The European Commission wants the current regime for public procurement contracts to be reformed so that SMEs have a greater chance to secure work in the sector.

Company commercial and procurement experts at law firm Ward Hadaway, which has offices in Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester, say the changes offer real hope for SMEs to compete with larger businesses for public sector contracts.

Despite recent cuts, public procurement still accounts for around 17% of the GDP in the EU, but small and medium-sized enterprises only win 31% to 38% of public sector contracts. This is despite SMEs making up over half of the total turnover of the EU economy.

The European Commission has now published plans aimed at simplifying public procurement procedures and encouraging public sector organisations to adopt a more SME-friendly approach when it comes to putting contracts out to tender.

It also wants to see better training for small businesses on how they can go about bidding for public sector work.

Karen Andrews, Partner in the Public Sector team at Ward Hadaway, said: “This move is sure to be welcomed by a whole range of small and medium-sized businesses who have previously found it either too time- consuming or too complicated to bid for public sector contracts.“Simplifying the procurement process will hopefully make it much easier for SMEs to compete on a level playing field with larger businesses whose scale and resources have previously given them a substantial advantage when bidding for public sector work. “Even though there have been cuts to public spending in the UK and other countries in the EU, the public sector still represents a potentially huge market to all kinds of small and medium-sized businesses and this move should help to free up access to that market.”

Proposals put forward by the European Commission include:

• Sub-dividing contracts of more than €500,000 into different ‘lots’ to allow smaller businesses to bid more effectively for work

• Limiting requirements for companies to bid for work. Previously some SMEs have not been eligible to put themselves forward for some contracts, but the Commission is proposing that any business whose turnover is three times the value of an individual contract can bid for the work in most cases

• Cutting down on red tape by allowing businesses to self-declare information about their capabilities at the initial bidding stage wh4887017v1 Making EU members provide support structures offering legal and economic advice, training and assistance to businesses in preparing and conducting procurement processes

The proposals will now be debated in the European Parliament and it is hoped they will become law by June 2014.

Karen Andrews from Ward Hadaway said: “Added together, these measures will hopefully cut down on both the time and the resources which small businesses need to devote to bidding for public sector contracts. “While these proposals have not yet been enacted, reforms to the public procurement process are most definitely on the agenda and SMEs with ambitions to boost their share of public sector work should take note. “Even before any reforms are put in place, smaller businesses that take the right approach to bidding for public sector contracts can succeed, providing they know the right approach to take. “At Ward Hadaway, we have helped a range of companies to access public sector markets successfully and are always looking to help other businesses in the same way.” 

The BT investment makes available download speeds of up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps) – more than double the speed previously available from BT.

It is already available in more than 121 locations across the region including York, Harrogate, Rotherham, Keighley, Headingley, Whitby and Doncaster. The new service is available on an open, wholesale basis to all companies providing broadband*.

Gary Williamson chief executive, Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We at the Chamber welcome this latest investment by BT. The expansion of improved communications services is key to the success and livelihood of small businesses and communities right across our region.”

John Anderson, BT’s regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “This is an important step forward for Yorkshire and the Humber. In these challenging economic times, faster broadband can help businesses become more competitive, find new customers and work more flexibly as well as greatly improving the online services available to families, homeworkers and other internet users. “By the Summer, around 86 per cent of the region’s homes and businesses will be served by an exchange that has been upgraded to deliver these higher speeds.”

This investment in the copper network is in addition to BT’s £2.5 billion roll-out of fibre-based broadband, which will bring even faster speeds to around two-thirds of UK premises by the end of 2014. John Anderson added: “BT is also keen to work with the public sector to explore ways of bringing faster broadband to other areas which are geographically and commercially more challenging.”

Keighley-based Arvensis, sister company of food plastic manufacturer PFF, was looking for finance for working capital following a huge hike in the price of plastic.

Based in Airedale Park in Keighley, the company recycles plastic bottles into plastic sheets and packaging for the food, healthcare and cosmetics industry.

Now, thanks to the investment from Finance Yorkshire, the specialist company, which supplies packaging to high profile clients including Morrisons, ASDA and Marks & Spencer, is looking to secure new orders.

Joint Managing Director Stephen Dowe said: “Due to the rise in plastic prices we were short on working capital to fulfil our substantial order book and operating at a reduced level.

“Our depleted working capital was restricting our growth and we needed a financial kick. This loan has meant we can satisfy our order books and look with confidence to a strong future. “The important role that packaging plays cannot be understated. In recent decades, packaging developments have been a catalyst in broadening retail ranges, giving us a variety of consumer goods that previous generations wouldn’t have thought possible. “Now, with the huge steps that we have taken in plastic film extrusion and thermoforming technology, we can continue to deliver the most sustainable packaging solutions to some of Britain’s best known retailers.”

The company, which has a turnover of £15m, has previously invested £1.25m in new plant to double the production capacity of manufacturing recycled PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) sheet.

Commenting on the relationship with Finance Yorkshire Stephen added: “Our investment manager, Jonathan Craig saw how our business had been affected by the rise in plastic prices and the reasons why it would not impact on trade going forward. He was extremely supportive. The relationship we built up and the knowledge Jonathan took on board meant he could make a proper and considered decision by seeing where our business was.”

Finance Yorkshire Investment Manager Jonathan Craig said: “This company produces specialist products that it uses within the group and that it also sells externally. It has made significant investment in the manufacturing process which will allow it to grow strongly and remain at the forefront of its sector.”

Darren Precious, who runs Keighley Business Network on behalf of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, said:

“Many firms are still struggling with a lack of working capital at present. It’s good to know that Finance Yorkshire is getting that crucial support out to firms at this time. They are helping to turn the economy around and ensuring that businesses like Arvensis will lead the way out of the recession.”

Finance Yorkshire provides seedcorn, loan and equity linked investments, ranging from £15,000 to £2m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to meet their funding requirements for growth and development.

The project is supported financially by the European Union. It has attracted £30million investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of Europe’s support for the region’s economic development through the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Programme, £15million from Yorkshire Forward’s Single Programme, and £45million match funding from the European Investment Bank.

For more information about Finance Yorkshire, please visit www.finance-yorkshire.com or ring 0845 649 0000.

The rapidly expanding BT network, the largest in the UK, now has more than three million UK hotspots in homes, independent businesses and city centres.
Access is free to more than five million BT Broadband customers, plus users of iPads, iPhones, iTouch, Android, Samsung and Blackberry devices and smartphones through other BT partnership agreements.

BT’s rapid hotspot growth mirrors the rise in the use of smartphones which are quickly catching up with laptops and PCs around the world as the consumer’s Wi-Fi device of choice *.

John Anderson, BT’s regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “BT is already leading the charge in broadband services with the roll out of faster speeds across Yorkshire and the Humber and the rapid growth of Wi-Fi hotspots increases the ways consumers and businesses can get online.

“This is fantastic news for the region and another example of major investment by BT in the country’s communications network. This huge growth in the number of hotspots takes flexible working from the home to wherever you need to be and brings the internet right to your fingertips.

“Consumers are using their devices for both work and leisure with hotspots making it possible to shop, game and enjoy a variety of applications when out and about.”

“For small businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber Wi-Fi is a great low or no-cost way of working remotely, staying in touch with customers, suppliers and staff and accessing real time travel information quickly, from any wireless PC, tablet or smartphone.”

Last year BT announced a new free mobile application that helps connect BT home broadband customers with an iPad to its network of hotspots. It gives BT home broadband customers easy mobile access to free and unlimited Wi-Fi and includes a mapping service which is updated weekly so that customers can find their nearest hotspot. See www.bt.com/wifi/onthego for ways to get online.

The 23rd of January marks the launch of Arab Health 2012, the largest and most prestigious healthcare exhibition in the Middle East. 22 Yorkshire companies will be attending to explore exciting export opportunities and showcase world leading technologies.

A difficult economic climate in the EU means the Middle East continues to appeal as a key market for UK companies. The exhibition is expected to be attended by over 71,940 healthcare professionals giving Yorkshire companies an ideal platform to demonstrate the calibre of the region on an international stage.

It is estimated that the Middle East’s healthcare sector is worth US$80 billion, and is growing at a rate of 16% annually. This makes it a key market for these regional healthcare companies to target.

Medilink Yorkshire and Humber (Y&H), the organisation dedicated to the growth of the Healthcare Technologies Sector, will be hosting Yorkshire companies on a dedicated pavilion at the exhibition with support from the government department for international trade, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

Charlotte Fraser, regional sector specialist for UKTI said: “Due to our reputation for quality and professionalism, the UK has had a well established business relationship with countries across the Middle East for many years.”

Now these countries are investing to reform their healthcare systems and there is an increased demand for the latest medical advancements and technology. This year more UK companies than ever have started to explore their global potential at Arab Health and we expect that many will be successful.”

Some of the pioneering healthcare companies from Yorkshire exhibiting at this year’s Arab Health include:

 Rotherham based, Inditherm PLC - Using unique patented technology, Inditherm provide patient and neonatal warming systems to hospitals and military units. These warming systems are much more cost-effective and efficient than traditional alternatives and can be used to treat a range of patients, from soldiers suffering from hyperthermia to babies born too early.

 Chesterfield based, Rober Ltd - Pioneers in the development and manufacture of zero pressure technology for the treatment of pressure ulcers. Their comprehensive ranges of products are used in leading hospitals around the world.

 Elland based, Drive Medical - A world leader in assistive technologies who offer an extensive range of innovative mobility products. The company is one of the fastest growing major manufacturers and distributors of durable equipment in the home healthcare and rehabilitation markets throughout the world.

 Bradford based, Medical Instruments Ltd - One of a handful of remaining UK companies manufacturing and supplying disposable medical instruments. Medical Instruments Ltd produce high quality single use products and are an approved NHS supplier, highlighting the quality of their products.

 Bradford based, Sunflower Medical – A market leader in equipment for primary, secondary and tertiary care. Sunflower Medical offer a wide range of stylish, robust and cost effective medical furniture used by the NHS & medical practices across Europe.

 Sheffmed – Based in the steel city of Sheffield, Sheffmed are renowned for high quality manufacturing. The company will be unveiling the new HD Lite at the exhibition – a lightweight headlight system with a mounted micro HD camera.

 Sidhil - Sidhil Ltd have successfully achieved a market leading edge, with the distinction of being the only remaining company in the UK engaged in the manufacture of hospital beds. Sidhil Operates from a purpose-built factory in Halifax.

 Huddersfield based, Extract Technology - A leading worldwide supplier of containment and aseptic systems for the pharmaceutical, healthcare, biotech and chemical markets. Extract technology has over 30 years experience in the design and manufacture of innovative, bespoke, high quality solutions to meet all requirements.

Arab Health takes place from January 23-26 at Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE. 

The BT investment makes available broadband speeds of up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps) – more than double the maximum speeds previously available to the majority of UK homes and businesses.

The technology is already available in to nearly 1.5 million homes and businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber and is expected to have reached 86 per cent of premises in the region by the Summer of next year.

The new next generation broadband network is available on an open, wholesale basis to all companies providing broadband services.
This investment is in addition to the £2.5 billion BT roll-out of super-fast fibre-based broadband, which is expected to bring even faster speeds to two-thirds of UK premises by the end of 2014.

Michael Short, chairman of the Chartered Management Institute, Central and West Yorkshire Branch, said: “We very much welcome this latest announcement from BT. Faster broadband is going to play an essential role in the future success of the region. In an increasingly competitive and technological world it is essential that local businesses and households have access to high-speed sophisticated communications. Just like roads and railways, broadband is a vital part of the essential infrastructure of our region.”

John Anderson, BT’s regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “BT’s roll-out of faster broadband across Yorkshire and the Humber is running at a very rapid pace.

“We have already announced plans to make super-fast fibre-based broadband available to more than a million homes and businesses in the region by the end of next year. Now we are able to confirm a further major investment in faster broadband speeds over copper lines.

“Nobody is doing more than BT to roll-out faster broadband across Yorkshire and the Humber. At a time of economic uncertainty these major improvements will provide a big boost for local businesses and offer many additional educational and entertainment opportunities for local households.

“And we want to go further. We want to work with the public sector to find ways of bringing faster broadband to areas, which are geographically and commercially more challenging.”  

Scunthorpe, Crossgates, Driffield, Keighley, Northallerton, Hemsworth and Dringhouses are among the latest places included in the company’s £2.5 billion roll-out of fibre broadband. It will take the number of homes and businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber being passed by the new super-fast network to more than one million.
The latest upgrades are due to be completed during 2012.

BT’s local network business Openreach is driving forward plans to make super-fast fibre broadband available to two-thirds of UK premises by the end of 2014*. The innovative network features a mix of fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) and fibre to the premises (FTTP) technologies. Speeds are vastly superior to those previously available to many UK homes and businesses.

FTTC, delivered to street cabinets, currently offers download speeds of up to 40Mbps with 10Mbps upstream. Openreach has said it will roughly double these speeds next year. FTTP, where the fibre goes directly to homes and businesses, offers speeds of up to 100Mbps, rising to 300Mbps in the spring. This compares with 6.8Mbps, the average actual speed of all UK broadband according to Ofcom’s latest research published in July 2011

Barry Dodd, chairman of York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP, said: “This further investment by BT in providing more superfast broadband to parts of the region is great news.

“Access to fast broadband is essential for local firms and households. It gives a competitive edge to our businesses especially in rural areas and provides access to new markets with the potential of new jobs.”

John Anderson, BT’s regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “This latest major investment is a tremendous boost for the region. Super-fast broadband will be welcomed by families throughout the area because it will help improve their quality of life and leisure and open new doors through online learning and fast access to information and services. And it’s also going to provide a huge fillip for businesses and the regional economy. At a stroke, small and medium sized firms will have access to big business speeds at much lower costs allowing them to find new markets, boost their competitiveness and create new jobs.

“Faster upstream speeds are a boon for flexible and remote working, slashing office overheads and improving employees’ work-life balance. Large graphic and video files can be sent immediately online instead of being physically delivered to customers on hard disk. And high quality voice and video calls will enable businesses to save time travelling to clients without losing direct customer contact.

“We are making rapid progress with super-fast broadband across the UK. More than six million homes and businesses can now access the high-speed technology and last month we announced that two-thirds of UK premises will have access by the end of 2014, a year earlier than planned.

“And we’re not forgetting the final third – largely rural areas which we have always said will require a partnership approach with the public sector to provide access to the new technology. BT has the strength and experience to deliver challenging projects – as we are doing with major faster broadband initiatives in Northern Ireland and Cornwall – and we are determined to be at the forefront of taking the technology to the final third. We’re also testing new technologies to improve speeds where fibre broadband won’t be available because it’s important that as many homes and businesses as possible have access to fast broadband and its benefits.”

Internet users with a fibre broadband connection can do much more online, all at the same time. A family can download a movie, watch a TV replay service, surf the net and play games online simultaneously. The latest chart hit can be downloaded in around two seconds, a CD in 30 seconds and a feature length HD film in 10 minutes.
Upload speeds are the fastest in the UK, with large video and data files being sent almost instantly and posting hi-resolution photos on Facebook, takes seconds.
Unlike other companies, Openreach offers network access to service providers on an open, wholesale basis, supporting a competitive market.

For further information on Openreach’s super-fast broadband programme visit www.superfast-openreach.co.uk  

The government said the funding would give high-tech innovative businesses better access to the facilities and finance they need to develop and commercialise products. It added that £25m would also be set aside to help companies develop large scale prototypes that will showcase ideas to potential investors

To read the full article, please click here

Leeds based network support and IT company Blue Logic is celebrating a hugely successful 2011, increasing turnover by nearly 25% to £2.7 million and is forecasting a 30% increase in turnover for the next year, following acquisitions and new client wins.

The firm's success comes as the company, led by ABDN award-winning director Dave Helm, celebrates it's 5th birthday at the end of December. The last 12 months have seen Blue Logic appoint 9 new starters across the divisions and move into 115% larger premises at Bramley Grange in Thorner, Leeds to cater for the rapidly expanding team.

Blue Logic was created in 2007 by Dave Helm who began the company with just his lap top and mobile phone. Director Chris Ambler soon joined and they now lead a team of 34 including sales staff, network support, technical engineers, online and web development staff.

More information on the staff and services can be found at www.bluelogic.co.uk.

With further growth predicted in the first half of 2012 Dave is confident the team will continue to expand and further its offerings. He said: “We've had a fantastic year and we're all very proud to be continuing to grow when the economic climate is so unstable. We're not taking anything for granted, but we're confident 2012 will see a further increase in turnover by potentially as much as 30%.

“The team have all worked so hard and our success is down to such a tight, combined effort, we're treating them to a joint Christmas and birthday celebration party to thank them for their continued dedication to making Blue Logic a leading IT service of excellence in Leeds and across Yorkshire.

“We recently led a presentation for staff to show them exactly how the company has progressed over the last year and our aspirations for the next 12 months. We celebrated all areas of growth such as customer service, innovations, sales and leading web products.”

To support the new account wins and acquisitions predicted for the first half of 2012 Blue Logic hope to expand the team further with new appointments in sales, web development, and several technical positions in the first half of 2012 taking the team to over 40.

Dave added: “We're looking into new ventures and divisions through acquisitions in 2012 which will aim to offer complimentary products and services for our existing and new clients, ensuring Blue Logic will continue to grow and have many more successful years ahead.” 

David Birks has been appointed as Gazelle Hunter for Connect Yorkshire’s recently launched entrepreneurs’ business support group, Connect Gazelles, which covers the Yorkshire region with groups in Leeds and Sheffield.

David brings several years’ sales experience to the role and joins from Infoserve; David: “I was particularly interested in Connect's product offerings and what the organisation had achieved over the last decade by helping businesses across the region. The new Gazelles initiative offers a truly unique and exciting opportunity for aspiring businesses which I believe will be very successful.”

Connect Yorkshire’s chief executive Nick Butler: “The Connect Gazelles have had an exceptional reception over its launch period with a fast growing membership plus numerous leading entrepreneurs from across Yorkshire – several of which rank amongst the top businesspeople in the UK - joining to support and mentor businesses.

“David brings great drive and energy to the role as we continue to develop the business in this latest phase in our growth.” 

Pensions experts at Ward Hadaway say that while delaying the introduction of auto-enrolment for SMEs with fewer than 50 employees means these employers will avoid compulsory pension contributions for another year, the decision could cause more long-term problems than it solves.
Auto-enrolment is the Government policy designed to ensure that all workers are automatically enrolled in a workplace pension scheme and benefit from a minimum amount of employer contributions, unless they decide to opt out.

Auto-enrolment will apply to all employers from October 2012, in stages starting with the largest organisations.
The Government has confirmed that the policy will go ahead as planned for these largest employers, but for those with between 2,999 and 50 employees there will be minor delays in the date on which auto-enrolment applies to them (their "Staging Date") with new Staging Dates to be specified in the New Year.
More importantly, the Government has delayed the Staging Dates for businesses with fewer than 50 employees until after the next election in 2015, citing the difficult economic climate.

Tristan Mander, Associate and Head of Pensions at Ward Hadaway, said: “Whilst this delay may be welcome for SMEs who already have their hands full dealing with the challenging trading conditions, it will add further uncertainty to an already uncertain economic climate.

“Small businesses need to be able to plan for the future with some degree of certainty. The fact that they now do not know when such potentially huge calls on their cash flow will occur makes planning that bit more difficult.

“There is also a concern that the significant delay in Staging Dates could be a disincentive on small businesses expanding beyond 49 workers in order to avoid triggering a requirement to make pensions contributions.

“At a time when we really need every incentive for small businesses to grow, this is not a helpful move.

“The delay in Staging Dates will also remove an estimated 7.5 million people from the potential client base of the pension providers who have set up auto-enrolment products, such as the National Employment Savings Trust or NEST.

“These providers will have to revise their business plans accordingly, and this may result in higher costs and charges for all persons who join.

“This may in fact incentivise them to opt-out as a result, which may put the success of auto-enrolment as a whole in jeopardy.”

In a further move that will affect all employers, the Government has delayed the planned increase in employer contributions from a minimum of 1% of relevant pay to a minimum of 2%.

This was due to take place in October 2016 but the rise has been put on hold until all employers have reached their new Staging Dates, presumably at the end of 2017.
Tristan Mander said: “Again, on the surface, this looks like good news for employers who will have at least an additional year to find the additional funds required by the contribution rise.

“However, since the rise is dependent on Staging Dates that are yet to be announced, this will again make financial planning more difficult.

“There is also a concern that keeping contribution rates so low for so long will cause the auto-enrolment policy to fail to reach its aims.

“The announced delays may result in an estimated £5 billion of pension savings not being made, with future pensioner poverty the most likely result, as well as increasing the likelihood of employees opting out of something that could be seen as little more than an expensive nuisance.

“Employers may also be tempted to speed up the so-called 'race to the bottom' and close all other pension schemes providing more than the statutory minimum.” 

Sheffield Precision Medical Ltd (SPML) have been awarded the Startup Award at the recent Medilink Healthcare Business Awards 2011.

Awarded to a young company with the most promising future, the award recognises SPML’s impact in the sector and their business potential for the future.

Held on the 9th November at the National Railway Museum in York, the Medilink Healthcare Business awards celebrate healthcare excellence in the region and honour the best of business across Yorkshire and Humber.

SPML is in its second year of business as a leading manufacturer of surgical instruments, producing technically advanced and innovative surgical instrumentation on behalf of high technology companies across the globe.

In its first 12 months of business, the company grew rapidly and successfully due to the establishment of major new clients both in the UK and overseas bolstered by the professionalism and dedication of its staff.

This success enabled SPML to invest in state-of-the-art Multi Axis CNC machinery and expand their existing product portfolio. The high degree of precision and automation of their machines, together with the practical experience of their multi-skilled engineering workforce, allows the company to steadily expand its operation and offers their clients the very best in surgical instrumentation.

The company offers a total manufacturing solution, taking a product from concept, through design partnership, prototype and batch manufacture; providing customers with a high quality product in competitive time frames.

Talking about their recent accolade, Managing Director, Brian Reece, said: “Winning the Medilink Award really is testament to the hard work and dedication our committed team has put in over the past two years and the continued support from our client base.

“Fighting against a global recession hasn’t been easy but with our reputation for quality and readiness to respond, this has enabled us to work with global ‘Blue chip’ OEM’s, providing the market with the latest in pioneering products for orthopaedic surgery.”

After winning Medilink’s start up award, supported by Medipex, SPML will now be automatically entered into the national Medilink UK Award which will take place in the spring of next year and will celebrate the very best of the UK healthcare sector. 

According to 31 per cent of those questioned, attitudes appear to have hardened during the recession. Reasons cited for this ranged from disabled people being seen as a burden on society (37 per cent), ill feeling around the perceived extra support given to disabled people (28 per cent) and the personal worries and sensitivities which rise to the fore during a recession (46 per cent).

Yet in seemingly contradictory findings more than three-quarters (85 per cent) of people in Yorkshire and Humber feel that their employers could do more to create greater employment and career progression for disabled people, yet nearly half (40 per cent) think employers should make more reasonable adjustments for staff with disabilities.
John Anderson, BT’s regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “It’s very sad that, in the 21st Century, with the London 2012 Paralympic Games less than a year away, so many people in the region still fail to see the potential behind the disability. In order to give some people a fair chance you sometimes need to treat them differently.

“Until we understand that fair doesn’t always mean the same, our society will unnecessarily compound any limiting effects of disability and continue to waste the potential of thousands of our fellow citizens. It’s time to accept that our attitudes can be, and often are, more damaging than the disability itself.”

The survey was conducted to coincide with BT’s ‘Ready, Willing and Disabled’ event at its headquarters in London on December 1, 2011.
Only 25 per cent of people class facial disfigurement as a disability and nearly a third (32 per cent) don’t consider hearing loss to be a disability.

James Partridge, founder & chief executive of Changing Faces, a charity which supports and represents people with facial, hand or body disfigurement, said: “I understand that it’s instinctively difficult not to look at someone who has a disability. But for the person themselves, that looking, which can happen every day whenever they are in a public place or at work, can feel like staring and be very intrusive and undermining. This latest survey shows that the UK still has a long way to go before people with disabilities are treated as equal members of our society. It is important that employers lead by example in helping to dispel the myths and misconceptions and help people to feel at ease in the presence of people with disabilities – and vice versa – which is what BT is aiming to do today for its people and many of its suppliers too.”
More than half of people (63 per cent) in Yorkshire and the Humber say disabled people are stared at because they are different, with 45 per cent admitting they feel uncomfortable when they meet a disabled person for the first time.

Case Study

Chris Stapleton is a BT employee who has benefited from BT’s support in the workplace since he was diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS in 2008. He explains that the support he has received is invaluable in terms of making his working life easier and giving him confidence in his profession. He said: “As my MS has progressed and my mobility and stamina have declined, my managers have been wonderfully supportive with every possible adjustment made to help make things easier and less stressful for me. It’s really important for me to be able to continue working and the support BT provides makes my job much more manageable. Their support also makes me feel like I am a valued employee and that I am taken seriously in my role. Often small changes make the biggest difference, it’s just about understanding each person individually and finding out what would make their working life easier.” 

REALISE, the next evolution in collaborative working, will be launched at two events, RaATE in Coventry on 28th November and the KT-Equal event ‘Taming the Dragon; making technology work for us’ in Chelmsford on 29th November. RaATE is the only UK conference focused on the latest innovations of Assistive Technology and the KT-Equal events focus on innovation for older people.

REALISE works by inviting anyone to submit ideas on how to make technology easier to use for all. These ideas are then openly discussed, helping to gain a consensus and move to an ‘incubation’ stage . In the incubation stage a lead group or individual can attempt to establish a fully fledged assistive technology project.
Projects developed so far include ATbar, a toolbar that can be added to any website allowing text to be read out loud, and forms to be spell checked for mistakes.
Project REALISE was developed through JISC funding awarded to the Universities of Southampton and Sheffield and will now continue to develop with the National Healthcare Technology Co-operative, Devices for Dignity (D4D).

REALISE will support some of the most innovative projects through the next steps of their development. Commercial companies and researchers are invited to become involved in open project development at any time.

REALISE officially launches at RaATe on the 28th November 2011 and at KT-Equals ‘Taming the Dragon; making technology work for us’ event on the 29th of November 2011

Senior Research Associate at the University of Sheffield, Dr Peter Cudd said: “REALISE facilitates the development of software that ensures online equality. We hope the launch of this exciting online workspace at RaATe and KT-Equal will inspire individuals and companies to join us in this exciting endeavour.”

The comments come after recent research found that small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK are owed a staggering £33.6bn in late payments.
The report from payment company Bacs revealed that the average small business is owed £39,000 and is waiting up to two months to get paid.
Over half of the nation’s SMEs are currently experiencing late payments, a situation which debt recovery experts at Ward Hadaway warn must change.
Julie Hind, head of debt recovery at the law firm, said: “With increasingly tighter margins and stricter bank lending, most small businesses literally cannot afford not to get paid.

“While giving customers time to pay is part of everyday business, long overdue payments should not be.
“Small businesses who are owed money should not be afraid of enforcing the payment terms agreed with their customers and clients – if they don’t then they could be putting their whole livelihoods on the line.”

Julie added: “Taking action to get back money which you are owed does not need to cost the earth so smaller companies are not necessarily at a disadvantage.
“Reminding customers of their obligations in a firm but polite way also ensures that everyone knows where they stand, something which is always important in any business relationship.”

Ward Hadaway’s debt recovery team has helped a wide range of businesses to secure money owed to them.
The team works closely with clients and has extensive experience of the full range of tools available to companies to ensure they recover debts.
Julie Hind said: “Small businesses or indeed any company which is owed money should not suffer in silence – because it could be the last thing they do.”

By creating solutions for 3mm laparoscopic surgery – a standard size device for adult keyhole surgery is 5mm - SI has responded to surgeon demand for smaller incisions, thereby significantly reducing post-operative pain and trauma for patients.

Making smaller incisions promotes quicker healing and can negate the need for port site closure suturing at the end of procedures; saving the patient the discomfort of stitch removal.

Being Resposable™ - a combination of reusable and disposable components – ensures that the new devices comply with current economic drivers in the healthcare sector by offering cost-effective clinical solutions.

The 3mm range is included within SI’s already successful product lines, Logi™Range and YelloPort+plus™, which won the prestigious Queen’s Award for innovation in 2010.

Graham Bowland, Chief Executive Officer at SI, said “Our innovative 3mm Resposable™ range is a ground-breaking alternative to standard laparoscopic devices as they offer improved cosmetic results using traditional laparoscopic surgical techniques.”

The experienced team of in-house designers at SI have worked closely with international surgeons to develop the 3mm instrument range, which SI believes will revolutionise laparoscopic surgery.

All the devices within the range will be on show at MEDICA 2011; the world’s largest international healthcare trade show.

Mr Bowland added: “MEDICA is a platform for innovation and we are delighted to showcase our new 3mm Resposable™ Range at the exhibition this year. MEDICA is a wonderful opportunity for SI to meet with our extensive network of international distributors and update them on our exciting product development programme.”

MEDICA 2011 is taking place between 16-19th November 2011 at the Messe Dusseldorf, Germany and at the show, SI will be located on the MEDICA stand which is on the UK Pavilion in hall 16, stand G10.

If you would like to make an appointment with anyone at Surgical Innovations please contact sales@surginno.co.uk. 

The recruits will spend their first few weeks completing extensive training and job shadowing and will then ‘buddy up’ with experienced colleagues. All the new engineers are due to be in place by the end of January.

BT’s roll-out of fibre broadband is well under way in Yorkshire and the Humber, with 428,000 homes and businesses already passed by the technology, another 348,000 due to follow in the months ahead and further locations to be announced.

John Anderson, BT regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said the acceleration of the £2.5 billion programme would help stimulate the economy, drive regional growth and benefit local communities who were keen to experience the technology.

He said: “The new jobs we are announcing today will help us to support and create the digital infrastructure the region needs for the jobs of tomorrow.
“Our current engineering teams are busy installing fibre broadband across Yorkshire and the Humber at a pace we believe rivals anywhere in the world – and our new recruits will help us take the new technology to even more homes and businesses.

“We have made clear our determination to extend fibre broadband beyond our current commercial deployment plans, and we would welcome the opportunity to work with the public sector to reach the more challenging parts of the region.

“We have a strong track record of delivering broadband partnerships, we’re prepared to commit significant sums to make it happen and our growing, flexible workforce will help ensure we are ready for action in any part of the country.

“We are proud that many of these new jobs will be filled by ex-armed forces personnel, who are highly skilled, motivated and have experience of complex engineering tasks in challenging environments.”

The announcement was welcomed by Andrew Palmer CBI director, Yorkshire and the Humber, who said “This is good news from BT. These are skilled, high quality jobs, which will make a major contribution to the future success of our region. The roll-out of super-fast broadband is one of the most important investments taking place in Yorkshire and the Humber. It can transform the way we live and work and play a key role in building a stronger business community.

Across the UK, BT’s local network business Openreach is recruiting an additional 520 engineers, with the selection process well under way. It follows an earlier round of recruitment in May this year, when around 280 new engineers were employed, many of them ex-armed forces personnel.

Openreach has been working closely on the recruitment programme with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), which brings together the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Right Management, a global talent and career management expert.

One of those who joined earlier this year was Dale Burridge, 41, from Lincoln, who left the RAF as a corporal in February 2010 after serving 22 years. He worked on satellite and radio communications, and has served in the Falklands and Basra.

Dale said: “Working on next generation broadband for Openreach has many similarities to being in the armed forces which has made the transition straightforward – there is a chain of command, we visit depot stores, look after equipment as if it was our own and work in groups of people from a similar background and as one team. The big difference is you’re not getting shot at – you just have to dodge the dogs!

“I would recommend it as a career move; you get to travel and meet people, you’re helping to build an important part of British infrastructure which is a big part of people’s lives, and it offers the prospect of learning new engineering skills in the future.”

BT’s network can be used by all companies on an open wholesale basis, underpinning a fully competitive marketplace. The company recently announced it is to roughly double the speed of its super-fast broadband fibre-to-the-cabinet service next year and also increase the headline speed of its fastest fibre broadband product to up to 300Mbps.