The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has launched a new expert-led commission to examine the future of occupational safety and health (OSH) skills in the UK, amid growing concerns over workforce shortages and rising pressures on safety professionals.

Convened in partnership with Speedy Hire, the OSH Skills Commission brings together leading figures from across industry, trade unions and professional bodies to develop practical solutions to skills challenges that threaten workplace safety and productivity.

The initiative was formally launched at an event in the House of Lords by head commissioner and RoSPA vice president Baroness Crawley of Edgbaston. It will comprise five expert roundtables, each focused on a critical factor shaping OSH outcomes, with findings feeding into a final report of strategic recommendations for government and industry.

RoSPA said the commission comes at a pivotal moment, as Skills England and the government’s new post-16 skills strategy begin to identify priority areas for workforce development. The organisation aims to influence that agenda by ensuring occupational safety and health skills are recognised as essential to economic resilience and worker protection.

Five focus areas, five expert commissioners

The commission will examine five core themes, each chaired by a recognised leader in the field:
• Recruitment of competent people – Claudia Jaksh, chief executive of Policy Connect
• Retention of competent people – Rick Bate, president of the Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH)
• Consultation and worker representation – Luke Collins, national health and safety officer at Unite the Union
• Wellbeing, culture and psychological safety – Nick Pahl, chief executive of the Society of Occupational Medicine
• Technology in OSH – Kate Field, global head of people and social sustainability at the British Standards Institution

Each roundtable will explore how widening skills gaps, the loss of experienced professionals and difficulties in attracting and retaining talent are being compounded by changing working patterns, new technologies and increasing regulatory complexity.

Speaking at the launch, Baroness Crawley warned that the UK was facing a mounting shortage of occupational safety and health skills, with real-world consequences.

“This commission is born out of difficult circumstances,” she said. “Our nation faces a growing occupational safety and health skills shortage that is impacting productivity and putting people in danger.

“Our goal is to influence policy through stakeholder engagement and drive informed change, once again positioning the UK as a world leader in health and safety. Together, we have an opportunity to future-proof OSH skills, support national productivity and build a safer, stronger workforce.”

Andy Johnson, group HSSEQ director at Speedy Hire, said the nature of the modern workforce was creating new risks. “We’re seeing a more transient, industry-agnostic workforce moving rapidly between roles,” he said. “While that brings fresh energy, it also creates skills and knowledge gaps that present new challenges for the OSH profession.”

Nick Pahl of the Society of Occupational Medicine said the commission’s focus on empowerment was critical. “By putting skills at the heart of recruitment, retention, wellbeing and technology, the commission can identify solutions that support people and businesses rather than burden them,” he said.

RoSPA said the final report would aim to set out a clear roadmap for strengthening OSH capability across the UK, ensuring safety professionals are equipped to meet evolving risks and helping employers maintain safe, healthy and productive workplaces.

Amy Ingham

Amy is a newly qualified journalist specialising in business journalism at Business Matters with responsibility for news content for what is now the UK’s largest print and online source of current business news.

UK government borrowing costs climbed on Monday as markets reacted to intensifying pressure on Sir Keir Starmer, with investors pricing in heightened political risk and the possibility of a shift towards more left-leaning Labour policies.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year UK government bond rose by as much as 0.08 percentage points to nearly 4.6 per cent, while yields on 30-year gilts reached their steepest level since November. Bond yields move inversely to prices, meaning the rise reflected a sell-off in gilts.

The move came after Anas Sarwar, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, publicly called on Starmer to step down, triggering speculation over the prime minister’s future. Yields later pared back some of their gains after senior cabinet ministers rallied behind Starmer.

Currency markets were more mixed. Sterling strengthened 0.4 per cent against the dollar to $1.36, while slipping 0.26 per cent against the euro to €1.14. London’s FTSE 100 ended the session 0.16 per cent higher.

Investors appeared to react to concerns that Starmer, under pressure from within his party, could pivot towards more interventionist or higher-spending policies to shore up support from Labour backbenchers. Markets also weighed the prospect of a leadership contest that could elevate figures from the party’s left.

One name increasingly discussed by traders is Angela Rayner, who is seen as sitting to the left of Starmer. Although Rayner was among senior Labour figures to publicly back the prime minister, her potential ascent has unsettled investors wary of a change in fiscal direction. Wes Streeting, associated with Labour’s more centrist wing, is also viewed as a possible contender in any future leadership race.

Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, said markets were beginning to reprice UK assets. “A political risk premium is once again being built into UK asset prices, as investors worry about what a new leader could mean for economic policy,” she said.

The gilt sell-off also unfolded against a backdrop of broader volatility in global bond markets following Japan’s general election, though UK-specific political concerns were seen as the main driver.

Speculation around Starmer’s position intensified further after the resignation of his head of communications, Tim Allan, following the weekend departure of chief of staff Morgan McSweeney. The turmoil has been compounded by controversy surrounding the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the United States, despite warnings over his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

For now, markets remain on edge, with investors closely watching whether Labour’s internal strains translate into a change of leadership, or a change of economic course, in the weeks ahead.

Amy Ingham

Amy is a newly qualified journalist specialising in business journalism at Business Matters with responsibility for news content for what is now the UK’s largest print and online source of current business news.

Boss Chris Oglesby says ‘rental growth is at levels I haven’t seen in my 35 years working across our city regions’

Bruntwood has slashed its losses in a “pivotal” year for the North West property group as it continued its growth plans despite turbulent economic conditions. The group reported a loss before taxation of £12.9m, a big improvement on the £73.7m reported last year.

Total assets across the Bruntwood group’s own portfolio and its joint ventures now stands at £1.9bn, up on last year’s £1.8bn, while operating profits stood at £18.6m.

Bruntwood said valuations were stable at its wholly-owned Bruntwood Places arm, and that its pre-tax loss “largely reflects a £21.5 million share of joint venture losses, driven by development write-downs amid higher build costs (up around 40% since 2022) and continued market yield pressures”.

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Demand was strong through the year, with the group completing more than 900,000 sq ft of lettings transactions and welcoming 455 new customers across its portfolio. In its results statement, Bruntwood said: “This activity reflects the continued flight to quality, with businesses increasingly recognising the value of well-amenitised workspace in driving productivity and encouraging employees back to the office”.

During the year the group completed the refinancing of its club bank facility for its Bruntwood Places portfolio with Santander, HSBC, NatWest and Barclays. The facility was extended by £90m and 12 months, allowing the repayment of retail bonds due in February 2025, while providing £29m of undrawn commitments and giving what Bruntwood called “a comfortable level of covenant headroom as at 30 September”.

Bruntwood Places investment

Over the year, Bruntwood invested £16m in its Bruntwood Places workspace portfolio, including £6.2m in its wholly-owned office portfolio and another £9.8m through town centre joint ventures with Trafford and Bury Councils. Places now includes £240m of workspace, with an £84m portfolio of town centre regeneration projects, serving some 800 customers.

Work in the wholly-owned portfolio included refurbishments of South Central in Manchester city centre, Station House in Altrincham, Landmark House in Cheadle, Wilderspool in Warrington, and Exchange Court in Liverpool.

Bruntwood SciTech invests £156m over year

Bruntwood SciTech, Bruntwood’s tech-focused joint venture with Greater Manchester Pension Fund and Legal & General, invested some £156m across its portfolio over the year.

It completed schemes with a gross development value (GDV) of £245m, including No.3 Circle Square and Citylabs 4.0 in Manchester, No.1 Birmingham Health Innovation Campus, and West Village in Leeds. Meanwhile work on the Greenheys laboratory building at Manchester Science Park, home to UK Biobank, is set to complete in Spring 2026.

Bruntwood SciTech’s portfolio now stands at £1.6bn of schemes over 5.8m sq ft of space. Since the financial year end, work on the £30m work to transform Pall Mall in Manchester city centre has been completed, with 120,000 sq ft of space. Bosses want the business to grow to a £5bn portfolio by 2033 and it already has a 3m sq ft development pipeline. That includes the Sister joint venture with the University of Manchester, Hemisphere in Liverpool through the Sciontec joint venture, and Birmingham Health Innovation Campus with the University of Birmingham.

Chris Oglesby, CEO of Bruntwood and Bruntwood SciTech, said: “2025 has been a pivotal year for Bruntwood, characterised by strong operational execution and strategic investments positioning us for sustainable long-term growth. Despite navigating a complex global economic landscape, our core business units have demonstrated resilience and adaptability.

“In the office sector, it has been a tale of two halves. While capital markets have faced significant headwinds with yield-driven valuation reductions of around 35% across the wider market over the last two-and-a-half years, occupational markets have been incredibly strong. Rental growth is at levels I haven’t seen in my 35 years working across our city regions, and businesses increasingly recognise the value of quality workspace in driving productivity.

“Our investment in our wholly owned portfolio and joint ventures reflect our conviction that for cities to thrive, they need a network of thriving towns. The opening of King Street in Stretford and continued progress at Stamford Quarter demonstrate our commitment to consultation-led regeneration that delivers lasting benefit for local communities.

“Looking ahead, we are well-positioned to capitalise on emerging opportunities. We end the year with a strong balance sheet, diversified revenue streams and a commitment to innovation – all of which provide a solid foundation for future growth.”

MeOmics Precision Medicine began in 2021 as a spin-out from Cardiff University

Cardiff-based medtech business MeOmics Precision Medicine is expanding after a joint investment in a £300,000 round from Angels Invest Wales and Women Angels of Wales. The latest investment will allow the company toadvance platform development and data generation, and hire new technical staff.

MeOmics Precision Medicine began in 2021 as a spin-out from Cardiff University, backed by an Innovate UK grant and support from partners St Andrew’s Healthcare. It uses stem cell-based techniques to identify patients’ biological types when conducting drug discovery testing for conditions such as schizophrenia.

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The tests used by the business allow for more targeted drug development, minimising the risk of failure in the clinic or ineffective treatment selection for patients.

The business has received £125,000 in equity investment from Women Angels of Wales – led by data expert and lead investor Sara Boltman – plus £125,000 in match funding from the Wales Angel Co-Investment Fund and £50,000 from existing investors. It also follows a £25,000 grant from the Welsh Government, via Smart Flexible Innovation Support (SFIS)

Lucy Sykes, chief executive of MeOmics Precision Medicine, said: “The complexity of mental illnesses means it is difficult to develop new therapies that will work for everyone. Incorrectly applied treatment for mental illnesses can lead to debilitating side-effects for the individual patient, while also resulting in huge costs to the NHS.

“Our technology allows us to do in psychiatry what’s been done in oncology, and help drug developers to match their treatments not just across broad patient populations, but instead to targeted groups of patients depending on their underlying biology.”

She added: “This investment from Angels Invest Wales and Women Angels of Wales will help us optimise our platform for customers, expand our partnerships and grow our team, as we take the next step in our journey to commercialisation.”

Sara Boltman, Women Angels of Wales, said: “I’ve made a number of smaller investments in the past, but this is the first investment on which I’ve led. As someone with a background in data, I was interested in the work being done by Lucy and the team at MeOmics, and I was glad of the opportunity for us to support another female founder.”

Carol Hall, Co-Investment network manager at the Development Bank of Wales, said: “MeOmics Precision Medicine is an excellent example of the kind of businesses working in Wales’ medtech ecosystem. We were glad to back Women Angels of Wales’ investment in the business, and welcome Sara Boltman’s expertise as lead investor.”

Established to help support women in the early-stage investment community in Wales, Women Angels of Wales is jointly supported by the British Business Bank and the Development Bank of Wales. The syndicate has access to co-investment of up to £350,000 for each deal from the Development Bank’s £8 million Wales Angel Co-Investment Fund.