The Provision of Paralegal Education in Scotland

This research follows on from research on the Provision of Legal Education in Scotland conducted for the Open University in 2010 and on research mapping the PDA curriculum with the Skills for Justice functional map in 2012. The focus of this research is to map the provision of paralegal education in Scotland and identify gaps in that provision

The impact of private sector provision on equitable provision of coronary revascularisation

Objective: To investigate the impact of including private sector data on assessments of equity of coronary revascularisation provision using NHS data only. Design: Analyses of Hospital Episodes Statistics and private sector data by age, sex, and PCT of residence. For each PCT, the share of London's total population and revascularisations (all admissions, NHS-funded, and privately-funded admissions) were calculated. GINI coefficients were derived to provide an index of inequality across sub-populations, with parametric bootstrapping to estimate confidence intervals. Setting: London Participants London residents undergoing coronary revascularisation April 2001 - December 2003. Intervention Coronary artery bypass graft or angioplasty Main outcome measures: Directly-standardised revascularisation rates, GINI coefficients. Results: NHS-funded age-standardised revascularisation rates varied from 95.2 to 193.9 per 100,000 and privately funded procedures from 7.6 to 57.6. Although the age distribution did not vary by funding, the proportion of revascularisations among women that were privately funded (11.0%) was lower than among men (17.0%). Privately funded rates were highest in PCTs with the lowest death rates (p=0.053). NHS-funded admission rates were not related to deprivation nor age-standardised deaths rates from coronary heart disease. Privately-funded admission rates were lower in more deprived PCTs. NHS provision was significantly more egalitarian (Gini coefficient 0.12) than the private sector (0.35). Including all procedures was significantly less equal (0.13) than NHS funded care alone. Conclusion: Private provision exacerbates geographical inequalities. Those responsible for commissioning care for defined populations must have access to consistent data on provision of treatment wherever it takes place

Curriculum provision in secondary science

"When designing the aspects of the curriculum that deliver science it is important to consider how to cover both Key Stage 3 and 4 programmes of study to support pupil progress from 11 to 16 and beyond. This perspective is supported by the National Strategies’ Framework for science with regard to processes, range and content. It is further reinforced by the primacy of the Key Stage 2–4 progress indicators for schools. This guide explores the implications of making effective provision in terms of teaching and learning and meeting pupils’ needs by the selection of appropriate courses to construct curriculum pathways." - page