NHS

Delivering Core NHS Services

Government response to the Committee’s second report of session 2019–21

Source: The King’s Fund; Health Management and Policy Alert

This report finds that the Covid-19 response has greatly accelerated the use of digital technology, has mainstreamed remote consultations, and similar effects are being seen for remote monitoring. There has been greater flexibility and resilience in the workforce, as well as improved decision-making and access to information through the better use of data and simplified information governance guidance. It concludes that these changes should be embedded and extended to support the health and care system’s recovery from the pandemic and ongoing resilience.

Covid 19 Communication Handbook

A practical guide for improving vaccine communication and fighting misinformation

A practical guide (in wiki format) for improving vaccine communication and fighting misinformation. This project tracks behavioural science evidence and advice about COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

To find out more click here.

Covid 19

Current Awareness updates

Evidence base for PCR and lateral flow testing.
Carried out by Frankie Marcelline from Brighton and Sussex on 7/1/2021
https://www.knowledgeshare.nhs.uk/index.php?PageID=literature_search_request_download&RequestID=26921
(This is a rapid review for evidence on PCR and lateral flow testing. It focuses on the most recent articles including evaluations on their use in the community.)

Clinical practice guide for improving the management of adult COVID-19 patients in secondary care: Shared learning from high performing trusts during COVID-19 pandemic
Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT); 2021.
(Summarises challenges faced and responses used by high performing trusts visited as part of the GIRFT cross-specialty COVID-19 deep dives, as well as identifying successful innovations they implemented.
Covers infection prevention and control, emergency medicine, critical care and anaesthesia, acute and general medicine, respiratory medicine, geriatric medicine and community care and diabetes. Cross cutting themes: Trust leadership and management, research and clinical coding).

Ensuring provision of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (SRH) services during the second COVID-19 wave and beyond in the UK.
Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH); 2020.
(This latest FSRH guidance is aimed at healthcare professionals and commissioners across the UK. It outlines essential services that must remain available to women during and past the pandemic as well as recommendations on delivering services and prioritising patients.)

COVID-19 vaccination: easy-read resources.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
(Easy-read guides providing information on coronavirus (COVID-19) and vaccination.)

UK COVID-19 vaccines delivery plan.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
(How the UK government was able to build up a supply of vaccines and how it is planning to deploy them. 11 January.)

Prioritising the first COVID-19 vaccine dose: JCVI statement.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
(Statement from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) about increasing the short-term impact of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. 6 January.)

2020 reviewed

The Health Policy Year in 12 Charts

Source: King’s Fund Health Management and Policy Alert

The wheels of health policy turn quickly. So, as 2021 begins Siva Anandaciva looks back at the key health policy moments of 2020 to consider the challenges and opportunities the year brought. The blog sums up the year of changes and influences of Covid 19 throughout the year.

To read the review click here.

Perspectives from the front line

The disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BME communities

Source: King’s Fund Health Management and Policy Alert

This report finds that the effects of longstanding health and socio-economic inequalities and institutional racism lie behind the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on people from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds. It distils the findings of a research study into the underlying factors. It is based on interviews with BME NHS leaders, clinicians, community organisations and service users, and a survey of more than 100 members of the NHS Confederation’s BME Leadership Network.

For more information click here.

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

Impacts of outlets selling alcohol on drinking levels or alcohol related harm.
Carried out by Frankie Marcelline from Brighton and Sussex on 2/12/2020
https://www.knowledgeshare.nhs.uk/index.php?PageID=literature_search_request_download&RequestID=26501
(This evidence report is a very brief evidence search on the effect of reducing or increasing density of outlets selling alcohol on impacts of drinking levels or alcohol related harm. Most of the results are set in the UK.)

Mass asymptomatic testing: schools and colleges.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2020.
(Find out how to administer testing which will begin in January 2021.)

Vitamin D for vulnerable groups.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2020.
(This guidance accompanies the Department of Health and Social Care’s initiative to offer a free 4-month supply of vitamin D supplements to support general health, and in particular bone and muscle health. The guidance is for anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable and has been offered a free supply of vitamin D supplements in England from January 2021.)

The safety of COVID-19 vaccines when given in pregnancy.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-of-covid-19-vaccines-when-given-in-pregnancy/the-safety-of-covid-19-vaccines-when-given-in-pregnancy

National lockdown: Stay at Home.
Cabinet Office; 2021.
(Coronavirus cases are rising rapidly across the country. Find out what you can and cannot do.)

A qualitative exploration of 14 to 17-year old adolescents’ views of early and preventative mental health support in schools.
Journal of Public Health; 2020.
(Preventative interventions may be effective in reducing and preventing symptoms of mental ill health in children and young people. However, there is a paucity of research in this area that explores the views of young people. This paper reports on a qualitative study to inform the future development of attractive and appropriate early and preventative school-based mental health interventions.)

Brexit and Health Care

Understanding the impact of Brexit on health in the UK

Source: King’s Fund Health Management and Policy Alert

This report maps out the health areas that will be affected by the exit from the European Union and discusses the dilemmas confronting the health sector in the face of legislative changes. It suggests that new barriers to migration, an unknown level of disruption to medicines and devices, a prolonged economic slowdown and barriers to investment in science could impact the health sector almost immediately.

To find out more information click here.

Covid 19

Current awareness updates

COVID-19: guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2020.
(Information for shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable from COVID-19. Updated 31 December: Added new shielding advice for the clinically extremely vulnerable in Tier 4.)

COVID-19 vaccination programme 2020/21: COVID-19 Enhanced Service Vaccination Collaboration Agreement.
NHS England; 2020.
(The purpose of this COVID-19 ES Vaccination Collaboration Agreements to support the delivery of the individual and collective responsibilities of the Collaborating Practices as part of the COVID-19 vaccination programme as set out in COVID-19 vaccination programme 2020/21 Enhanced Service Specification.)

New SARS-CoV-2 variant.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.
(Information on the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.)

Rapid evaluation confirms lateral flow devices effective in detecting new COVID-19 variant.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.
(Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed that lateral flow devices (LFDs) used in mass testing can detect the new COVID-19 variant.)

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 variant from South Africa identified in UK.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.
(Two cases of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant, which originated in South Africa, have been identified in the UK.)

Persistent symptoms after Covid-19: qualitative study of 114 “long Covid” patients and draft quality principles for services.[Abstract]
Ladds E. BMC Health Services Research 2020;20(1):1144.
Full-text availability
(Suggested quality principles for a long Covid service include ensuring access to care, reducing burden of illness, taking clinical responsibility and providing continuity of care, multi-disciplinary rehabilitation, evidence-based investigation and management, and further development of the knowledge base and clinical services.)

Covid-19 Insight: issue 6.
Care Quality Commission (CQC); 2020.
(In this month’s report, we share regional data on the designated settings that allow people with a COVID-positive test result to be discharged safely from hospital, and also the latest data on registered care home provision. We also look at how providers have collaborated to provide urgent and emergency care during the pandemic.)

Coronavirus data dashboard
UK Government; 2020.
(The official UK Government website for data and insights on Coronavirus (COVID-19))

Digital Playbooks

Source: KnowledgeShare Evidence Updates

The digital playbooks have been developed to support clinical teams to reimagine and redesign care pathways by showcasing tried and tested technologies to solve real-world problems. Explore the digital playbooks to find out about challenges faced by people working in different NHS organisations and discover their solutions and best practice. To access click here.

Playbooks are currently available for:

Cardiology
Respiratory
Dermatology
Musculoskeletal
Eye care

Chief Medical Officer’s annual report 2020

Health trends and variation in England

Source: The King’s Fund Health Management and Policy Alert

After a brief section on the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in England, the main report consists of a collection of charts that present a broad and high-level overview of the nation’s health across a range of health outcomes and public health indicators. A key theme is the variation in health that exists across different dimensions: over geographies, over time, and between groups of people.

To find out more click here.