Latest news with #RebeccaSmith
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Get Britain building ... ponds: Angela Rayner urged to use planning reform to cut red tape on small lakes to help wildlife and combat flooding
is being urged to use Labour's reform of the planning system to make it easier to dig ponds to help ease the impact of flooding and create more havens for wildlife. Tory MP Rebecca Smith wants the Deputy Prime Minister's plan to cut red tape around construction to include the rules governing the creation of new bodies of water. Currently, because they often involve excavating earth to create a depression the creation of new ponds can be deemed engineering work or even mining activity that requires planning permission, she argues. The South West Devon MP has tabled an amendment to Ms Rayner's Planning and Infrastructure Bill that would give new water bodies with a surface area of less than 0.2 hectares - around a third of a football pitch - 'presumed consent'. She told MailOnline: 'Where there is water, there is life. Ponds are a fantastic habitat for wildlife, like the common toad and blue-tailed damselfly. 'As well as breathing life into local landscapes, they protect communities from flooding by storing up the excess water during heavy rainfall. 'For too long, new ponds have been bogged down in unnecessary red tape because, somewhat bizarrely, removing the earth to create them can count as engineering or even mining. 'If you are a farmer or land owner who wants to nurture local wildlife and fight flooding, you should not have to navigate the planning in order to do the right thing.' Earlier this week, an analysis from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the Met Office warned that northern Europe could see some very wet winters over the next five years, which is one of the key climate hazards for the region, bringing with it the risk of flooding. Her push has been backed by experts including the Freshwater Habitats Trust. Its CEO, Professor Jeremy Biggs, said: 'By creating new ponds, we can add clean water to the landscape, protecting our threatened water plants and animals. 'Extending permitted development to cover the creation of wildlife ponds would speed up this vital work, and help us to restore freshwater habitats across the country.' The Government has set out proposals to cut red tape and for planning decisions to be shifted away from councillors and towards expert officers as part of efforts to meet Labour's pledge to build 1.5 million homes by 2029-30. Trained planning officers rather than committees of elected councillors will be responsible for deciding on developments of up to nine homes under the plans, as well as most minor and technical applications. The Government is considering 'streamlining' requirements on biodiversity net gain including the option of a full exemption for those minor developments. Housing Secretary Ms Rayner rejected that she was compromising green protections to get homes built, telling broadcasters: 'No, we're simplifying the process for houses if there's under 10 houses built, and between 10 and 49. 'So we're going to simplify that process. We're going to put more expert planners on that process as well, but we won't be compromising on nature,' she said during a visit to new housing development visit near Didcot, Oxfordshire. Kitty Thompson, head of campaigns at the Conservative Environment Network, added: 'Ponds are an effective tool for boosting biodiversity and building climate resilience on our land. Yet creating them can be needlessly difficult under current planning rules. 'That's why this amendment is so important. It removes unnecessary red tape, empowering farmers and landowners to create new habitats for our wildlife and providing vital natural storage for water during periods of heavy rain. 'Giving ponds permitted development rights is a small change that can have a big impact for nature recovery and flood alleviation across the country.
Business Wire
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Medavie Blue Cross Leads Digital Transformation in Disability Business with FINEOS Platform
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- FINEOS Corporation (ASX:FCL) announced today that Medavie Blue Cross, a leading benefits provider for health, drug and disability insurance, has successfully commenced managing Individual Life and Disability Claims on their existing FINEOS Platform. In consolidating both Individual Life and Group Life & Disability claims on a single, unified platform, Medavie Blue Cross will further strengthen its operational excellence and customer-centric service. By consolidating on the FINEOS Platform, Medavie Blue Cross is driving operational excellence, empowering teams, and reimagining the claims experience for clients across Canada. Share Speaking about the go-live, FINEOS CEO, Michael Kelly, said, 'Medavie Blue Cross has been leading the way in Group Disability claims management with FINEOS. Expanding to include Individual Life claims in one platform marks a significant milestone, demonstrating our shared commitment to innovation, operational efficiency and a seamless customer experience.' Rebecca Smith, Director, Life & Disability Services at Medavie Blue Cross, noted, 'We're excited about the possibilities this opens up for our organization and our clients. By unifying our claims management system, we're not just improving efficiency; we're reimagining the entire claims experience and empowering our talented team to deliver exceptional service. This transition reinforces our position as an industry leader in disability management and in embracing digital transformation to set new standards.' About Medavie Blue Cross Medavie Blue Cross is a leading all-in-one private health insurer and Canada's largest private administrator of federal and provincial government-sponsored health programs. We manage and insure health benefits for nearly 1 in 10 Canadians and provide timely access to quality health care through a comprehensive suite of innovative products and services. Together with Medavie Health Services, a national leader in primary health care solutions and Canada's largest contracted provider of emergency medical services, we're part of Medavie — a not-for-profit health solutions partner committed to improving the wellbeing of Canadians. About FINEOS Corporation FINEOS is a leading global provider of SaaS core systems for life, accident, and health insurers. The FINEOS Platform for Employee Benefits is purpose-built for group, absence, and supplemental benefits, providing seamless integration and automation. More than 40 customers in North America rely on FINEOS, including 7 of the 10 largest employee benefits insurers in the U.S. and 70% of group insurance in Australia. With a global workforce, FINEOS partners with innovative, forward-thinking insurers in North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.
Medscape
22-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Trauma in the OB Suite: Supporting Survivors of Sexual Abuse
Rebecca Smith, 28, endured a series of sexual assaults between ages 17 and 21. When she became pregnant for the first time at age 23, she told her OBGYN about her traumatic past. The reaction surprised and comforted her. 'She made sure everybody was respectful, and one of the things I liked most was that she would tell me whenever she would be touching me, and she would always ask me if I was okay,' Smith said. Yet even with these warnings, Smith said she experienced moments when the scars of her past trauma were inflamed and she needed time to regain her composure. Again, her physician stepped up. 'She was very gentle with her words, and she told me it's not my fault that any of this happened and that I needed to be okay with speaking up for myself and telling her what I needed,' Smith recalled. 'The only thing she did that wasn't great is that when I was pushing, she told me not to scream,' Smith said. Having the option to cancel appointments at the last minute without a financial penalty would have been helpful, she added, 'because there were some days that I couldn't do it, and you didn't really know until you showed up.' Unfortunately for many survivors of sexual assault, Smith's experience is not the norm. Many women who have been abused report rough or insensitive handling from their OBGYNs, whose clinical practice involves touching areas of the body that are physically and emotionally fraught and recalling medical histories that are difficult to share. As a thread on Reddit suggests, some women have even reported feeling mocked by nurses until they revealed their history of sexual assault. In recent years, however, the model of trauma-informed care has become more widespread. Professional organizations, hospitals, and state agencies have begun making an explicit effort to be more sensitive to the impact of trauma on a person and the specific needs of those with a history of sexual trauma. Managing the prenatal and obstetric care of patients with a history of sexual assault or childhood sexual abuse requires an understanding of trauma-informed care and taking steps to reduce the risk for re-traumatization, according to pregnancy care providers and survivors who discussed their pregnancy and birth experiences. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) in 2021 issued a committee opinion on caring for patients who have experienced trauma, a document which emphasizes the need for clinicians to become familiar with the trauma-informed approach to care. That means understanding the effect of trauma on a person, helping support their sense of personal agency, and creating 'opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.' The ACOG statement speaks more broadly to any and all kinds of trauma rather than sexual abuse and assault in particular. That's partly by design, said Colleen McNicholas, DO, an OBGYN in St. Louis who helped write the statement. 'The reason you don't see specific 'do this, ask this' [recommendations] is because the topic is so sensitive, and survivors have such different experiences with their history and what they want people to know and how they want it approached that it's really challenging from an institutional standpoint' to have specific guidelines, McNicholas said. 'Having said that, there are definitely some principles and approaches that everybody should be taking.' Uneven Care Not everyone does. Smith had a bad experience with an anesthesiologist during the delivery of her first child. 'He had me take my gown off completely and made my husband sit on the other side of the room,' Smith said. 'He was hurting me repeatedly, and when I told him, he said, 'No, it's not me, it's your contractions.'' Smith's nurse became 'furious,' she recalled. The nurse sent the doctor out of the room and told her colleagues not to let him go in again without another nurse present. When Smith told her OBGYN after the birth what happened, they assured her the anesthesiologist would never touch her again. With her second pregnancy 2 years later, however, Smith had a different physician to whom she did not reveal her history of assault — in part because she felt she would be less likely to relive the experiences. In retrospect, she said, that was a mistake. During the delivery, her baby's heart rate plunged, sending the doctor into command mode and prompting him to begin yelling orders to nurses in the room. 'The second he touched me after he started freaking out, my brain started going back to the assault,' Smith said. 'I think his anxiety sparked my anxiety, and the anxiety sparked the memories.' CJ, a 48-year-old American expatriate in Mexico City, Mexico, had had bad past experiences with other physicians, so in her first pregnancy at age 37, she decided to let her clinicians know about her history, which included sexual abuse as a toddler, a sexual assault in her 20s, and another in her early 30s. She asked her OBGYN to prepare her for each step that would happen, letting her know what touching would occur and when so that she could be ready. 'She was very sweet and open to that,' CJ said. 'She said, 'Okay, I'm going to put my hand on your thigh. Then, I'm going to put my glove on,' everything step by step, but I felt like I really had to advocate for myself given past histories with other doctors.' Some of those experiences involved the doctor acting cold or detached or not making eye contact with her, but that detachment was enough to be 'triggering sometimes,' she said. Instead, providers should make space for patients who haven't learned yet how to advocate for themselves. 'That's part of trauma-informed care too, finding different opportunities in different ways to give people the chance to speak up because they might not feel comfortable,' she said. Listening for Cues Indeed, the onus should not be on the patient. Experts say one step is having a conversation with the patient before they change into a gown for their first appointment. That moment is an opportunity to glean relevant information about their history. Colleen McNicholas, DO 'I don't specifically say, 'Do you have a history of sexual assault,'' McNicholas said. 'What I might say is, 'Is there anything about your previous experience with these kinds of exams or with your sexual history or experience that will make this exam or this experience more challenging for you?'' Sometimes that conversation means an exam may not happen that day, but then the clinician can help the patient plan for the next appointment to determine ways to increase their comfort, such as bringing along a partner, friend, or family member. 'It has to be individualized to the patient,' she said. Some patients may not feel comfortable disclosing a history of sexual assault. Hannah Cutts, a certified nurse midwife who works at a federally qualified health center in Chicago, said she assumes 'almost everybody who comes through the clinic doors has some exposure to trauma,' whether sexual, medical, or another form of abuse. She therefore tries to give them as much control as possible over every aspect of their care because 'lack of control tends to be a real trigger,' she said. She shows them the speculum before placing it, explains each thing she will do before doing it, and reminds them they are in charge and can ask her to stop at any point. For those with a known history of sexual trauma, she asks whether they want the explanations. Some do, others don't. 'For some people, dissociating is easier,' Cutts said. She also does not assume that disclosing their history of trauma will be productive: 'I really don't try to dig very deeply into people's history unless they volunteer it.' Deena Blumenfeld Deena Blumenfeld, a former doula and childbirth educator, said clinicians also should be alert to nonverbal clues that may indicate a history of trauma. Examples might include avoiding eye contact or frequently keeping their eyes on the floor, a closed posture, or handles held tightly in the laps. During an exam, observe the patient's breathing for changes or if their eyes widen. These signs are cues to stop and ask if the patient is experiencing a surge of anxiety and needs something comforting, such as their partner to hold their hand or a nurse to join them. 'I can't emphasize enough that for all situations of maternity care, the more doctors and nurses can explain to patients what is happening, why it is happening, and what choices they have, that's empowerment for patients,' Blumenfeld said. She encourages healthcare providers to use person-centered language and keep the mindset of being one of the 'helpers' of the sort Mr Fred Rogers described in tragic or traumatic events. A 2018 qualitative study included perspectives from 20 women with a history of sexual trauma who had given birth within the previous 3 years. Women expressed a desire for 'clear communication about their history between prenatal care provider and the labor and delivery team' and control over who was in the labor room during exams and how exposed their bodies were during labor. They also wanted to be asked about their preference for a male provider and for their care team to avoid language that might remind them of their past trauma. Simply asking patients what they need or what works for them can be particularly helping in giving them a sense of agency, McNicholas said. 'If you are in tune with trauma-informed care and you are paying attention to the patient in front of you, you can almost always sense that they are having some anxiety or feeling really nervous,' she said. 'I will oftentimes say things like, 'I'm sensing that you might be a little bit anxious about this exam. Is there anything I can do to make this easier for you?'' Caring for a patient throughout their pregnancy offers physicians and midwives an opportunity to build trust and develop a relationship with their patient, but those who may be most vulnerable often arrive at the hospital without having received prenatal care and without any preexisting relationship with a clinician. 'The important thing to recognize in that circumstance is that those patients are actually at significant risk of not getting this kind of trauma-informed care,' McNicholas said. 'I think the healthcare system as a whole tends to view folks who have not had prenatal care with a certain level of judgment.' Ann Gilligan, RN, worked as a sexual assault nurse examiner before shifting to labor and delivery. Gilligan, who practices in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, said standard questions during intake ask about abuse occurring at home but not about a history of sexual abuse or assault. Developing a protocol to screen for a history of sexual assault is important, she said, and could be done gently. Ann Gilligan, RRN 'What we typically do with questions that are a little bit personal is that we preface it,' she said. 'We say, 'This is to help me give you better care, care that you deserve, so I'm going to ask you a couple personal questions, and I'm doing it alone for your privacy.'' Many of the practices McNicholas and Cutts describe, such as informing patients of what to expect and asking permission to touch them, are ones healthcare providers should be offering to everyone anyway, especially given that approximately 1 in 4 people have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime, Gilligan said. Practicing with a trauma-informed approach to care means a scheduled 10-minute visit may sometimes last 30 minutes or may fail to achieve what the clinician had planned or expected. 'I think in this world where patients are rightfully demanding a better experience of healthcare, we need to be taking the time to approach it in that manner,' McNicholas said. 'They know what they deserve, and they should be able to find that.' None of the sources quoted in this story reported having any financial conflicts of interest.
Daily Record
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
UK Government urged to increase frozen State Pensions for nearly half a million people
Around 453,000 pensioners are living in a country which does not have a reciprocal agreement with the UK Government. Pension Credit – Could you or someone you know be eligible? Cross-party MPs have united to intensify pressure on the UK Government over its refusal to reform the so-called 'frozen pensions' policy, which affects nearly half a million British pensioners living overseas - many of whom are now newly eligible to vote following the 2024 changes to overseas voting rights. Around 453,000 pensioners are living in a country which does not have a reciprocal agreement with the UK Government resulting in them not receiving the annual State Pension uprating. Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday, Gregory Stafford MP led a powerful call for change to State Pension rules, condemning the policy as one shutting out 'half a million voices who feel forgotten, neglected and increasingly betrayed'. The policy, which prevents State Pensions from being increased annually - to counteract the impact of inflation for UK pensioners living in certain countries - means some are receiving as little as £60 per week, far below the current £176.45 rate for the Basic State Pension for those resident in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Most retirees of the so-called Frozen Pensions scandal are located in the Commonwealth. Only British overseas pensioners living in specific countries are impacted, in what Rebecca Smith MP described as "the ultimate postcode lottery'. Those in the USA see the same annual increase as British pensioners living in the UK or France, while those in Australia or Canada, see their State Pension remain 'frozen' and effectively fall in value. For example, 100-year-old Second World War veteran Anne Puckridge, who lived and worked in the UK until the age of 76 and served in all three of the RAF, Navy and the Army, has received just £72.50 per week since 2001, the year she moved to Canada to be nearer her daughter. Jim Shannon MP similarly questioned the logic of the policy applying in only some countries and not others, arguing 'the arbitrary distinction between countries with and without an operating agreement lacks logic and smacks of red tape and bureaucracy gone mad." Stafford and fellow MPs strongly rebutted the Government's long-held defences of the policy. The Minister for Pensions, Torsten Bell MP, was mostly notably challenged on the estimated cost of ending the policy, which is estimated at £55 million per year - 0.04 per cent of the annual State Pension budget - rather than the £950m per year quoted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The difference explained by the fact the DWP are quoting for uprating and backdating payments to account for the years affected pensioners have been frozen. However, campaigners are instead asking to receive the annual increase from this point onwards. Douglas McAllister MP stressed that campaigners and supportive MPs are 'not seeking a full backdating, but for the Government to introduce some form of yearly indexing to answer that injustice'. Longterm critic of the policy Sir Roger Gale MP argued the policy is 'not a matter of cost. It is a matter of moral responsibility and duty.' The Minister was also reminded by a number of MPs that 'the vast majority of impacted pensioners still report having no knowledge of the policy's existence prior to moving overseas'. Greg Stafford MP called on the Minister to meet with the End Frozen Pensions campaign to discuss how communication might be improved over the policy's existence, and to formally determine the true cost of ending the policy. The DWP Minister did not respond to MPs' calls to meet with campaigners on this issue. Labour MP Neil Duncan Jordan questioned the UK Government's wider approach to support its more vulnerable citizens, arguing that "taken alongside recent decisions to means-test the winter fuel allowance... it could appear that the Government are trying to balance the country's books on the back of some of the poorest members of our society." State Pension payments 2025/26 The DWP has published the full list of State Pension and benefit uprated payments on here, which also includes additional elements such as the deferred rates, which are rising by 1.7 per cent (September Consumer Price Index inflation rate). Full New State Pension Weekly payment: £230.25 Fortnightly payment: £460.50 Four-weekly payment: £921 Annual amount: £11,973 Full Basic State Pension Weekly payment: £176.45 Fortnightly payment: £352.90 Four-weekly payment: £705.80 Annual amount: £9,175 Future State Pension increases The Labour Government has pledged to honour the Triple Lock or the duration of its term and the latest predictions show the following projected annual increases: 2025/26 - 4.1% (the forecast was 4%) 2026/27 - 2.5% 2027/28 - 2.5% 2028/29 - 2.5% 2029/30 - 2.5% Recent analysis released by Royal London revealed only around half of people receiving the New State Pension last year were getting the full weekly amount - and around 150,000 were on less than £100 per week.
ITV News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
West Country MPs criticise 'beyond negligent' Labour over cuts to support for adopted children
A group of West Country MPs has accused the government of being "beyond negligent" over cuts to specialist support for adopted children, claiming the "terrifying" changes were "sneaked out" over Easter. For a decade, the Adoption and Specialist Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) has helped thousands of families cover the costs of services like psychotherapy, to help young adopted people cope with past traumas. Up until March this year, local authorities and adoption agencies could apply for £5,000 per year per child for therapy and £2,500 a year for assessments. Labour has kept the overall budget the same, but has changed how it will be allocated. The £5,000 therapy grant has been cut to £3,000 and the separate £2,500 allowance has been altogether scrapped. "We are asking people to care for the most vulnerable children and if we don't give them the tools to do that, they won't apply in the first place," said South West Devon's Conservative MP, Rebecca Smith. "There is a very real concern that the number of adoptions will fall and more children, those with some of the most difficult and challenging stories, will face the long term in care, seeing their futures massively impacted as a result." According to the government, the decision to change the rules around ASGSF was made "in a challenging fiscal climate" and aims to "maximise the number of children who can access the fund". But Edward Morello, West Dorset's Liberal Democrat MP, said it's a "fundamental problem" that the funding for ongoing support "no longer exists". Amid the criticism of the decision was an attack on how the changes were announced. Multiple MPs said it happened "overnight" and families were given no warning or time to prepare - a claim Labour fought back against. Others predicted that reduced support could end up costing the government more in future. Cameron Thomas, Lib Dem MP for Tewkesbury, said: "Diminishing this support will have long-term financial impacts on the government's forthcoming budget", while South Devon's MP Caroline Voaden advised early therapeutic intervention can be "transformative" and prevents higher spends on crisis services in later life. "This is not just a funding issue, this is a moral issue" Lib Dem MP for Honiton and Sidmouth, Richard Foord, accused the government of a "moral failure", adding: "A system that claims to protect children cannot simultaneously undermine the very services that support their recovery." He expressed fears that long-term therapy will now become "unaffordable" through trusted providers, paving the way for ones "that we cannot be sure of" to fill the gaps left behind. In response, the government insisted that families will still be able to get "a good standard of support" through the fund, and, where necessary, local authorities can "use their own funding" to increase the amount provided. Children's Minister, Janet Daby, acknowledged that the "threshold and criteria" for the ASGSF HAS changed, but "that has changed to enable us to ensure that we can reach as many children under this current funding of £50m". The minister also recognised that the current level of funding is not enough to meet expected demand. But MPs aren't the only critics of the changes. Charity Adoption UK said they "will have a direct impact on children and young people who have had a very tough start in life and deserve the same chance to thrive as everyone else." CEO Emily Frith added: "We understand that this isn't just about the Fund – it's a consequence of belt tightening across government. But it's very short sighted at a time when there are more adoptive families in crisis than ever before, and distressing news for everyone who has already faced an agonising wait to find out whether the Fund will continue to exist at all. "The government must use the forthcoming spending review to make a commitment to build the Fund back up to where adopted and kinship children need it to be." In a Westminster Hall debate, Rebecca Smith said MPs had still not been given the "certainty" they were looking for, and vowed to press the Chancellor in a bid to get the cuts reversed.
