentially fall through, leaving many young people without a suitable pathway in the future.' Labour MP Gareth Snell, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sixth Form Education, said: 'Sixth forms and colleges up and down the country know the vital role that AGQs play in helping students to progress to higher education or skilled employment. 'Limiting the choice of qualification in certain subjects to T-levels will leave some young people without a suitable pathway at the age of 16, and some employers without the skilled workforce they need.' Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said: 'Qualifications like the diploma and extended diploma in health and social care are highly valued by providers of adult social care in England as a source of introducing younger people to a career in social care. 'Scrapping these qualifications would close off a well-established pathway to entering the profession and exacerbate the workforce crisis in the care sector for a younger population we are keen to promote access to.' Anne Murdoch, college leadership adviser at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'We strongly urge the Government to retain these popular and valued applied general qualifications. 'We support the introduction of T-levels, but we do not understand why this must be at the expense of other tried and trusted vocational qualifications which work well for many students. 'At a time when we are seeing rising numbers of young people who are not in education, employment or training, it is surely essential that we provide a choice of post-16 pathways rather than narrowing their options and making matters worse.' A DfE spokeswoman said: 'Through our plan for change we are building a skills system that will drive forward opportunity and deliver the growth that our economy needs. 'T-levels will be at the forefront of our technical education offer. Alongside them, newly reformed qualifications will become available for delivery at Level 3 at the start of the next academic year. 'These are high-quality, aligned to occupational standards in technical routes and offer learners clear routes to higher education or skilled employment. 'The department's position on further plans for reform to Level 3 qualifications will be set out soon, informed by the independent curriculum and assessment review.'
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Yahoo
Driver charged after passenger dies in tree crash
A man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and drink-driving following a crash in which his passenger was killed. Jonathan Mennell, 35, died after the white Ford Kuga he was travelling in crashed into a tree on Southworth Road in Newton-le-Willows on 10 June 2024, said Merseyside Police. Martin Green, of Beech Avenue in Wigan, has also been charged with failing to co-operate with preliminary tests. The 36-year-old appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Friday and is due to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on 25 July. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Merseyside Police
BBC News
28-06-2025
- BBC News
Man charged after passenger dies in Newton-le-Willows tree crash
A man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and drink-driving following a crash in which his passenger was Mennell, 35, died after the white Ford Kuga he was travelling in crashed into a tree on Southworth Road in Newton-le-Willows on 10 June 2024, said Merseyside Green, of Beech Avenue in Wigan, has also been charged with failing to co-operate with preliminary 36-year-old appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Friday and is due to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on 25 July. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
The Sun
25-06-2025
- Science
- The Sun
Australia's ‘solar godfather': Vietnam leads Southeast Asia's clean energy transition
HANOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 June 2025 - With the invention of solar cells using Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC) technology, Prof. Martin Andrew Green from the University of New South Wales (Australia) and his team made a groundbreaking contribution to green energy production. Two years after receiving the 2023 VinFuture Grand Prize, he continues to push the boundaries of solar innovation, working to improve efficiency and help pave the way for a future of productive renewable energy harvest. Nurturing the energy revolution Renowned as the 'godfather of solar,' Prof. Martin Green has spent over five decades advancing solar energy technologies. In 2023, Prof. Green's revolutionary development of Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC) technology, now used in over 90% of solar panels worldwide, earned him the VinFuture Grand Prize. Through the VinFuture Prize, Prof. Green has also had a unique perspective on Vietnam's progress toward global sustainability, as he continues to become a member of the VinFuture Prize Council. 'One of the most immediate outcomes was the opportunity to establish new collaborations in Vietnam. I have gained much greater insight into the progress being made in Vietnam's clean energy sector than I knew before,' he shared. Prof. Green also expressed deep appreciation for the VinFuture Prize, noting that winning such a significant award had undoubtedly enhanced his research group's ability to attract the necessary resources to develop new ideas. Earlier this year, his pioneering work was honored with a clean-energy ferry named after him in Australia. While he felt 'fortunate to be selected,' Prof. Green emphasized that this recognition propelled him toward a broader movement for a global solar energy revolution. 'We need to move faster,' he urged, pointing to the stark evidence already unfolding in Australia, including massive bushfires followed by widespread flooding that falls well outside the norm. 'It is a bit of a sign of what lies in the future. We're beginning to feel the initial effects of climate change, which will only intensify unless we take urgent action,' Prof. Green warned. The 'godfather of solar' also shared that the path forward hinges on international collaboration and government leadership. The global exchange of knowledge and talent has allowed innovations from his lab to influence commercial solar production in China, which in turn benefits countries like Australia that import these cost-effective solar technologies. Much of that progress, Prof. Green added, has been made possible by falling prices driven by technologies like PERC, as well as support from international organizations such as the United Nations (UN). One of the UN's key Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure universal access to energy by 2030 and solar offers the most viable path to get there. Pushing solar frontiers In recent years, Prof. Martin Green and his team have continuously challenged the boundaries of what photovoltaic technology can achieve. One of the most compelling directions in his current research revisits a landmark theoretical paper he wrote about 40 years ago, regarding the limits on the energy conversion efficiency of silicon cells. 'At the time, most people believed that the efficiency limits lay just over 20% energy conversion efficiency. However, in my paper, I calculated the theoretical limit to be between 29% and 30%, significantly higher than what was commonly accepted,' he said, suggesting that 25% efficiency was a feasible target. This insight became a key motivation for his team to explore greater efficiency gains. They set a practical goal of 25% efficiency, which they ultimately reached around the turn of the century. Today, many commercial solar cells already operate at this level of efficiency, getting closer to the 29-30% limit he proposed years ago. The second area of focus involves stacking cells made from different materials on top of each other to capture more energy from sunlight. Sunlight can be regarded as a stream of particles called photons. Silicon cells respond to photons of all colors in sunlight, from blue to red and even to the lower-energy infrared ones that our eyes can't see. However, blue photons contain much more energy than needed, and in standard silicon cells, that excess energy is wasted. This is the key reasons behind the limits on the energy conversion efficiency of silicon cells. One material showing strong potential in lab settings is a special kind of perovskite, made with heavy elements like lead and iodine. Still, there is no guarantee that perovskites will meet the stability standards required for widespread commercial use, which is why researchers are also investigating alternative materials. Though these alternatives don't currently match perovskites in performance, they may offer better long-term reliability. These approaches, aiming to increase efficiency, have opened a door for the large-scale deployment of the solar revolution. According to Prof. Green, it has been a key driver in the dramatic cost reductions in photovoltaics over the past few decades. 'If we can transition to one of these stacked tandem cells, like perovskite on silicon, it could revolutionize not only performance but also system-wide cost dynamics. Not so much in the cost of making the cell, but by leveraging those efficiency gains to reduce the broader costs of solar deployment,' he emphasized. Bringing down the cost of cell production will be a key to expanding the interest in using them. According to the International Energy Agency, solar power delivers some of the cheapest electricity in history. 'The exciting thing is that the cost of solar is still coming down despite the massive decreases we have seen over the last 15 years. It continues to fall week by week,' he said. 'We witnessed the agricultural revolution and then the industrial revolution. Now, many believe we are entering an energy revolution, where it becomes so affordable and accessible that new applications open up.' However, one of the biggest near-term challenges is finding a cell that can be used in these stacks. Silicon is an ideal material for photovoltaics as it is abundant, non-toxic, and stable. What's missing is a complementary material that matches these qualities while offering additional performance benefits. In this search, artificial intelligence can provide a much wider scanning of possibilities than traditional methods permit. The whole material system will be canvassed, and perhaps some new materials will be identified. The potential of Vietnam As the global race to renewable energy and net-zero emissions accelerates, Vietnam is not standing on the sidelines. In terms of photovoltaics, he cited the data suggesting that over 10% of Vietnam's electricity has been generated from solar in recent years. As the adoption scales up, the uptake needs to match the electricity network's ability to absorb solar power. This requires parallel investment in battery storage systems and other stabilizing technologies, and Prof. Green believed Vietnam is progressing well on this front. 'So I think Vietnam would be one of Southeast Asia's leaders in terms of photovoltaics,' he remarked, 'Vietnam is probably already leading Southeast Asia in the clean energy transition.' In Southeast Asia, where two-wheeled vehicles dominate urban transportation, the shift toward electric scooters is also crucial. Drawing parallels with China, where the replacement of fossil-fueled bikes with electric versions has reduced pollution and CO₂ emissions, he believed that Southeast Asian nations could see similar environmental benefits by following this path. On this front, Prof. Green was impressed by VinFast's electric vehicles when visiting Vietnam in 2023. 'The quality of the cars seemed like genuinely competitive products. I also like the electric buses that VinBus has developed in Vietnam,' he stated. 'In this context, Vingroup seems to be leading the way in developing vehicles that can meet this potential demand,' he noted. The VinFuture Prize has also enabled Prof. Green to build valuable connections with experts in clean technology and beyond. 'I shared the 2023 VinFuture Grand Prize with Prof. Rachid Yazami, Prof. Akira Yoshino and Prof. Stanley Whittingham, whose pioneering work is in lithium-ion batteries. Meeting those people and getting to understand their contributions better has been really important to me as well', he said. Reflecting on the diversity of fields represented, he noted:'The VinFuture Prize is not limited to clean energy; it is designed to honor innovations with global impact across a wide range of disciplines.' VinFuture The VinFuture Foundation, established on International Human Solidarity Day on December 20th, 2020, is a non-profit organization co-founded by billionaire Mr. Pham Nhat Vuong and his wife, Madam Pham Thu Huong. The Foundation's core activity is awarding the annual VinFuture Prize, which recognizes transformative scientific and technological innovations capable of making significant positive changes in the lives of millions of people worldwide. The VinFuture Prize is now accepting nominations for the 2026 VinFuture Prize. Submit your nominations here: Outstanding nominators will be honored through the VinFuture Nominator Recognition Program. The VinFuture Prize consists of four prestigious awards presented each year. The most esteemed is the VinFuture Grand Prize, valued at US$3 million, making it one of the largest annual prizes globally. Additionally, there are three Special Prizes, each valued at US$500,000, specifically dedicated to honoring Women Innovators, Innovators from Developing Countries, and Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields.
