Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

#HealthNow Literature review update: how has patient experience changed for people who are homeless?
Groundswell; 2022.
(People experiencing homelessness face significant health inequalities. They encounter barriers to accessing the health care they need and often have poor experiences of engaging with health care services. This report examines research published since the Groundswell 2020 #HealthNow literature review and outlines the findings from its five #HealthNow research reports.)

Health disparities and health inequalities: applying All Our Health.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID); 2022.
(Evidence and information for health and care professionals and the wider workforce on health disparities and health inequalities, and how they can be addressed. This resource will help frontline professionals and organisations use their trusted relationships with individuals, families and communities to address the impact of health disparities and health inequalities on groups or populations. We also recommend important actions that managers and staff holding strategic roles can take.)

National Audit of Dementia: Memory Assessment Services Spotlight Audit 2021.
Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP); 2022.
(The National Audit of Dementia (NAD) is a clinical audit programme commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership on behalf of NHS England and the Welsh Government. In 2019 we undertook an audit of community-based memory assessment services in England and Wales.)

World Mental Health Day: rising cost of living and mental health.
House of Commons Library; 2022.
(Our mental health can change depending on our financial situation and it’s thought this relationship works in both directions: suffering financial losses or living in poverty can worsen mental health; people with mental health conditions may end up in poverty or suffer financial loss because of their illness, for example, if they are not able to work. Financial difficulties and problem debt are also associated with suicidal thoughts and dying by suicide.)

Valuing health: why prioritising population health is essential to prosperity.
British Medical Association (BMA); 2022.
(This report calls on the government to consider the health of the population as crucial to sustainable economic growth, rather than being dependent on a prosperous economy. Raising alarm about rapidly declining population health and widening health inequalities, the report identifies that the nation is facing a ‘ticking time-bomb’ of ill health with current government policies insufficient to meet the scale of the challenge.)

Bereavement is everyone’s business.
The UK Commission on Bereavement; 2022.
(This report shows how bereavement impacts us all. From dealing with complicated administration, to coping with financial and housing insecurity, it explores the challenges of returning to work or school after a bereavement and highlights the challenges being bereaved throws up in every area of life.)

Public Health

Current Awareness

Sexual assault has lasting effects on teenagers’ mental health and education.
NIHR Evidence; 2022.
(The mental and physical health symptoms reported in this study were higher than in the general population. Young people who had been involved with social services, or who had mental health problems before the assault had worse mental health problems and worse school attendance afterwards. Sexual assault can therefore increase health inequalities in this already vulnerable group.)

Autistic people’s healthcare information strategy for England.
NHS England; 2022.
(This document sets out an initial strategy for the development of information about the health of, and health care received by people with autism in England, from sources already collected or being established. It proposes the development of three dashboards, setting out statistics for: autism diagnosis services and transition from child to adult services; long-term health conditions, healthcare use and mortality for autistic people; more intensive inputs from mental health services.)

Suicide prevention – priorities in the next decade.
(Consultant psychiatrist JS Bamrah speaks to Professor Louis Appleby, who leads the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England and directs the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness. The webinar will cover current suicide prevention priorities, tying in with the recently announced suicide prevention strategy from the UK Government, before answering questions from the chair and audience. The event is open to BMA members and non-members.)

Food poverty: households, food banks and free school meals
House of Commons Library; 2022.
(There is no widely accepted definition of ‘food poverty’. However, a household can broadly be defined as experiencing food poverty or ‘household food insecurity’ if they cannot (or are uncertain about whether they can) acquire “an adequate quality or sufficient quantity of food in socially acceptable ways”. The increase in the cost of living has increased household food insecurity.)

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

ASH brief for local authorities on youth vaping.
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH); 2022.
(This short briefing is to help local authorities respond to growing concerns about youth vaping in their communities. It is primarily for public health officials and trading standards officers, but also sets out important information for councillors, schools, parents and retailers. Links to further information are also provided.)

Quantifying health inequalities in England.
The Health Foundation; 2022.
(Results show health inequalities starting at a very early age and continuing to develop through adulthood. The early ages and changing structure of health inequalities reinforces the notion that nothing short of a joined-up policy approach can address the wide and complex health inequalities we see in England. We believe this new presentation of health inequalities shows powerfully that investing in the circumstances in which people live will help people stay healthier for longer.)

Advertising ban was linked to lower purchases of unhealthy food and drink.
NIHR Evidence; 2022.
(This is the first study to look at the implementation of the TfL advertising ban. It found that advertising restrictions are feasible, and could have a meaningful impact on population health. The findings could encourage governments and local authorities to consider similar policies to prevent obesity. The TfL restrictions were part of a childhood obesity strategy, but they could influence the whole population.)

Commission on Young Lives,
Centre for Mental Health; 2022.
(Alongside the Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, Centre for Mental Health have co-authored the fourth report from the Commission on Young Lives on rethinking mental health services for vulnerable young people. It reviews the latest data with a focus on those who are at higher risk, including those from racialised communities, lower socioeconomic backgrounds, young people with SEND, those in contact with the criminal justice and care systems, as well as LGBTQI+ communities.)

Domestic abuse and mental health: the amplified risks created during the pandemic.
Hisham I N. BJPsych Advances 2022;28(5):316-327.
[This article focuses on how COVID-19 and its anticipated aftermath exacerbate the risk factors for domestic abuse in the general population and discusses clinical implications for mental health practitioners in the UK. It aims to provide a point of learning based on previous disease outbreaks and recessions, with a focus on specific factors, such as unemployment and alcohol misuse, and how these contribute to increasing incidence and severity of abuse and how to mitigate these for patients…] Open Athens account required.

Institute of Health Equity

Fuel poverty, cold homes and health inequalities in the UK

Source: The King’s Fund

This report reviews the evidence on both the direct and indirect impacts of fuel poverty and cold homes on health; the inequalities in who this affects the most; and the relationship between health inequalities and climate change. It makes the case for prioritising reducing fuel poverty through policy suggestions at both the national and local level.

For more information click here.

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

Vulnerability in infancy.
Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID); 2022.
(Descriptive analysis of vulnerability in infancy using data from the Community Services Dataset (CSDS). Analysis which describes and quantifies the reasons given for hospital and community services recording children as vulnerable in a child’s health record. Vulnerable children are at greater risk of experiencing physical or emotional harm or experiencing poor outcomes because of one or more factors in their lives.)

Unemployment and insecure housing are linked to less successful treatment for depression.
NIHR Evidence; 2022.
(The study found poorer outcomes after treatment for depression among people who are unemployed, struggling financially, not homeowners, and have educational qualifications beyond school. The research concluded that housing and employment status are likely to have a clinically meaningful effect on recovery, independent of the severity of depression, age, marital status or other factors.)

Commission on Young Lives,
Centre for Mental Health; 2022.
(Alongside the Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, Centre for Mental Health have co-authored the fourth report from the Commission on Young Lives on rethinking mental health services for vulnerable young people. It reviews the latest data with a focus on those who are at higher risk, including those from racialised communities, lower socioeconomic backgrounds, young people with SEND, those in contact with the criminal justice and care systems, as well as LGBTQI+ communities.)

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

Suspected acute viral respiratory infections: managing outbreaks in schools. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA); 2022.
(Guidance for local UKHSA centre health protection teams about assessing and managing outbreaks of suspected acute viral respiratory infections in schools.)

COVID-19: testing during periods of low prevalence.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA); 2022.
(Explains the purpose of ongoing testing and sets out who is currently eligible for access to testing and when tests should be used.)

Moderate alcohol consumption linked with higher iron levels and poorer thinking skills Alzheimer’s Research UK (July 2022)

(UK researchers have found moderate alcohol consumption is linked with higher iron levels in a region of the brain and was associated with poorer thinking skills. Above seven units weekly was associated with higher iron levels in a part of the brain called the basal ganglia, which is responsible for movement.)

NHS to roll out variant busting booster jab from September ahead of winter (NHS England; August 2022)

(The NHS will become the first healthcare system in the world to use the next generation, bivalent COVID vaccine when it kickstarts the autumn booster rollout in early September.)

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

COVID-19 vaccines for autumn 2022: JCVI advice, 15 August 2022.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2022.
(Statement setting out the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on COVID-19 vaccines for autumn 2022.)

NHS prescription charges in England.
House of Commons Library; 2022.
(The cost of an NHS prescription, who is entitled to free prescriptions and how to get help with prescription costs.)

Homeless hostel residents and staff struggle to access health and social care services.
The Mental Elf; 2022.
(In her debut blog, Ava Phillips summarises a paper that finds both people living in homeless hostels, and staff working there, feel marginalised and struggle to access the health and social care they need.)

As waiting lists grow for anxiety disorders, should we be turning to digital interventions?
The Mental Elf; 2022.
(Theo Kyriacou and Andie Ashdown explore a recent systematic review that brings together two decades of research, which suggests that digital health interventions for anxiety disorders may be a more effective alternative to inactive controls, such as waiting-list groups.)

No place for cheap alcohol: the potential value of minimum pricing for protecting lives.
World Health Organization (WHO); 2022.
(Pricing policies and taxation are among the most effective measures that policy-makers can use to address these harms, but they remain underutilized across the Region. This report reviews the status of implementation of minimum pricing globally, provides an overview of the most recent evidence behind the policy, addresses its main strengths and limitations and offers practical considerations for countries.)

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Family hubs and start for life programme: local authority guide.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2022.

(Guidance and sign up form for local authorities pre-selected to take part in the family hubs and start for life programme.)

Commissioning quality standard: alcohol and drug services.
Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID); 2022.
(Guidance for local authorities to support them in commissioning effective alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services in their areas.)

Direct and indirect health impacts of Covid-19 in England: emerging Omicron impacts

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2022 This paper (produced together with the Office for National Statistics) gives an overview of the direct health impacts of Covid-19 in terms of morbidity and mortality and the indirect impacts arising through behavioural changes and health system pressures.

Public Health Outcomes Framework: August 2022 data update

Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID); 2022.

The Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) examines indicators that help health and care professionals and the public to understand trends in public health. The data is presented in an interactive tool that allows users to view it in a user-friendly format. The data tool also provides links to further supporting information, to aid understanding of public health in a local population.

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

Weight loss outcomes achieved by adults accessing an online programme offered as part of Public Health England’s ‘Better Health’ campaign.
Toon J. BMC Public Health 2022;22(1456):-.
(This service evaluation shows that an online programme, offered as part of a national campaign, can offer effective support to a large number of people with different starting BMIs and from different socioeconomic backgrounds. An increased level of engagement leads to better weight losses.)

National operational framework: asylum accommodation.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and Home Office; 2022.
(This framework contains the minimum standard principles to support the health and wellbeing needs of asylum seekers living in initial and contingency sites.)

Supporting healthy relationships among parents of children with behaviours that challenge: A practical guide.
Early Intervention Foundation (EIF); 2022.
(This practical guide for local areas has been developed to improve understanding of how risk factors among parents of children with behaviours that challenge can impact on parental conflict and in turn on child outcomes, how to effectively engage these parents, what evidence-based support can be offered, and how to appropriately assess progress for these families.)

Heads Up: Rethinking mental health services for vulnerable young people.
Commission on Young Lives; 2022.
(The report looks at the growing crisis of mental health problems among children and young people in England and puts forward ambitious and innovative proposals to redesign young people’s mental health services, particularly for those young people at risk of harm.)

How can NHS anchors support communities to create health: Learning from the community response to COVID-19.
The Health Creation Alliance; 2022.
(This report provides real-world insight into how NHS anchor institutions are working in partnership communities, capitalising on both their strengths to address health inequalities.)