If you are moving to the UK, you may be interested to know that the UK has been ranked as having the second most efficient health system in the world according to a new International Study. Seven national health care organisations were considered in the report. The Netherlands received the number one position.

The study was undertaken by the Commonwealth Fund. Five areas of performance were analysed and evaluated for the study including: efficiency, quality, equity, healthy lives and access to care.

The United States came last in the ranking. Although the US healthcare system is the most expensive in the world, it of course differs to the other nations studied as it does not currently have a public funded health system. Other countries included in the study were Australia, Canada, Germany and New Zealand.

Another key finding from the report was that there is still room for improvement in the healthcare systems for every country.

To ensure that the study fair and accurate, the opinions of both patients and doctors were obtained. Over 27,000 people were surveyed to produce the report. It is worth noting however that there could be cultural issues concerning a patient’s perception of service which could have influenced the results.

New Zealand has very strict regulations with regard to importing household effects in order to protect the natural environment. MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) Biosecurity is the organisation responsible for protecting the natural resources of New Zealand and therefore issue guidelines with regard to which items people can and can’t bring to New Zealand. These guidelines are enforced via the checking of documentation (e.g. inventories / packing lists) and inspections if appropriate.

Prohibited Items / Items not to be shipped to New Zealand:

-          Canned or dried meats, dairy and egg products

-          Spices (unless prepared in a commercial manner)

-          Honey or products made from Honey

-          Beekeeping equipment

-          Used fresh food cartons

-          Straw

-          Plants (including seeds and bulbs)

-          Items constructed from Endangered Species e.g. ivory, coral, whale bone, turtle shell, snake skin and certain sea shells

-          Pine Cones (NB: Check your Christmas Decorations)

 Items which may be subject to Inspection and which must be declared:

-          Outdoor items such as golf clubs, outdoor furniture,  gardening equipment, shoes, bikes and other goods which have been in the outside environment

-          Wicker or cane products

-          Packets of food / food items

-          Owner packed boxes / cartons

-           Vacuum cleaners

John Mason first began appointing agents for overseas removals in 1926. This was also the year which wooden lift vans for rail transportation were bought by the company. One of the first removals abroad was a shipment from Liverpool to Stockholm, Sweden in the 1930s.

Below is an extract from the customer’s letter to John Mason’s office in Liverpool acknowledging the arrival of the furniture, circa 1930s.

‘……..It is all safely installed now. Messrs Arfstroms (referring to Arfstroms Express, John Mason’s overseas agent for Sweden at the time) were really excellent and decent people. They, and all of us, were very impressed by the beautiful packing and the excellent condition in which it all arrived. (A load of furniture from Germany from another company, which came by rail the day before, was almost completely destroyed by bad packing). There were no breakages in my effects and the barometer works as usual, no mercury split. To our surprise, the bedding was not at all damp, we actually used the beds the same night. The wireless is perfect too. It’s unbelievable knowing the load has come so far…….’

Before the advent of ISO Shipping Containers, John Mason International used its own shipping containers for trans-atlantic services.  

Below is a John Mason shipping container on route to New York in 1968.

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) protect Australia from pests and diseases that could cause harm to the natural environment of the country. If you are moving overseas to Australia, you will need to be aware of the following import regulations:

Prohibited Goods

The goods below, if found, will be seized and destroyed by AQIS.

• Dairy products
• Uncanned meat products
• Live animals
• Live plants
• Seeds and nuts
• Equipment containing CFCs or Hydro Chlorofluorocarbons refrigerant (e.g. – refrigerators, portable air conditioning units and motor vehicles).

 Goods to be Declared

The items below must be declared for inspection. Treatment may be required before importation is allowed.

• Animal products
• Plant material
• Sporting and camping equipment including tents, footwear, hiking boots, golf equipment, bicycles and fishing equipment
• Footwear, clothing and any items which may carry contamination from soil or plant material

A loophole which existed under the previous Labour Government in the UK concerning incapacity benefit handouts looks likely to be investigated by the coalition government. Cases for incapacity benefit are currently not reviewed on a regular basis, a doctor’s note is sufficient in order to maintain the allowance. The fairness of this current arrangement is currently being debated by the UK government.

Conservative Member of Parliament, Philip Davies, commented in a national newspaper that the clamp down on people who may be abusing the benefits system should be applied to all British nationals, not just people living in the UK. A spokesperson for the Department of Work and Pensions also released a statement about the present situation:

‘We will be reassessing people claiming incapacity benefits to see if they could make the move into employment and we are looking at how this will work for people living abroad’.

The total expenditure of incapacity benefit for the British expat population is £46 million. Approximately 10,000 expats claim the payments. It has been estimated by some commentators that around 90% of people claiming incapacity benefit in the UK and those living outside the country, may possibly be capable of working.

John Mason were responsible for shipping a car belonging to Queen Elizabeth II in the 1950s.

There may be possible delays and disruptions to shipments bound for China this year due to the World Expo which is being held in Shanghai from the 1^st May until the 31^st October 2010. The length and type of delays are likely to be similar to when Beijing hosted the Olympics in 2008.

John Mason International’s overseas removals agent in China has informed us that there will be inspections to all air consignments during the World Expo and that there will be zero tolerance with regard to the importation of prohibited items.

The World Expo is a non-commercial, large-scale exposition which aims to promote international trade and co-operation among countries. Over 70 million visitors from China and around the world are expected to visit the event which has over 200 exhibitors.

A key part of John Mason International’s Environmental Policy is the recycling of packing materials, general office waste and also computer equipment. Recently, John Mason International received a Certificate of Recycling from Ecosystems IT Ltd, based in the North West, for our recycling activities. The Certificate confirms that 100% of the used office equipment recently collected by Ecosystems IT Ltd will be recycled and not go to landfill.

Ecosystems IT Ltd are appointed by the Environmental Agency in order to provide recycling services to businesses in the UK. 85% of equipment collected by the company is recycled whole and the 15% is reduced to base components which are then used in manufacturing.

National Sales Manager for John Mason International, David Ozard, has been interviewed about moving overseas for the Australian Immigration website, Embrace Australia. The article, entitled ‘Your Guide to International Removals’ explains the moving process and provides advice with regard to obtaining a quotation, packing for your move, storage and insurance among other issues. The article can be found here: http://www.embraceaustralia.com/your-guide-to-international-removals-7065.htm.