HCPC launches consultation onpermanent changes to our Rulesto hold remote hearingsOn the 31.08.2021, we launched a consultation on permanentlyamending our Rules to give us the express power to hold hearingsremotely.In March 2020 we were granted powers by the Department of Health andSocial Care to hold remote hearings during the pandemic. Currently, theCoronavirus emergency provisions are due to expire on 30 September2021. However, we would like the ability to continue holding remotehearings in circumstances where it is fair and practical to do so evenafter the expiry of the emergency period.We are therefore seeking the views of our stakeholders on our proposalto permanently amend our Rules to give us the express power to holdhearings remotely.We encourage all our registrants as well as professional bodies, employersand trade unions to help and provide input on this consultation.We are seeking your views on reasons why we should or should not holdremote hearings once the emergency period ends. We also want toknow if you consider there to be any equality and diversity implicationsfor groups or individuals because of the proposed change to our Rules.The consultation questions, more detail on our reasoning for theproposal, and information about our experience of holding remotehearings can be found in the consultation documents on our consultationpage.Our experience of holding remote hearingsThe introduction of remote hearings last year was a major part ofour pandemic response. We wanted to ensure fitness to practise, andregistrations appeals cases could be heard expeditiously. The measuresintroduced in March 2020 meant that we had to adapt aspects of ourfitness to practise and registrations appeals processes. Our aim inmaking these changes was to ensure that we could continue to fulfilour statutory duty to protect the public, progress fitness to practiseinvestigations without unnecessary delay and conclude hearings asefficiently and safely as possible.We have seen benefits to holding our hearings remotely. In line with ourcorporate strategy to continuously improve and innovate, we want toembrace new ways of working where it can bring advantages to us andthose involved in the process.Over the last year or so, we have also found that holding remotehearings offers greater flexibility and efficiency when scheduling andlisting hearings. There have been advantages for all those involved ina hearing in not having to incur the time and financial costs associatedwith travelling to hearings and staying away from home. Our TribunalServices team have also reported increased engagement fromregistrants who have been supported to participate in the process bythe remote nature of the event.We do recognise that other people may not share our views on remotehearings and that for some the technology involved may act as a barrierto participation. We are keen to hear all opinions and experiences sothat we can take a range of views into account in planning for how wemight proceed with remote hearings, should we receive our permanentRule change.The consultation opens today and you can download the consultationdocuments by visiting our consultation page:https://bit.ly/OTJHCPCGetting involvedSubmit your feedback through our easy to use online survey, by emailingour policy team or by posting your responses.For more information, visit the consultation page or emailconsultation@hcpc-uk.org.The consultation will run until 23 November 2021.www.facebook.com/TheOTJScientists grow contracting musclecells from human blood (BHF)Researchers we fund have successfully grown smooth muscle cells in adish from a small sample of blood and have shown that these behavein similar ways to those found in blood vessels, according to researchpublished 23rd August 2021 in the Frontiers Cell and DevelopmentalBiology journal.Growing cells from blood vessels in the lab usually requires takingarteries or veins from someone during surgery or after death. Now,researchers from Imperial College London have shown that smoothmuscle cells, grown from blood samples from healthy volunteers,contract in the same way as cells grown from blood vessels.Researchers hope that this discovery could, one day, make it possible togrow complete blood vessels in the lab. Eventually, these blood vesselscould be used as replacement blood vessels for people with heart andcirculatory conditions.Moving blood around the bodySmooth muscle cells, found in the walls of blood vessels, support themovement of blood around the body by contracting and relaxing inresponse to chemical signals. This vital function helps to direct bloodto the areas of the body where it is needed most. Problems withhow smooth muscle cells contract have a role in a range of heart andcirculatory conditions, including high blood pressure and diabetes.The Imperial team have previously shown that it’s possible to growendothelial cells (which line the inside of blood vessels) and smoothmuscle cells in a dish from blood samples from healthy volunteers andlook at inflammation. In this study they compared the contraction ofthese smooth muscle cells with those grown from an existing bloodvessel.To do this the researchers exposed the smooth muscle cells tothromboxane, a hormone which is known cause these cells in the bodyto contract. Shortly after exposure they saw increased levels of calciumin the cells – a signal that the cells need in order to contract.Lab-grown blood vessels are one step closerNow, the team are focusing on growing smooth muscle cells from bloodsamples from people with heart and circulatory conditions. They havealready started in patients with type 1 diabetes, who are at increasedrisk of heart and circulatory complications, and have successfully shownthat these cells are also able to contract in response to thromboxane.Dr Blerina Ahmetaj-Shala, Research Fellow at the BHF Centre ofResearch Excellence, Imperial College London, led the study. She said:“So far we’ve been able to grow the individual cells that make up ablood vessel from blood samples. Next, we want to create 3D models ofblood vessel systems using blood samples from both healthy volunteersand people with heart and circulatory conditions. This will allow us tocompare how blood vessels function in health and disease, which willreveal more about the development of different conditions.”Source: British Heart Foundation - Alana Cullen - Category: Research18 THE OPERATING THEATRE JOURNAL www.otjonline.com
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