Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine celebrates 125th Anniversary with study of explorer's legacy

THE Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine will celebrate its 125th Anniversary this year by exploring the legacy of explorer and writer, Mary Kingsley.

Kingsley; a personal friend of the School's founders:- Alfred Jones and John Holt; set sail for West Africa, from:- Liverpool, in 1893. Largely self educated and with strong views on social and political issues of the time, and an interest in science, shortly after her trip she published Travels in West Africa (1897), which was an immediate best-seller, and West African Studies (1899).

In the 1st of three public lectures on the University of Liverpool campus and online, attendees will be taken on a journey from:- Liverpool to West Africa, reflecting on Kingsley's influence, and how it has rippled through to the present day.

Through her experiences, Kingsley acquired a detailed knowledge of various African societies and politics, and was regarded as an expert in Government circles. John Holt publicly acknowledged her role in:- "getting us to think on the right lines and to work for the good of the African peoples." She demanded a wider understanding of African social and legal systems and how they should be reflected in colonial commerce. This lead to the formation of the:- 'Fair Commerce Party,' 'The Congo Reform Association' and the:- 'African Society.'

Following her death in South Africa in:- 1900, aged just:- 38, the School instituted the Mary Kingsley medal in 1903. It is presented for outstanding achievements in the field of Tropical Medicine. The full list of medal recipients, including:- Robert Koch and Sir Patrick Manson, can be found on the LSTM website and on the big wooden displays, at LSTM.

Speaking as part of the lecture will be Karen Blower, Information Governance and Compliance Officer at the School; and Amina Ismail, Community Mobiliser within the department of International Public Health.

The free lecture will take place both online and in person at the Central Teaching Hub, at the University of Liverpool Central, L697BX on:- Thursday, 13 April 2023, at:- 6pm. You can reserve your spot via the University's Continuing Education page on their website.

This free talk is part of LSTM Past, Present, and Future, a National Lottery Heritage funded project.

You can find out more about where the next LSTM Past, Present, and Future event will be by following LSTM on social media (on Twitter and LSTM on Facebook Page). You can also find out more about the other events marking LSTM's 125th Anniversary, by visiting:- LSTMED.AC.UK.

We would be interested to know your thoughts on this topic, and please do send us your memories of the LSTM, if you have ever studied or taught at it. Please do let us know by email them to our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com.
 

Record Doctors and Nurses working in the NHS helping to cut waiting times

THERE are record number of Doctors and Nurses working in the NHS in England helping to deliver extra appointments, speed up diagnoses and cut waiting lists, according to the latest stats.

Data published by NHS Digital shows that in January 2023 there were almost:- 1.27 million full time equivalent staff working in NHS trusts and commissioning bodies in England; over:- 48,700 more people compared to a year ago, an increase of 4%.

The latest data also shows there were over 5,100 more Doctors and over:- 11,800 more Nurses working in the NHS compared to January 2022.

Since 2010, there are now over:- 37,700 more Doctors and over:- 52,400 more Nurses working in the NHS. The Government is also on track to deliver on its commitment for:- 50,000 more Nurses by 2024, with over:- 41,000 more Nurses compared to September 2019.

Separately, reforms to public sector pensions announced at Budget come into force today which will increase the annual tax free pension allowance from:- £40,000 to £60,000, and remove the lifetime allowance charge. These changes will ensure Doctors are not disincentivised from remaining in their NHS roles or taking on extra hours, meaning more expertise will be retained so we can continue treating patients and helping to cut waiting lists.

This is alongside wider changes to the NHS Pension Scheme to make retirement more flexible and support staff to remain in work for longer. These changes include:- allowing retired and partially retired staff to return to work or increase their working hours without having payments to their pension reduced or suspended, fixing the unintended impacts of inflation so senior clinicians are not taxed more than necessary and ensuring staff can continue to access the scheme when working in Primary Care Networks.

Around:- 22,000 senior NHS clinicians could exceed the previous £40,000 annual allowance over:- 2023 to 2024, and around:- 31,000 clinicians have reached at least 75% of the £1.073 million lifetime allowance.

These changes will mean more senior clinicians will be incentivised to stay in the workforce and work as many hours as they want, helping boost the workforce as the NHS continues to tackle the backlogs.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, said:- "It's crucial we have a sustainable workforce as we build a stronger, healthier NHS for the long term with patients at its centre. We are making progress in training and recruiting a record number of staff; with over:- 48,700 more compared to a year ago and the NHS will soon publish a workforce plan focused on recruiting and retaining more staff. Today's pension changes will also help boost numbers of senior clinicians; so we can continue delivering high quality care for patients."

NHS England will publish a comprehensive workforce strategy this year to help recruit and retain more staff, with independently verified forecasts for the number of Doctors, Nurses and other professionals that will be needed in:- 5, 10 and 15 years' time.

For more information about the NHS Workforce Statistics for January 2023, you can see the latest published information from NHS Digital online at:- Digital.NHS.UK.