By Ian Mckenzie The Department of Trade and Industry has awarded 17 framework agreements for the supply of broadband services to the public sector. Demand for broadband will be pooled and contracts awarded to providers by regional aggregation bodies. The author describes what broadband can do and what to be wary about when making the switch.

Extending the role of pharmacists to prescribing medicines marks another milestone in the removal of professional barriers in the health service. The first group of pharmacists have completed 25 days training and 12 days supervised practice and are now qualified to work in partnership with doctors, dentists and patients to implement Clinical Management Plans. The extended role is likely to be most useful in dealing with long-term medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or coronary heart disease, or with long-term health needs, such as anti-coagulation.Health Minister Rosie Winterton said: “I am delighted that the first supplementary prescribing pharmacists have now qualified and that they will soon be bringing their expertise to the aid of both patients and doctors alike. Extending prescribing responsibilities to pharmacists will make getting the right medicine easier and more convenient than ever before and will help to reduce the burden on GPs by giving them more time to deal with acutely ill patients.”

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The Local Government Association has responded to the Chancellor’s announcement of a radical efficiency programme with a plea for greater freedom for local government so that councils can deliver greater efficiency. The Association wants councils to be freed up to build flexible partnerships with other councils, public sector bodies, and the private sector to get the most cost-effective deals in buying and delivering services.Sir Jeremy Beecham, the Association’s chair, said: “The drive to secure efficiency is not new to local government. Councils have developed cutting-edge practice and striven for value for money for years. The way to get value for money is to put devolved decision making at the heart of an agenda of localism, where directly elected councillors are responsible and accountable for their financial decisions. Top-down solutions to efficiency or remotely derived models will fail – an agenda that twins the efficiency drive with a devolution drive is the answer.”

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