Local News

A round up of Local News in Redcar and Cleveland for 14th January 2016.

Labour MP for Redcar, Anna Turley, has called on the government to oppose China being granted market economy status this year to protect UK steel.

China is seeking to be recognized as a ‘market economy’ by the European Union, arguing that the accession accords of its 2001 agreement to join the World Trade Organization requires countries to grant this status after 15 years.

This recognition would make it very difficult for European countries to protect themselves against subsidized Chinese exports, including of steel from its state-backed blast furnaces.

The European Commission are discussing the issue but the final decision will be made by the European Parliament and member states.

A public consultation launched this week by the local NHS will offer extended access to GP services seven days a week for people across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland. 

The local NHS group running the consultation, NHS South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group - or "CCG" - is seeking the views of local people on three different options for the future of urgent care services, all of which offer improved access to GP services, 7 days a week.

The CCG wants to make better use of its £8.4 million urgent care budget by simplifying services, reducing duplication, and ensuring that the free to call  NHS 111 service plays a more prominent role in the future of urgent care services. 

The CCG is not reducing its budget for urgent care services.  However, by increasing its spending to offer extended access to GP services, it cannot sustain its two walk in centres based in North Ormesby, and its other service some four miles away in Eston Grange.  These services will no longer be available after 31 March 2017, and will be replaced by a number of extended hours GP centres across the whole of the South Tees area.

More information about the public consultation is available on the consultation website - www.makinghealthsimple.org, including an online survey.  Paper copies are also available by contacting 01642 745401.

An up-and-coming singer/songwriter from our area has a successful career brewing after one of his songs was selected by Costa Coffee to be played on the sound system in their outlets nationwide.

Josh Newell-Brown, who is from Saltburn, is described as “the Arnold Schwarzenegger of melody, the Sylvester Stallone of rhythm and the Chuck Norris of vocals”, and his latest single release, which is called 'Shine', is currently being featuring on the playlists at Costa Coffee shops across the country.

Josh told Zetland FM that he's really pleased his music is being heard by such a large audience.