Wednesday 23 June 2004

Murder cases under review to identify ‘honour
killings’

A national review of over 120 murders has identified at least 13
cases of suspected ‘honour killings’ in which young
women who are often running away from forced marriages are
murdered.

The suspected ‘honour killings’ occurred between 1993
and 2003. Some of them were previously believed to have been
accidents. Detectives are not reopening the cases but hope to learn
more about the problem from them.

Source:- The Independent, Wednesday, 23 June, page 20

Asylum staff ‘not up to job’ after ethnic
quota drive

Some asylum case workers were not good enough at their jobs after
the Home Office dropped the level of qualifications required in
order to recruit more people from ethnic minorities, it has been
revealed.

The finding comes in a National Audit Office report out today that
states that some of the new case workers were unable to make
properly considered decisions on complex cases.

The Home Office reinstated the requirements back up to the previous
level in February of this year.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday, 23 June, page
13

Soham police chief defies suspension

Chief constable of Humberside David Westwood has defied the Home
Secretary David Blunkett by refusing to resign over dealings with
Ian Huntley, the Soham murderer.

Westwood refused to bow to pressure and has consulted lawyers and
won the support of other police chiefs.

Blunkett made the order after the Bichard Report held Westwood
personally responsible for failing to identify Huntley as a sexual
predator.

Source:- The Times, June 23, page 1
 

Chronic pain led couple to suicide

A British couple who were not terminally ill travelled to an
assisted clinic in Switzerland, a coroner heard.

Robert and Jennifer Stoke decided to commit suicide on April 1 2003
because he suffered severe epilepsy while she lived with chronic
back pain which was inoperable and irritable bowel syndrome and had
to be washed and dressed by her husband.

The couple originally met in a psychiatric hospital.

The coroner recorded a verdict of suicide.

Source:- The Times, June 23, page 5

Faster asylum decisions ‘could have saved
£500m

Policy changes on asylum applications have cost tax payers up to
£500m reveals a National Audit Office report.

The report said the Nationality Directorate has increased the speed
of its decision making on cases where people request asylum but
more improvements could be made.

The directorate also had to improve its country information reports
on which asylum decisions partly rest.

Source:- Financial Times, June 23, page 4

Care scandal will cost £180m

Community Care minister Stephen Ladyman revealed how thousands of
people, wrongly forced to pay for long-term nursing care, are in
line for a share of £180m compensation.

Almost 130,000 people claimed they were wrongly denied free care
following a ruling in February last year by the NHS ombudsman Ann
Abraham.

She found health authorities had misinterpreted the rules on
long-term care.

Ladyman told the Commons that only 6,713 cases had been completed
by the March deadline and just over 5,000 would be settled by the
end of July.

Source: Daily Mail, June 23, page 19

First Random drug tests for pupils in state school

Health professionals are to carry out random drug testing in Abbey
secondary school in Faversham, Kent will from September.

Governors and parents have backed the scheme and the council is
preparing guidelines to ensure the tests are legal.

Prime Minister Tony Blair backed random testing in February despite
opposition from many heads and civil liberty groups.

Source: The Telegraph, June 23, page 2

Wasted talent

Less than 1 per cent of chief executives within the NHS are drawn
from black or minority ethnic groups, depriving promotion to such
individuals and the organisation of their experience. So how can
the services tackle ‘snowcapping’?

Source:- SocietyGuardian, Wednesday, 23 June, page 2

Left holding the baby

Discriminatory attitudes mean people with learning difficulties get
a raw deal at the hands of the NHS, says a new report.

Source:- SocietyGuardian, Wednesday, 23 June, page 6

Man with a plan

Mike Hayes, president of the Royal Town Planning Institute, tells
David Brindle why he is excited by radical legislation that can
push housing and regeneration to the top of the political
agenda

Source:- SocietyGuardian, Wednesday, 23 June, page 8

Flyposters face a sticky end

Mark Gould on the guerrilla tactics and antisocial behaviour orders
that are being employed by councils to great effect in the struggle
against illegal advertising.

Source:- SocietyGuardian, Wednesday, 23 June, page 9

Pier pressure

This month’s elections left the Community Action Party as the
largest opposition on Wigan town council. Helen MacNamara discovers
why many voters deserted the mainstream political parties

Source:- SocietyGuardian, Wednesday, 23 June, page 10

The gloves come off

People with mental health problems are largely misunderstood by the
public and misrepresented by the media. Mary O’Hara reports
on a new government scheme that plans to tackle stigma

Source:- SocietyGuardian, Wednesday, 23 June, page 12

Healthy options

Forcing NHS trusts to share administration costs might make them
more efficient. But would it contradict ministerial rhetoric on
local decision-making?

Source:- SocietyGuardian, Wednesday, 23 June, page 16

What else can I do?

Bill is about to graduate and wants to work in social care. As a
wheelchair user, he feels he has lots to offer – but to whom?
Debbie Andalo offers some advice

Source:- SocietyGuardian, Wednesday, 23 June, page 120

Scottish newspapers

Police say beating up drunks is no answer

A surgeon’s comments calling for the police to beat up binge
drinkers who cause trouble yesterday have been heavily
criticised.

Ian Anderson, accident and emergency chief at Glasgow’s
Victoria Infirmary called on officers to “knock f***”
out of neds to tackle binge drinking.

Police and politicians said that his solution was not the
answer. 

Anderson was scheduled to talk at a one day conference in Glasgow
yesterday on how to tackle Scotland’s drinking problems but
pulled out at the last minute.

Source:- Daily Record, Wednesday, 23 June, page 4

Older women trapped in cycle of violence

Thousands of Scottish wives aged 50 and over are hidden victims of
domestic violence, according to a new report.

The study, commissioned by Health Scotland, includes the case of a
woman who eventually managed to lift herself off the floor after
being beaten and used her Zimmer frame to take herself to a
Women’s Aid office.

It features wives who have stayed with their abusive husbands for
decades.

Source:- The Herald, Wednesday, 23 June

Welsh newspapers

Carers ‘likely’ to strike

Home carers for older people in Newport are ‘very
likely’ to take strike action following a row over a new
contract.

The council wants to change their contracts by scrapping higher
weekend pay rates and the 290 care workers who are represented by
Unison and GMB are being asked if they wish to take industrial
action.

Source South Wales Argus Tuesday 22 June page 7

Dad’s call to suspend doctors

The father of a ten-year-old boy who died of medical negligence
14 years ago wants doctors involved in the case suspended, pending
a hearing by the General Medical Council. Robbie Powell died in
1990 after a succession of doctors failed to spot a life
threatening glandular condition. His father, Will Powell has
written to the chief medical officer for NHS Wales, Dr Ruth Hall
calling for their suspension. His letter comes in the wake of a TV
documentary that revealed that the Crown Prosecution Service had
decided that there was enough evidence to prosecute two GPs
involved in the case but that no prosecutions had been brought.

Source Western Mail Wednesday 23 June page 3

Elderly patients ‘doped without their
consent’

A new report claims that patients’ lives are being cut
short because they are being prescribed drugs unnecessarily and
without their consent.

The report from the Public Interest Research Unit found that in
some cases older patients in west Wales are being given
anti-psychotic drugs without good clinical reasons. The report is
based on interviews with patients in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion
and Pembrokeshire.

Source Western Mail Wednesday 23 June page 6

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