The most recent Make Every Contact count public heath bulletin looking at latest evidence around smoking cessation, alcohol, healthy weight, healthy eating and physical exercise is now available. The bulletin is produced by Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS FT Library staff. If you cannot access any of the articles included in the bulletin please contact academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk.
Physical Activity
CQC Survey Reveals Ongoing Challenges in Community Mental Health Services
The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) 2024 Community Mental Health Survey highlights persistent issues within NHS community mental health services in England. Key findings include:
- Access and Waiting Times: 40% of respondents did not receive support while waiting for their first appointment, and 42% reported that their mental health deteriorated during this period.
- Crisis Care: While 78% knew who to contact during a crisis, 27% did not receive the help they needed, and 47% reported that their families or carers were not offered support during such times.
- Care Planning and Involvement: Over a third (38%) did not have a care plan, and 43% had not had a review meeting to discuss their care. Additionally, 36% reported having no choice in how their care was delivered.
- Support for Broader Needs: Significant numbers of respondents did not receive help or advice for joining community activities (44%), finding work (69%), or accessing financial advice or benefits (67%).
These findings underscore the need for comprehensive improvements in community mental health services to ensure timely access, effective crisis support, and holistic care planning.
Read the full report: CQC – Community Mental Health Survey 2024
Step Into National Walking Month
May is National Walking Month, a great reminder to make time for daily walks and enjoy the many benefits of moving more. Walking is one of the simplest ways to improve physical and mental well-being — it helps clear the mind, boosts mood, and supports a healthier body.
Whether you take a stroll through your local park, walk part of your commute, or explore new places on foot, every step counts. Walking also connects us with our surroundings, giving us a chance to slow down and appreciate the world around us.
This month, why not combine your walks with a good book or podcast, or challenge yourself to add a few extra steps each day? Let’s celebrate the small, steady power of walking.
Strengthening Suicide Prevention: From Policy to Practice
The Suicide Prevention Consortium’s 2025 report, Suicide Prevention Principles: From Policy to Practice, outlines two fundamental principles for effective suicide prevention: ensuring ‘no wrong door’ to accessing support and providing person-centred care. The report emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts, inclusive practices, increased staff awareness, and robust workforce support to translate these principles into actionable strategies.
Read the full report: NSPA – Suicide Prevention Principles: From Policy to Practice
The King’s Fund: New Report Highlights Mental Health Challenges Faced by Asylum Seekers and Refugees in the UK
The Mental Health Foundation’s 2025 report sheds light on the significant mental health challenges experienced by asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. It emphasizes the need for trauma-informed policies and better support systems to address these issues.
Read the full report: The Mental Health of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in the UK – 2025 Edition
Library Newsletter May 2025
The Role of Social Prescribing Interventions in Addressing Health Inequalities in the United Kingdom: A Narrative Review.
SP is important in addressing health inequalities, particularly by targeting sociopsychological factors and managing long-term conditions. However, the complexity of these inequalities requires more tailored models and research. None of the studies examined SP within NHS National Health Inequalities framework such as Core20PLUS5. Overcoming barriers such as resource limitations, training gaps and accessibility challenges, while strengthening link-worker relationships, is essential.
A Roadmap to a Smokefree Country: New Report Calls for Bold Action
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health has released its 2025 report, A Roadmap to a Smokefree Country, outlining urgent steps to end smoking in the UK within a generation. Central to the plan is a proposed ‘polluter pays’ levy on tobacco companies, aiming to raise £700 million annually to fund cessation programs and reduce health inequalities. The report also recommends stricter regulations on youth vaping and a cap on tobacco industry profits. With smoking remaining a leading cause of preventable illness and death, the report urges all political parties to commit to a fully funded, long-term strategy to make smoking obsolete.
Read the full report: A Roadmap to a Smokefree Country – APPG on Smoking and Health
The Kings Fund: Public Satisfaction with NHS and Social Care Hits Record Lows
The latest British Social Attitudes survey reveals that public satisfaction with both the NHS and social care services in the UK has reached unprecedented lows.
- NHS Satisfaction: Only 21% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the NHS, marking the lowest level since the survey began in 1983. Key concerns include long waiting times, staffing shortages, and difficulties accessing services like A&E and dentistry.
- Social Care Satisfaction: Satisfaction with social care services remains at a mere 13%, the lowest ever recorded. Major reasons for dissatisfaction include inadequate pay and working conditions for care workers, insufficient support for unpaid carers, and many individuals not receiving the care they need.
These findings highlight the urgent need for comprehensive reforms and increased investment in both sectors to address the growing concerns of the public.
Read the full report: The King’s Fund
Eating Disorder Bulletin April 2025
The latest Eating Disorder Bulletin is now available to view or download. Some articles are freely accessible, others require an Open Athens account. Please get in touch for support with this: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk.