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Content ArticleThere have been two turning points in trends in life expectancy in England this century. From 2011, increases in life expectancy slowed after decades of steady improvement, prompting much debate about the causes. Then, in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic was a more significant turning point, causing a sharp fall in life expectancy, the magnitude of which has not been seen since World War II. This article from the King's Fund examines trends in life expectancy at birth up to 2022, the impact of Covid-19 on life expectancy, gender differences and inequalities in life expectancy, causes of the changing trends since 2011, and how life expectancy in the UK compares with other countries.
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Content ArticleThis Health Foundation report explores how patterns of diagnosed ill health vary by socioeconomic deprivation in England. This report is the second output from the REAL Centre’s programme of research with the University of Liverpool. Building on the projections in Health in 2040, this report is one of the first studies to unpack patterns of inequalities in diagnosed illness by socioeconomic deprivation across England and project them into the future. Stark inequalities are projected to stubbornly persist up to 2040, with profound implications not only for people’s quality of life, but also their ability to work and the wider economy. The report also finds that health inequality is largely due to a small group of long-term conditions, with chronic pain, type 2 diabetes and anxiety and depression projected to increase at a faster rate in the most deprived areas.
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Content ArticleThis study aimed to assess perceptions of Covid-19 vaccines amongst pregnant or recently pregnant women in the US over two different time periods between November 2021 and February 2023. The results highlighted decreasing confidence in Covid-19 vaccine safety in a large, diverse pregnant and recently pregnant insured population, and the authors see this as a public health concern.
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Content ArticleThe Health Foundation has produced a new dashboard which presents data and insights on the state of health and health inequalities across all local authorities in England. You can discover: how our health is shaped by factors such as the quality of our housing, employment and income how local authorities in England compare on healthy life expectancy areas of lower and higher life expectancy within each local authority. This free resource forms part of the Health Foundation's evidence hub, which provides a wide range of data, insights and analysis on how the circumstances in which we live shape our health and drive health inequalities.
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Content ArticleDevolution and decentralisation policies involving health and other government sectors have been promoted with a view to improve efficiency and equity in local service provision. Evaluations of these reforms have focused on specific health or care measures, but little is known about their full impact on local health systems. This study evaluated the impact of devolution in Greater Manchester (England) on multiple outcomes using a whole system approach.
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Content ArticleThe State of the State blends two forms of research to provide a view of the state from the people who depend on it and the people who run it. To understand public attitudes, Deloitte and Reform commissioned Ipsos UK to conduct an online survey of 5,815 UK adults aged 16-75 between 27 October and 1 November 2023. Quotas were set to reflect the known profile of the UK adult offline population and a boost sample was achieved in each of the UK nations. In total 821 responses were achieved in Scotland, 713 in Wales and 420 in Northern Ireland. For the UK figures, results have been weighted back to the correct proportion for each nation. Where responses do not sum to 100 this is due to computer rounding or questions which require multiple answers to be chosen. To bring a strategic perspective, our qualitative research comprises interviews with more than 100 leaders in government and public services, which is double the number from last year. They include permanent secretaries and other senior civil servants, police chief constables, council chief executives, NHS leaders and elected representatives. The interviews took place between September and December 2023
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Content ArticleThis Medscape article looks at misconceptions about the impact of diet on cancer progression that are being spread on social media platforms such as TikTok. Examples of these ideas include the idea that you can 'starve' cancer by cutting out carbohydrates, or that an alkaline diet will stop cancer by neutralising the acid environment around a tumour. The author, John Kerr, asks whether there should be a rallying call for cancer health professionals to do more to "push these scientifically illiterate concepts away." He suggests, "Rather than just shrugging our shoulders, perhaps we should be thinking more about it?"
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Content ArticleCurrently, it is estimated that more than one in five people in the UK are living in poverty. This King's Fund analysis reveals that people living in poverty find it harder to live a healthy life, live with greater illness, face barriers to accessing timely treatment, and die earlier than the rest of the population. The analysis looks at the link between poverty and each of the following: prevalence of ill health difficulties accessing health care late or delayed treatment poorer health outcomes. The long read argues that while the NHS can, and should, do more to make timely care accessible to deprived communities, wider government and societal action is needed to address the root causes of poverty.
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Content ArticleProgress on cardiovascular disease (CVD) was a significant driver of better population health and greater prosperity in the latter half of the 20th century. However, progress has recently stalled, with indications it may be in reverse. This may be due to policy choices made in the last 15 years, particularly since the global financial crisis, above and beyond the more recent impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This report by Chris Thomas from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) shows, among other findings, that people are more likely to leave work due to a heart condition than any other health issue.
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EventuntilToday, the entire world is working together to address one of history's most terrible public health issues. Humanity has been defeated by a virus and is attempting to restore regular functions while protecting its safety and health. Several tactics and policies have evolved as means of reducing the pandemic's spread and effects, and several are being tested and developed. The information and expertise contained within the field of Public Health are critical in this regard and are regularly revised and updated in the current circumstances. Among the various components of Public Health, Public Health Interventions have become increasingly used in altering public behaviour as a means of limiting disease spread. As a result, the Global Conference on Public Health 2024 (Hybrid Conference) anticipates analysing and evaluating the capabilities of Public Health Interventions in managing the pandemic with the assistance of scholars and specialists in this field. Register
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Content ArticlePreventable conditions are costing the NHS and wider society hundreds of billions of pounds and leading to reduced quality of life for large numbers of people. This paper from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change proposes ways in which the NHS can use existing tools for screening and preventing ill health, to make the UK healthier and more productive and reduce pressure on the health system. It suggests a prevention programme that uses AI to highlight risk factors and screen individuals most likely to develop chronic health conditions.
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News Article
Under fives betrayed as health declines
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Worsening health among the under fives in the UK needs to be urgently addressed, experts say. The Academy of Medical Sciences highlights what it says are "major health issues" like infant deaths, obesity and tooth decay. It says society is betraying children and the problems are limiting their future and damaging economic prosperity. The report says: The UK is 30th out of 49 rich countries for infant mortality. One in five children falls short of the expected level of development aged two. One in five is overweight or obese by five. Vaccination targets are being missed for diseases such as measles. One in four is affected by tooth decay by five. One in five women struggles with their mental health during or just after pregnancy. Air pollution is linked to worsening asthma. Rising demand for child mental health services. The report calls for a cross-government vision to be developed to tackle the problems and investment in the child health workforce, including health visitors. Read full story Source: BBC News, 5 February 2024 -
Content ArticleThe Academy of Medical Sciences has released a stark report highlighting wide-ranging evidence of declining health among children under five in the UK and calls on policymakers to take urgent action to address the situation.It warns Government that major health issues like infant mortality, obesity and tooth decay are not only damaging the nation’s youngest citizens and their future, but also its economic prosperity, with the cost of inaction estimated to be at least £16 billion a year. In recent years, progress on child health in the UK has stalled. Infant survival rates are worse than in 60% of similar countries and the number of children living in extreme poverty tripled between 2019 and 2022. Demand for children’s mental health services surge and over a fifth of five-year-old children are overweight or obese, with those living in the most deprived areas twice as likely to be obese than in affluent areas. One-in-four is affected by tooth decay. Vaccination rates have plunged below World Health Organization safety thresholds, threatening outbreaks. Issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, increased cost of living and climate change compound widespread inequality and are likely to make early years health in the UK even worse.
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Content ArticleSet up in January 2023, the Times Health Commission was a year-long projected established to consider the future of health and social care in England in the light of the pandemic, the growing pressure on budgets, the A&E crisis, rising waiting lists, health inequalities, obesity and the ageing population. Its recommendations are intended to be pragmatic, practical, deliverable and able to be potentially taken up by any political party or government, present or future.
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News Article
The NHS is failing our children, says top children’s doctor
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Children are being forgotten by the government as they face “disgraceful” waiting times for NHS treatment, Britain’s top paediatric doctor has warned. Dr Camilla Kingdon said children are being failed because their care is not being treated as a priority, despite considerable progress having been made in reducing waiting times for adults. In her final interview as president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, she also issued a stark warning over the impact of poverty on young people’s health, lamenting the rise in the number of children being treated for severe lung disease due to damp and poor ventilation in inadequate housing. Many parents cannot afford to be at their dying or sick child’s bedside because of financial pressures – an issue that has grown significantly worse in the past five years, she said. She told The Independent: “Children simply need to be made a priority. We cannot afford to be ignoring this problem.” The latest NHS figures show that the backlog for children’s hospital care has risen again, increasing from 387,000 in August to 412,000 in January, despite the adult waiting list having fallen since October. Read full story Source: The Independent, 31 March 2024 -
Content ArticleThis document outlines the concept and content of the World Health Organization (WHO) people-centred approach to addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in healthcare. It aims to address the challenges and barriers people face when accessing health services to prevent, diagnose and treat drug-resistant infections. It puts people and their needs at the centre of the AMR response and guides policy-makers in taking actions to mitigate AMR.
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Content Article
This is part of our series of Patient Safety Spotlight interviews, where we talk to people working for patient safety about their role and what motivates them. Benjamin talks about why we need a radical shift in how we view and treat people with chronic pain and how over-investigation and over-treatment compromise patient safety. He also talks about the power of communal singing for people with long-term conditions and what wild swimming has taught him about supporting people living with chronic pain.- Posted
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Content ArticleSocial prescribing can be life changing for many children and young people, allowing them to have a voice about what matters to them, access the things they enjoy and can give them a route to achieve their ambitions. The greater choice and control that social prescribing brings also empowers them to make positive decisions, build confidence and increase self-esteem. This toolkit has been developed collaboratively by the charity StreetGames, the South West Integrated Personalised Care Team and other key partners across the UK. It is a guide to developing, implementing and delivering high quality social prescribing for children and young people. It provides a framework to help providers assess what is needed and examples of what others have achieved through social prescribing, and how. It also demonstrates how partnership working allows organisations to achieve more and support young people to have truly great lives.
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Content Article
WHO: World AMR Awareness Week 2023
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in WHO
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial agents. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. The World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR and promote best practices among One Health stakeholders to reduce the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. WAAW is celebrated from 18-24 November every year. The World Health Organization (WHO) explains what antimicrobial resistance is and provides resources for organisations wanting to take part in WAAW 2023, on their campaign webpage. -
Content ArticleHealth at a Glance provides a comprehensive set of indicators on population health and health system performance across OECD members and key emerging economies. These cover health status, risk factors for health, access to and quality of healthcare, and health system resources. Analysis draws from the latest comparable official national statistics and other sources. Alongside indicator-by-indicator analysis, an overview chapter summarises the comparative performance of countries and major trends. This edition also has a special focus on digital health, which measures the digital readiness of OECD countries’ health systems, and outlines what countries need to do accelerate the digital health transformation.
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Content Article
HPV is a common infection that is spread by skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact, which can lead to the development of cancers affecting both women and men, including cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and oral cavity. In England, young people aged 12 to 13 years are offered immunisation against HPV as part of the NHS vaccination programme. Research has shown that in England cervical cancer has almost been eliminated among young women who were offered the HPV vaccine. However, research by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation at the University of Bristol has identified sustained inequalities in uptake by area and minority ethnic groups. It has also identified unmet information needs among young people in schools where vaccination uptake is low, with implications for obtaining consent and vaccination uptake. This web page contains a number of information videos to address information needs about HPV among young people. They were coproduced with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and diverse ethnic groups. -
News Article
Early death risk grows with just three ‘slightly unhealthy mid-life traits’
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
Just three “slightly unhealthy traits” in mid-life increase the risk of early death by a third, research suggests. The study found people carrying extra weight in their 40s and 50s who also had slightly raised blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar levels were also 35 per cent more likely to have a heart attack or stroke over the next three decades. Researchers warned that middle-aged people with this “cluster of slightly unhealthy traits” – known as metabolic syndrome – typically had a heart attack or stroke two years earlier on average than healthier people the same age. Dr Lena Lönnberg, of Västmanland County Hospital, Sweden, who was lead researcher for the study, said: “Many people in their 40s and 50s have a bit of fat around the middle and marginally elevated blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose but feel generally well, are unaware of the risks and do not seek medical advice. “In fact, most people live with slightly raised levels for many years before having symptoms that lead them to seek healthcare.” She warned that because the individual “unhealthy traits” did not usually make people feel unwell, most people were unaware of the risks combined with excess weight. An estimated one in four UK adults has metabolic syndrome, with rising obesity levels one of the main drivers. On their own, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity can damage the blood vessels. But even if patients only have mild versions of each condition, experts warn having the three together can be particularly dangerous. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Telegraph, 25 August 2023 -
News ArticleCases of monkeypox are being investigated in European countries, including the UK as well as the US, Canada and Australia. Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the same family of viruses as smallpox, although it is much less severe and experts say chances of infection are low. It occurs mostly in remote parts of central and west African countries, near tropical rainforests. There are two main strains of virus - west African and central African. Two of the infected patients in the UK travelled from Nigeria, so it is likely that they are suffering from the West African strain of the virus, which is generally mild, but this is as yet unconfirmed. Another case was a healthcare worker who picked up the virus from one of the patients. More recent cases do not have any known links with each other, or any history of travel. It appears they caught it in the UK from spread in the community. The UKHSA says anyone with concerns that they could be infected should see a health professional, but make contact with the clinic or surgery ahead of a visit. Initial symptoms include fever, headaches, swellings, back pain, aching muscles and a general listlessness. Once the fever breaks a rash can develop, often beginning on the face, then spreading to other parts of the body, most commonly the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The infection usually clears up on its own and lasts between 14 and 21 days. Experts say we are not on the brink of a national outbreak and, according to Public Health England, the risk to the public is low. Prof Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology, University of Nottingham, said: "The fact that only one of the 50 contacts of the initial monkeypox-infected patient has been infected shows how poorly infectious the virus is. "It is wrong to think that we are on the brink of a nationwide outbreak." Read full story Source: BBC News, 20 May 2022
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News ArticleHundreds of migrants have declined NHS treatment after being presented with upfront charges over the past two years, amid complaints the government’s “hostile environment” on immigration remains firmly in place. Data compiled by the Observer under the Freedom of Information Act shows that, since January 2021, 3,545 patients across 68 hospital trusts in England have been told they must pay upfront charges totalling £7.1m. Of those, 905 patients across 58 trusts did not proceed with treatment. NHS trusts in England have been required to seek advance payment before providing elective care to certain migrants since October 2017. It covers overseas visitors and migrants ruled ineligible for free healthcare, such as failed asylum seekers and those who have overstayed their visa. The policy is not supposed to cover urgent or “immediately necessary” treatment. However, there have been multiple cases of people wrongly denied treatment. Dr Laura-Jane Smith, a consultant respiratory physician and member of the campaign group Medact, said: “I had a patient we diagnosed as an emergency with lung cancer but they were told they would be charged upfront for treatment and then never returned for a follow-up. This was someone who had been in the country for years but who did not have the right official migration status. A cancer diagnosis is devastating. To then be abandoned by the health service is inhumane.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 20 August 2023
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News Article
Study links lung conditions to young people who vape
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
Young people who vape are more at risk of bronchitis and shortness of breath, research has suggested, even if they also smoke cigarettes. Researchers from the US tracked the respiratory health of young people in the Southern California Children’s Health Study between 2014 and 2018. They conducted surveys which asked about people’s vape and cigarette use in the last 30 days. Researchers also included questions on bronchitic symptoms, such as a daily cough for three months in a row, as well as wheezing and shortness of breath. The study found the odds of wheezing were 81 per cent more likely among past 30-day e-cigarette users than among “never users”. The odds of bronchitic symptoms were twice as likely, while those of shortness of breath were 78 per cent more likely after accounting for survey wave, age, sex, race and parental education. The researchers said their findings contribute to “emerging evidence from human and toxicological studies that e-cigarettes cause respiratory symptoms that warrant consideration in regulation of e-cigarettes.” Jon Foster, policy manager at Asthma + Lung UK, said it is “interesting” the study found a link between vaping and lung conditions in young people, but pointed out the regulation around the amount of nicotine and chemicals used in e-cigarettes is “much tighter” in the UK than the US. “More research would be needed to find out if the situation in the UK is the same,” he added. “However, given that we still know little about long-term effects, the growing popularity of vaping among children and young people is concerning.” Read full story Source: Independent, 16 August 2023
