Archive for the ‘Europe’ Category
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
We’ve just finished listening to the Queen’s Speech. 
Our view: the coalition is taking on an ambitious and challenging political programme! But we wish them success. David Cameron’s Con-Lib government aims to enact 22 separate bills over an 18-month period, as it attempts to build on the early goodwill towards the coalition. Nick Clegg will preside over a range of political reforms, including fixed-term parliaments and a bill to hold a referendum on changing the Westminster voting system to the so-called “alternative vote”.
Our interest as a healthcare communications agency means that we were looking for steers on the NHS. So, particularly important for health was that the voice of patients and the role of doctors in decision-making will be strengthened, with the aim of improving public health as well as reducing health inequalities. A Health Bill is expected to begin its legislative process in 2011. So there are sure to be a number of consultations to respond to - and plenty of opportunities for engagement in the coming months as the content of the Bill is decided. PRimage is looking forward to this - and to factor in our client’s interests and viewpoints.
MD, Judy Viitanen, is pleased that the overall thrust of the programme indicates that both the Tories and LibDems share a common interest in devolving power over public services to local people. We also give a ‘thumbs up’ for the news that the legislative programme include plans to create an Office of Budget Responsibility to produce independent economic forecasts and a shake-up of City regulation, giving the Bank of England greater powers in maintaining economic stability.
As a specialist healthcare public affairs and PR consultant, Judy is reassured that the Treasury has confirmed that the Department of Health’s overall spending will not be reduced in the current financial year. 
The Chancellor has announced £6.2bn would be saved from government spending during 2010-11, but none would come from the DoH. Health will have to make additional efficiency savings but they will be reinvested within the department.
For sure there will be tough and difficult times ahead; but the PM and deputy PM are right to focus on reducing the huge deficit as the most crucial challenge. 
We will be seeing an interesting 18-months of politics ahead ……..
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Children's Health, Communications, Consumers, Crime, Economy, Education, Employment, Environment, Europe, Family, Financial, Healthcare, Lifestyles, Men's Health, NHS, Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacy, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Retail, Social Issues | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
Judy Viitanen has been reviewing the Tories election manifesto - ‘Invitation to Join the Government of Britain’ – and is liking what she reads!
As a specialist healthcare consultancy, PRimage is interested in the plans to strengthen the power of GPs as patients’ expert guides through the health system by putting them in charge of commissioning local health services and giving them power to hold patients’ budgets. It’s encouraging to learn that the Party will ensure that funding decisions are made on the basis of need, and commissioning decisions according to evidence-based quality standards, by creating an independent NHS board to allocate resources and provide commissioning guidelines.
We also think that it’s great that the Conservatives recognise the input of the UK’s millions of carers, who look after relatives. 
Their plans will support carers, and those they look after, by providing direct payments to help with care needs and by improving access to respite care.
The Tories five main headline commitments for health:
1. Give patients more choice
Putting patients in charge of making decisions about their care, including control of their health records; spreading the use of the NHS tariff, so funding follows patients’ choices; and, making sure good performance is rewarded by implementing a payment by results system.
2. Trust healthcare professionals
The Conservatives intend to scrap the politically-motivated targets that have no clinical justification. They will set NHS providers free to innovate by ensuring that they become autonomous Foundation Trusts. They will cut the cost of NHS administration by a third and transfer resources to support doctors and nurses on the frontline.
3. Increase access to vital drugs and services
They will stop the forced closure of A&E and maternity wards, so that people have better access to local services, and give mothers a real choice over where to have their baby, with NHS funding following their decisions. We will create local ‘maternity networks’ to ensure that mothers can safely access the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
4. Take control of your care
They will devolve control over health budgets to the lowest possible level, “For people with a chronic illness or a long-term condition, we will provide access to a single budget that combines their health and social care funding, which they can tailor to their own needs.” They will also support carers, and those they look after, by providing direct payments to help with care needs and by improving access to respite care
5. A healthier nation
The Department of Health will become a Department for Public Health so that the promotion of good health and prevention of illness get the attention they need. They will also:
· Introduce a health premium – weighting public health funding towards the poorest areas with the worst health outcomes;
· Enable welfare-to-work providers and employers to purchase services from
· Mental Health Trusts; and,
· Increase access to effective ‘talking’ therapies.
Posted in Blogging, By the way, Children's Health, Communications, Consumers, Crime, Economy, Education, Employment, Environment, Europe, Family, Financial, Healthcare, Men's Health, NHS, Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacy, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues, Women's Health | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
Now that the Prime Minister has announced this morning that the General Election will be held on Thursday 6 May it’s important that the electorate concentrates on the key issues facing this country – and evaluates which of the political parties has the right vision. For Judy and the PRimage team the choice is David Cameron and the Conservatives.
www.rockthevote.com – PRimage supports this campaign to get young people motivated to vote.
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Communications, Consumers, Crime, Economy, Education, Employment, Environment, Europe, Financial, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues | No Comments »
Friday, March 19th, 2010
Posted in Advertising, Alternative therapies, Blogging, Business, By the way, Children's Health, Communications, Conferences, Consumers, Crime, Economy, Education, Employment, Environment, Europe, Event Management, Family, Financial, Food and diet, Healthcare, Humour, Leisure Market, Lifestyles, Market Research, Marketing, Media, Men's Health, NHS, News Bytes, PR, PRimage press releases, Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacy, Political Scene, Property, Public Affairs, Publishing and Literature, Retail, Social Issues, Tourism, Transport, Travel, Twitter, USA, Uncategorized, Web Links, Women's Health | No Comments »
Sunday, February 21st, 2010
PRimage has been involved in ‘Saving Lives’ - a very worthwhile factually-based campaigning documentary, written and produced by Kenan Hudaverdi, which aims to bring awareness of the issues of bullying, racism, domestic violence, drugs and crime. The campaign will lobby Governments and decision makers around the world. 
PRimage managing director, Judy Viitanen, co-narrated the documentary - which can be viewed on YouTube - and she is developing a special campaign web site, with the aim of setting up a charity to support the campaign’s aims. Please view the documentary on YouTube – and give us your support and comments! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6dbJk4i0VY&feature=autofb
You can also become a member of the Saving Lives Face Book Group - ‘I bet I can find 1,000,000 people who want to save lives!’
Posted in Advertising, Alternative therapies, Blogging, Business, By the way, Children's Health, Communications, Consumers, Crime, Economy, Education, Employment, Environment, Europe, Family, Healthcare, Lifestyles, Market Research, Marketing, Media, Men's Health, PRimage press releases, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues, USA, Women's Health | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
With less than seven months to go before the country must go to the polls, the prime minister used the state opening of parliament to showcase a series of initiatives designed to draw battle lines between the parties. In actual fact it was a pathetic attempt to highlight Labour’s morally and financially bankrupt election manifesto!
Judy Viitanen and the PRimage team were delighted at Cameron’s scathing response to the Government’s plans outlined in today’s Queen’s Speech. The speech set out plans to offer free social care for the most needy, make it a legal obligation to halve the budget deficit, bring in universal broadband and ratify an international ban on cluster bombs. But – in our view, as a manifesto it is utterly uninspiring and underwhelming – and frankly is a statement of failure and an admission that they have achieved nothing in the past 13 years except to ruin the country, the NHS, education, defence, manufacturing, law & order and the Union itself.
We feel it is a disgrace that the Queen should have been used this way to launch Labour’s election campaign. Cameron is spot on when he says that the beleaguered Brown and the Labour Party has ‘run out of courage!’ 
Bring on the General Election where the people will finally have their say on this shambles of a Prime Minister and Government. 
What’s your view? Please post a comment.
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Communications, Consumers, Crime, Economy, Education, Employment, Environment, Europe, Financial, Healthcare, NHS, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
Judy Viitanen is following the latest developments around the reported plans by David Cameron to set out a fresh stance on Europe that will involve promising in his election manifesto to repatriate certain key powers from Brussels. That’s good! 
However, the PRimage team are disturbed to read news reports that Cameron will renage on his pledge to hold a referendum on the Lisbon treaty!
We recall that in 2007 Cameron promised voters tht a Tory Government would hold a vote on the treaty.
We hear that the Bruges Group - a Eurosceptic think tank - believes if the reports are right, it would make Tory Europe policy ‘incoherent, disingenious and utterly unconvincing”. We agree! 
What’s your view? Please post a comment.
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Communications, Consumers, Europe, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues | No Comments »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
This weekend Judy received an email from a friend and business colleague from ‘across the pond’ with an interesting opinion piece article attached, written by Theodore Dalrymple (aka Anthony Daniels). Entitled, ‘ The British Disease’ …… The press cutting was a critique and personal commentary of the current state of play in today’s Britain - with observations about the economy, education, our nation’s lack of attention to service, plus some scathing views on Gordon Brown and David Cameron.
PRimage found it an interesting article (in part) …… we totally agree with the comments on Brown and the state of the British economy … BUT …. we totally disagree with Mr Daniels’ views on David Cameron, whom we rate highly! Cameron and the Tories are way ahead of Brown and Labour in the opinion polls …. A ComRes poll in today’s Independent newspaper puts Labour support on 23 per cent, level-pegging with the Liberal Democrats, while the Conservatives are on 38 per cent. So, unless something goes drastically amiss in the coming months, he looks set to win the next General Election (thank God!).
Judy has read other articles penned from Mr Daniels ….. He positions himself as a ‘caring conservative’ (which is much in line with Judy’s political stance). But we are disappointed by his disparaging comments about the public relations industry in this article; and our professional integrity prompts us to take issue!
Suffice to say that as a PR practitioner of many years standing and achievement, Judy gets very weary with some of the misconceptions, ‘labels’ and myths about public relations …. which include: ‘fluffy, insubstantial hype’, ‘the work of spin doctors’, or ‘a sneaky way to hide things’. Certainly, by its very nature, PR can never be as transparent as advertising or direct marketing, and perhaps this is the essence of its perception problem.
Mr Daniels views are yet another unfair reflection of what PR does. His comment on Cameron’s pre-political career in PR and observation that public relations is ‘hardly a school for intellectual and moral probity’ is both damaging and totally unjustified!
For the benefit of ill-informed individuals (Mr Daniels, take note) …. PR is about informing, influencing, improving, and initiating, with the resulting outcome being a desired, legitimate change in behaviour. Maybe some overlapping synergy with politics?
Anyway, here’s the article in full ….. post a blog comment and let Judy and the PRimage team know what you think …..
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Thursday, July 23rd, 2009
As long-standing Conservative supporters, Judy Viitanen (a former Tory District Councillor) and the PRimage team are not surprised that a Populus opinion poll suggests more voters trust the Conservatives to manage public spending cuts without harming key public services, with 38 per cent backing the party compared to 28 per cent supporting Labour. 
We are also pleased to hear that David Cameron is to offer an olive branch to the Conservative party’s old guard after the turmoil of the expenses scandal by promoting several of them to senior jobs in his government if the Tories win the next election.
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Consumers, Crime, Economy, Education, Employment, Environment, Europe, Family, Financial, Healthcare, Market Research, NHS, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues, Transport | No Comments »
Saturday, June 6th, 2009
British and American veterans are taking part in a series of emotional and touching events in Normandy today to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day and and to pay their own tributes to those who did not return. PRimage Managing Director has a home in Normandy, and has seen first-hand just how loved and revered these liberating, brave veterans are in the towns and villages along that coastline. The American and British cemeteries are beautifully maintained – and words simply cannot explain how deeply poignant and moving it is to visit the landing beaches and the various memorials and museums – a total privilege! Judy believes that these veterans were truly the greatest generation! The Allies suffered 215,000 casualties on D-Day and in the Normandy campaign, and Caen was virtually flattened.
Posted in Blogging, By the way, Consumers, Europe, Family, Lifestyles, Political Scene, Social Issues, USA | No Comments »
