Category: Current Awareness

Public Health

Keeping up to date with current awareness

PHE launches the Stoptober campaign for 2020. Gov.uk – September 2020

This year has seen an increase in both the number of smokers attempting to quit and an increase in the success rate of quit attempts. Stoptober is offering a range of support tools including the Stoptober app, Facebook messenger bot and online communities, SMS and daily emails.

COVID 19 – Vaccination Nuffield Foundation- September 2020

Survey finds 1 in 5 people are unlikely to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The COVID-19 Social Study by UCL researchers showed substantial levels of misinformation about vaccines. 22% of people surveyed said they were unlikely to get a COVID-19 vaccine when approved, with 10% being ‘very unlikely’ and only 49% being ‘very likely’ to get vaccinated.

Healthwatch Report – Covid 19

Shares the experiences the public faced because of the pandemic and how this has affected their experiences using health and social care.


RCPsych CPD Online

Update on accessing the resource

Several members of staff have reported problems accessing this resource recently, however, we can now confirm that this issue has been resolved by the Royal College.

Our apologies for any inconvenience that this may have caused.

If you have any queries about this or other resources please email the library team academic.library@lancashirecare.nhs.uk

Public health

Keeping up to date with current awareness

Commission on Alcohol Harm
King’s Fund
This Commission was set up by alcohol health experts and parliamentarians to examine the full extent of alcohol harm across the UK. In this, its final report, the Commission outlines recommendations for reducing harm and calls for a national strategy for alcohol. More detail here.

Suicide risk in young people who self-harm and visit emergency departments.
The Mental Elf; 2020
(Katerina Kavalidou reviews a prospective observational cohort study on mortality and suicide risk in young people after they present to hospital emergency departments following episodes of self-harm.)

COVID-19 surveillance in school KIDs (sKIDs): pre and primary schools.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020
(A report on the preliminary results of the COVID-19 testing and antibody prevalence surveillance in schools programme, colloquially known as sKIDs. Prospective active national surveillance of preschools and primary schools for SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission in England, June 2020. The report concludes that SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission rates were low in preschool and primary schools under surveillance during the summer.)

Calorie reduction: guidelines for the food industry.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.
(A technical report outlining guidelines for industry, 2017 baseline calorie levels and next steps. This report sets out the calorie reduction ambitions for all food industry sectors, including: the approach to calorie reduction and reformulation; the different ambitions set across food industry sectors recognising that more action is required in the eating out, takeaway and delivery sectors; food products included in the categories; baseline figures for the different food sectors.)

Making a support bubble with another household.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2020.
(How you can safely expand the group of people you have close contact with during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Published 9 September 2020.)

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Public Health Updates

Keeping up to date with current awareness

Cycling to work lowers risk of illness and death compared to driving.
NIHR Evidence; 2020.
(People who cycle to work are at lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and death than those who drive. This is seen across all occupational groups and suggests that cycling to work could benefit people from all economic backgrounds. If fewer people are able to travel by public transport due to social distancing, measures to make cycling easier and safer could improve the nation’s health.)

Lung health checks in supermarket car parks reach older smokers in deprived communities.
NIHR Evidence; 2020.
( Tests carried out on mobile units parked in supermarket car parks were a popular and effective way to check the lungs of at-risk current and former smokers in a study in Manchester.)

Statement from the UK Chief Medical Officers on schools and childcare reopening.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2020.
(Statement from the Chief Medical Officers and Deputy Chief Medical Officers of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on the evidence of risks and benefits to health from schools and childcare settings reopening. 23 August.)

Drinking in the dark: alcohol labelling is failing consumers.
Alcohol Change UK; 2020.
(In this study we reviewed a random sample of 424 alcohol containers on shop shelves in October 2019 to assess whether labels included the UK’s Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) low-risk drinking guidelines and other essential pieces of information that would allow consumers to make informed choices.)

Recovering from COVID-19: Post viral-fatigue and conserving energy.
Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT); 2020.
(Rehabilitation is fast becoming the new priority in dealing with the impact of this pandemic and is crucial for people recovering from COVID-19 infection. We’ve published three guides to support people to manage post-viral fatigue and conserve their energy as they recover from COVID-19. These guides are endorsed by the Intensive Care Society.)

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Digital Transformation and Covid 19 – Online Event

Implementing quality standards and solutions

The Kings Fund are hosting a free online event next week, Tuesday 15th September 10-11am and will discuss the changes in service and delivery of healthcare over the past few months.

The event will include:

  • what an inclusive, person-centred digital revolution would look like for the NHS and social care
  • the standards from before the pandemic and what the gains from this rapid transformation should consolidate
  • what this transformation will mean for people and staff on the ground

To register your place click here.

Local restrictions in the North of England

What you can and can’t do

The department of Health and Social Care have released new guidelines for areas under local restrictions. It outlines; affected areas, business and venue closures, travel restrictions and childcare and social limitations.

If you live in an infected area you must NOT

  • host people you do not live with in your home or garden, unless they’re in your support bubble
  • meet people you do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside of the affected areas unless they’re in your support bubble
  • socialise with people you do not live with in other indoor public venues – such as pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops, places of worship, community centres, leisure and entertainment venues, or visitor attractions.
  • visit friends or family in care homes, other than in exceptional circumstances.

You CAN:

  • attend venues (pubs, restaurants, shops, places of worship, places of leisure and entertainment) with people you live with (or are in a support bubble with), but should avoid interaction with individuals or groups from other households.
  • socalise in outdoor public spaces in groups of up to 6 people
  • travel outside your area or go on holiday with people from your household
  • go to work
  • move house
  • arrange and use childcare provision

For more information and to read the whole guidance click here.