Wigan council and the software solutions company Civica have saved almost a million pounds in police resources by allowing more officers to make use of the authority’s system. Officers are now able to make electronic requests for footage from CCTV cameras monitoring streets and public buildings.
The council has widened the availability of its Civica Authority Public Protection software to include local police stations in Greater Manchester. 

From this weekend Nottingham City Council is to get tougher with drivers who use bus lanes illegally. The city, which has invested in pioneering technology to support its action, is taking the step as part of its campaign to get more people to use public transport.
Anyone who makes illegal use of bus lanes to gain advantage over queuing traffic can now expect action to be taken against them. 

Technology now allows people living at home with a chronic disease to monitor their condition by measuring vital signs such as heart rate, weight, blood pressure and oxygen levels. Systems also give instant access to specialist help. The feature describes a pioneering development by Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust in the use of telecare and the benefits it brought to patients and the Trust.

Directors of Children’s Services have underlined their support for the information sharing system, Contactpoint, following reports of concern among senior social workers that the database could be open to abuse by paedophiles. The Association of Directors said they fully supported the enabling of better information sharing about children, which they see as one of the central aims of the 2004 Children Act. 

A big recruitment drive is to begin in Wales to fill thousands of new jobs for child carers, play-workers and classroom assistants. At the same time the skills of existing workers are to be upgraded and they will be helped to gain higher skills and qualifications. The recruitment drive has been launched by the Welsh Assembly’s Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, Jane Hutt. 

By Jon Glasby
This report from the Health Services Management Centre, Birmingham University, argues for a system of personalised budgets in the NHS. The system would mirror direct payments introduced to social care in the late 1990’s allowing people to buy their own services and hire their own staff. Many expressed concerns about direct payments when they were introduced for social care, but the system has proved popular with users and has led to considerable creativity and innovation. 

Local councils have been told they must reclaim the streets to tackle youth crime and restore order to communities. The Local Government Association has published a five-point plan, which its chairman, Sir Simon Milton, said represented core actions authorities should take to protect local people and save youngsters from a life of crime. 

Optometrists are to be given the power to prescribe medicines. The Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo has announced that they will be able to train to issue prescriptions in a step that will mean patients being examined, diagnosed and prescribed drugs in a single visit to the opticians. 

This briefing from the Society of IT Management describes the potential efficiency gains from encouraging greater use of the Internet for communicating with councils and processing transactions. Encouraging people to transact business through the Internet and making it easier for them to do so not only provides a fast and efficient service, but it also takes workload away from the traditional channels of letters, phone calls and face to face contact. 

An online tool has been launched to help local authorities and health services to improve life expectancy in deprived areas. The Health Inequalities Intervention Tool is an interactive website designed to be used as part of a wider strategy to deal with inequalities.