Prime Minister Theresa May is being urged to keep business needs paramount in negotiations for Britain’s exit from the EU following the triggering of Article 50.

Scott Knowles, the Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber, said:-

“To all intents and purposes, everything that has gone before has been rhetoric – the negotiations begin in earnest today.

“In January, at her first regional Cabinet Meeting when she launched the Industrial Strategy Green Paper, Mrs May gave a strong indication that the needs of business would play a prominent part in Brexit negotiations.

“Today, we are urging her to continue to heed the voice of business throughout the negotiations to ensure the UK not only remains a great place for global investment but also so that British businesses are not disadvantaged either during talks or once Brexit is achieved.”

The Chamber has thrown its weight behind the British Chambers of Commerce’s published Brexit priorities.

Using data collated from surveys around the country, BCC set out a series of wants from business in key areas of concern, offering evidence of the importance of a business perspective for each.

All 52 accredited Chambers around the country contributed to the work using information gathered from their own Quarterly Economic Surveys.

Scott said:-

“This is a very detailed piece of work which clearly sets out the demands of business in seven key areas.

“Business is the creator of wealth and jobs and the driver of regional and national economies and, as such, it should be the loudest voice during exit negotiations.”

The BCC Business Brexit Priorities agenda lists the seven key areas as trade, customs, tax, regulations, labour market, EU funding and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has taken the next step to strengthen the GP services it provides to more than 30,000 registered patients in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire.

After almost two years – and now with five GP surgeries in its portfolio – the Trust has decided it’s the right time to create an ‘arms-length organisation’ (ALO) to recognise that it’s transforming from a traditional style hospital model, to an organisation that provides a full range of healthcare  services and specialties for people across the community.  An ALO can often offer an alternative to services that run ‘in-house’ or through service contracts.

Simon Morritt, Chief Executive at the Royal, will also be on the Board that manages the ALO and comments:-

“This new organisation is a full NHS service that the Trust owns and manages and is fully accountable for.  We remain committed to meeting our aim of offering high quality, patient-focussed GP services in the communities where we have our surgeries.”

Officially registered with Companies House as ‘Derbyshire Primary Care and Commercial Services’ the arms-length organisation is classed as a limited company within the NHS.

Stuart Ellis, General Manager, explains:-

“Our GP services will remain firmly within the NHS ‘family’, but the ALO will allow us to develop other partnerships and contracts like other primary care organisations.

The Royal’s first GP practice came on board in May 2015 and the second followed in July 2016.  The Trust runs a full range of services from surgeries based in Chesterfield (at The Grange, Inkersall and Rectory Road); as well as in North East Derbyshire (Clay Cross and Grassmoor).

Mr Morritt continues:-

“Like many GP Practices across the country the former Holywell Medical Group and Blue Dykes Surgeries were finding it difficult to operate because fewer doctors are choosing to train in primary care medicine.  By linking up with the Trust they not only safeguarded vital services for local people, but their GPs were able to focus on patient care and clinical leadership.  Over the last two years we’ve demonstrated this can work effectively and efficiently.”

The Trust has successfully recruited more GPs, has extended appointments to early mornings, evenings and weekends and is looking at expanding the range of services it provides at surgeries, including ultrasound.  The ALO will enable more new ways of working, creating a team of staff that as well as GP’s, includes advanced nurse practitioners, pharmacists and mental health nurses.

Mr Ellis says: –

“The ALO means business as usual for patients, who will continue to contact us as they would do normally for appointments, repeat prescriptions or other queries.

“But it gives us more flexibility to manage the service differently and improve it for everyone.  It’s an exciting step and we are looking forward to continuing to take these GP practices and services forward on a positive footing.”

Local businesses are being urged to take advantage of funding and training opportunities during Skills Bank Week.

The week, which takes place from Monday 27 March, is being held to highlight the opportunities available from the £17 million Skills Bank Fund.

The fund, available to businesses in the Sheffield City Region area (Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, Doncaster, North East Derbyshire, Rotherham and Sheffield), has already offered training to 1,029 learners across the region.

The Skills Bank helps Chesterfield employees and employers identify courses which best meet the skills of the individual and the needs of the business.

Skills Bank will also calculate how much funding is available and how much each employer will contribute towards the cost of the training.

So far deals have approved for 15 Chesterfield businesses, benefitting 165 learners to a total value of £145,055, of which Skills Bank has contributed £95,845.

Deals in the pipeline for a further 42 businesses which would allow a further 714 employees to benefit from training.

Chesterfield-based letting agents Pinewood Property is one of the companies to have benefitted from funding for training in digital marketing, human resources and management skills.

Stacey Davies-Bowler, Director at Pinewood Lettings, said:-

“Management training for staff would benefit both me and my fellow director hugely. If we had a self-managed team, that would free up more time so we could spend it on business development and trying to bring more business in through the door.

“The better we understand each other, the better we work together, the faster the business will grow.”

Other Chesterfield businesses to have benefitted from Sheffield City Region Skills Bank include Mitchells Chartered Accountants and Palamatic.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said:-

“Helping local businesses to access the funding available for training is essential to allow them to retain and develop staff as well as to allow them to meet the needs of their customers.

“By putting these skills in place, it offers real opportunities for local people by creating more and better jobs.”

During Skills Bank Week, the Skills Bank are launching a marketing campaign to promote the service across the region to businesses and communicate employers’ success stories.

The Thunderclap campaign will allow a single message to be shared on mass, to rise above the noise of social media and boost the visibility of the Skills Bank to employers across the region. To join the Thunderclap, follow this link to share the tweet on Wednesday 29^th March 2017 at 12pm.

For information on Skills Bank and the training opportunities available click here.