Health Care – Lancashire & South Cumbria Library Blog

What’s the emergency when prisoners go to A&E?

A&E attendances by people in prisons in England.

Nuffield Trust; 2026.
https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/research/what-s-the-emergency-when-prisoners-go-to-ae-emergency-hospital-attendances-by-people-in-prisons-in-england

[This new report is the first to offer an in-depth assessment of A&E use by people in prison and adds to mounting evidence that health care is harder for prisoners to access. It finds a higher-than-expected number of A&E attendances by prisoners due to paracetamol overdose, seizures, and acute coronary syndrome, with opportunities for targeted intervention in these areas to avoid health crises.]
Freely available online

Latest Research

Dear all,

Please see the link below for the latest Research.

Neighbourhood health framework.
Department of Health and Social Care & NHS England; 2026.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neighbourhood-health-framework
[How ICBs, local authorities, health and wellbeing boards and other partners should create and deliver neighbourhood health services.]
Freely available online

The Economic Case for Preventing Mental Ill Health.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); 2026.
https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/the-economic-case-for-preventing-mental-ill-health_16668f16-en.html
[Focusing on depression and anxiety, this report sets out the strong economic case for investing in better mental health policies. It shows how evidence‑based interventions in primary care, schools, and workplaces can improve health outcomes and boost economic growth through improved productivity and labour market participation. Many of these interventions are cost‑effective and some cost‑saving. However the overall impact of these interventions remains low due to lack of implementation at scale.]
Freely available online

NHS England messaging user engagement: findings from group interviews with VCSE practitioner and lived experience partners.
National Voices; 2026.
https://www.nationalvoices.org.uk/publication/nhs-england-messaging-understanding-inclusive-digital-communication/
[National Voices was commissioned by NHS England to strengthen the evidence base on how NHS messages can be designed and delivered in ways that prompt action while remaining inclusive for groups most at risk of exclusion. The work focused on four target groups: older people, parents and carers, digitally excluded people, and people facing language barriers. Findings show how NHS England can design inclusive messaging.]
Freely available online

Latest Depression & Anxiety bulletin

Dear all,

The latest Depression & Anxiety Bulletin from Mersey Care Evidence and Library Service is ready for you to view at https://www.evidentlybetter.org/depression-anxiety/2026/05/11-may-2026/

In this edition:

Key target hit with 8,500 extra mental health workers in the NHS
Mental illness is pregnancy’s number one complication. It’s time to support those who suffer from it
Supported housing crisis costs NHS mental health services in England £102 million a year
MDMA-assisted therapy for depression: a promising but early first step
Plus much more

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Mental Health Report

Dear all,

Spiralling cost of mental health patients stuck in acute hospitals revealed.
HSJ: Health Service Journal 2026;(27 April):7041548.
[Hospital trusts are spending millions of pounds a year on expensive temporary staff to look after mental health patients stranded in emergency departments and acute wards, HSJ has learnt. Figures released to HSJ by 70 acute trusts showed several trusts in cities spent more than £1m each during 2025 on additional agency staffing to care for patients waiting for mental health treatment, and with no physical care need.]
Available with appropriate registration or membership

Prison leavers in substance misuse treatment: 4-week outcomes.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID); 2026.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-leavers-in-substance-misuse-treatment-4-week-outcomes

[Analysis of mortality and re-incarceration rates within 4 weeks of release for prison leavers receiving substance misuse treatment in England.

The main report and accompanying data tables present information and findings from this analysis, including demographic and offending characteristics and mortality and re-incarceration rates for prison leavers receiving substance misuse treatment.]

Latest Community Health Bulletin

Dear all,

The latest Community Health Bulletin is ready for you to view at https://www.evidentlybetter.org/community-bulletin/2026/05/7-may-2026/

In this edition:

Government response to the report ‘The First 1000 Days: a renewed focus’
“More Than Missing School”
Adopting a greener lens on mental health
NHS overhauls clinical standards to reduce maternal deaths
Overwhelmed community mental health nurses raise alarm over staffing and caseloads
Tobacco and Vapes Bill becomes law
Plus much more

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Thank you

Dementia Bulletin

Dear all,

The latest dementia bulletin from Mersey Care Evidence and Library Service has now been published at https://www.evidentlybetter.org/dementia/2026/03/30-march-2026/

In this issue: Association of diabetes severity with cognitive function in US adults: a cross-sectional analysis of the AI-READI multicentre cohort SAFER-Dem: generating co-designed adaptations to a discharge care planning bundle for people living with dementia Nutritional status, Mediterranean diet adherence, and quality of life in older adults with dementia: A cross-sectional study Plus much more Please let us know if there are other people who you think might benefit from receiving this
bulletin.

Learning Disabilities Bulletin

Dear all,

Dear all, Welcome to the new Learning Disabilities Bulletin! To ensure that you continue to receive the appropriate bulletin(s) please complete this very brief form LD + ND Mailing lists – Fill in this form The latest Learning Disabilities Bulletin is ready for you to view at https://www.evidentlybetter.org/learning-disability/2026/03/12-march-2026-2/
In this edition: Hospitalisations and deaths due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions among adults with and without intellectual disabilities in Scotland: a cohort study Non-Substance Addictive Behaviors Among People with Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review Low-Dose Lithium for Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial Webinar recording: Introducing the Working Together Checker Connected Care – Highlights and insights from the 2026 Growing Older with Learning Disabilities Conference Good Lives depend on good support: new report on pay in adult social care Plus much more

Please let us know if there are other people who you think might benefit from receiving this bulletin.

Latest Dementia bulletin

Dear all,

The latest dementia bulletin from Mersey Care Evidence and Library Service has now been published at https://www.evidentlybetter.org/dementia/2026/04/28-april-2026/

In this issue:

Amyloid‐beta‐targeting monoclonal antibodies for people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (Cochrane Review)
Social Health Experiences and Support Needs of People Living With Young-Onset Dementia: A Qualitative Study
Global burden of disease due to young-onset dementia and the forecast for 2050: update from global burden of disease study 2021
Low Vitamin D Levels Tied to Alzheimer’s Brain Changes
Plus much more

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Latest Depression and Anxiety Bulletin

Dear all,

Active coping could protect young people from depression after adversity
The cost-effectiveness of predictive algorithm guided primary antidepressant treatment: economic evaluation of the multinational PReDicT randomised controlled trial
Four-fifths of UK mental health nurses say their workload is unmanageable
Even without social media, phones have a subtle, damaging effect on our mental health
Plus much more

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Mental Health

Dear all,

The Mental Health Awards 2026.
The Mental Health Awards; 2026.

https://thementalhealthawards.com/
[The Mental Health Awards are a celebration of successful interventions and inspirational stories of people who have experienced recovery. Since 2019, organisations, services and individuals have been awarded for their relentless work toward making a difference in their communities. Deadline: 30 May 2026.]

Scrolling for answers: how reliable is mental health and neurodivergence-related information on social media?.

The Mental Elf; 2026.
https://www.nationalelfservice.net/treatment/digital-health/scrolling-answers-reliable-mental-health-neurodivergence-related-information-social-media/

[Imagine the following scenario. You’re lying in bed, phone in hand, scrolling through TikTok. A video pops up on your For You feed: “5 signs you have ADHD.”

Another video claims trauma rewires your brain in ways therapists won’t tell you about. It feels relatable, perhaps even reassuring – but is it accurate, and can it be trusted? A new systematic review finds that mental health and neurodivergence-related misinformation is highest on TikTok, but quality varies widely across all platforms.]
Freely available online

From crisis to chronic shortage: the future of adult social care workforce recruitment in the UK.
Centre for Care; 2026.
https://centreforcare.ac.uk/updates/2026/04/from-crisis-to-chronic-shortage-the-future-of-adult-social-care-workforce-recruitment-in-the-uk/
[This working paper examines the evolving immigration compliance pressures facing social care providers in the United Kingdom. These pressures have been situated within broader policy shifts around migration, workforce governance and post-Brexit regulation. Drawing on existing literature and informal stakeholder interviews, this working paper highlights how these administrative and ethical challenges have persisted and intensified for the social care sector.]
Freely available online