Category: Public Health

Public Health

Current awareness updates

The cost effectiveness of ecotherapy as a healthcare intervention, separating the wood from the trees.
Hinde S. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) 2021;18(-):11599.
[This paper explores the capacity for ecotherapy to be cost-effective as a healthcare intervention. We show that there is the potential for ecotherapy for people with mild to moderate common mental health problems to be cost-effective but significant further research is required.]

Community support versus health care services: time to change our definition of impact.
Evidence & Policy Blog; 2021.
[Non-profit community anchor organisations in England typically provide a range of support to local people, including wellbeing support, advocacy, social activities, and training and employment advice. This array of services takes a wider perspective on the determinants of health than the approach taken within the NHS, which generally focuses on mental and physical ill health. Despite the different approaches, the funding for organisations is often dependent on the impact on health outcomes.]

National Pregnancy in Diabetes (NPID) Audit Report 2019.
Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP); 2021.
[The National Pregnancy in Diabetes (NPID) Audit measures the quality of antenatal care and pregnancy outcomes for women with pre-gestational diabetes. Overall, there were 4,525 pregnant women with diabetes in 2020 – 325 fewer pregnancies than 2019 – of which, 54% had type 2 diabetes (44% had type 1 diabetes and 2% were recorded as having ‘other diabetes’). The audit includes analysis by age, ethnicity, social deprivation and weight.]

Better together: a public health model for mentally healthier integrated care systems.
Centre for Mental Health; 2021.
[According to this briefing paper, England’s 42 integrated care systems have an opportunity to protect and promote mental health in the communities they serve. The briefing explores how integrated care systems can address the social and environmental factors that affect people’s health in their communities.]

Saving lives, improving mothers’ care: lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2017-19.
National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU); 2021.
[This report finds that pregnancy remains safe in the UK, with the overall maternal death rate showing a slight decrease. Among 2,173,810 women who gave birth in 2017-2019, 191 died during or up to six weeks after pregnancy, and 495 during or up to one year after their pregnancy. However, the findings show a continued inequality in the mortality rates for women of different ethnic backgrounds, ages and socio-economic circumstances.]

Ethnic and socio-economic Inequalities in NHS maternity and perinatal care for women and their babies.
Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP); 2021.
[This report describes inequalities in maternity and perinatal care for women and their babies in England, Scotland and Wales during the period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2018. Using routinely collected data, care and outcomes experienced by women and babies using NHS maternity services are measured and stratified by ethnicity and by Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), a proxy for socio-economic deprivation.]

Fulfilling the promise: how social prescribing can most effectively tackle loneliness.
British Red Cross; 2021.
[This report draws on practical experience of delivering social prescribing services to those experiencing or at risk of loneliness through Red Cross Community Connector schemes.]

What works when evaluating social prescribing? A realist review report.
Wales School for Social Prescribing Research; 2021.
[An analysis of approaches used to evaluate social prescribing.]

Newcastle GP Services Social Prescribing Navigator Service: an independent evaluation.
North of England Commissioning Support Network; 2021.
[The aims of this evaluation were to: • Understand the update and usage of the service across Newcastle with regards population, conditions, and sites. • Analyse trends in unplanned access to secondary care. • Understand the experience and impact from the patient as end user of this service and navigators as deliverers of the service • Recommend data collection and analysis for the ongoing service to have greater comprehension of the impact of the service.]

The role of data in unlocking the potential of social prescribing.
Open Data Institute; 2021.
[A report by Frontier Economics for the ODI concludes there are a number of barriers to social prescribing reaching its full potential, including the lack of available data, and solid data infrastructure, such as statistics, maps and real-time service-use data that could help social prescribers and the providers of services to make decisions, build services and gain insight.]


Library Bulletin

Public Health

The current bulletin for Public Health, produced by Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust, is now available to view and download here

For support accessing any of the articles within the bulletin please contact: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk

Library Bulletin

Public Health

The current bulletin for Public Health, produced by Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust, is now available to view and download here

For support accessing any of the articles within the bulletin please contact: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk

Covid 19

Current awareness updates

How many care home staff in England have received two Covid-19 vaccine doses? Nuffield Trust chart.
Nuffield Trust; 2021.
[After the deadline passed, care home staff in England now need to have received two Covid-19 jabs to carry on working. Nina Hemmings looks at how many had been vaccinated twice only a few weeks before the deadline.]

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health outcomes in a cohort of early psychosis patients.[Abstract]
Szmulewicz AG. Early Intervention in Psychiatry 2021;15(6):1799-1802.
[AIM: To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical outcomes, we used data from Electronic Health Records from 128 patients receiving care at a First Episode Psychosis clinic. CONCLUSIONS: We report that patients have avoided accessing higher levels of care, except in extreme cases. We argue that this is not a sustainable trajectory and that public health actions are required.]

Provider collaboration review: Mental health care of children and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Care Quality Commission (CQC); 2021.
[Review of care in 7 areas of England in June and July 2021 found COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on the mental health of children and young people, and has led to an increased demand on services, particularly eating disorder services.]

Effectiveness of public health measures in reducing the incidence of covid-19, SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and covid-19 mortality: systematic review and meta-analysis.
BMJ; 2021.
[This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that several personal protective and social measures, including handwashing, mask wearing, and physical distancing are associated with reductions in the incidence covid-19. Public health efforts to implement public health measures should consider community health and sociocultural needs.]

COVID-19 Young people and vaccines Toolkit.
Cabinet Office; 2021.
[An updated vaccines toolkit for younger people has been launched by the Cabinet Office. The toolkit includes links to assets and videos designed to encourage vaccine uptake among young people aged 18 to 29.]

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Avian influenza: guidance for managing human cases.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA); 2021.
[Information to assist with the management of possible and confirmed human cases of avian influenza.]

Heart valve disease presenting in adults: investigation and management.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2021.
[This guideline covers investigation and management of heart valve disease presenting in adults. It aims to improve quality of life and survival for people with heart valve disease through timely diagnosis and appropriate intervention.]

Acute heart failure: diagnosis and management.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2021.
[This guideline covers diagnosing and managing acute heart failure or possible acute heart failure in people aged 18 and over. Heart failure may indicate acute myocardial injury in patients with COVID-19. See the recommendations in NICE COVID-19 rapid guideline on managing COVID-19. In November 2021, NICE withdrew the recommendations on valvular surgery and percutaneous intervention because they have been replaced by the NICE guideline on heart valve disease.]

Public health commissioning in the NHS: 2021 to 2022.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[Information about NHS England’s objectives and funding arrangements as it commissions public health services in the ongoing context of coronavirus (COVID-19).]

Cause for concern: Australian youth engaged with alcohol and other drug services are falling behind our community progress in reducing tobacco use.[Abstract]
Hallam KT. Early Intervention in Psychiatry 2021;15(6):1789-1792.
[Tobacco use is decreasing in the general youth population yet little evidence is tracking changes in young people who are engaged with youth alcohol and other drug (AOD) services that are often disengaged from school and work settings. Conclusion: The results highlight a need for the adoption of evidence-based tobacco early intervention programs in youth AOD services to address this significant health risk.]

Quality improvement project to decrease unnecessary investigations in infants with bronchiolitis in Cork University Hospital.[Abstract]
Jansen L. BMJ Open Quality 2021;10(4):DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001428.
[Conclusion: An evidence-based protocol improved physicians’ ability in diagnosing and managing infants with bronchiolitis. This led to a reduction in unnecessary and potential harmful investigations, thereby improving patient quality of care. This improvement will contribute to decreased healthcare cost and appropriate use of resources during the high-pressured winter period.]

Public Health

Identifying The Gap: Understanding The Drivers Of Inequality In Public Health

This report aims to provide insights into the historical challenges and approaches taken to tackle the problems affecting public health. Key findings include the need for: longer-term funding and commissioning cycles, investment in the public health workforce; and for public health to be recognised and valued as an integral part of the integrated care system.

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Violence Prevention Information System (Violence Info).
World Health Organization (WHO); 2021.
[Developed in collaboration with the Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Public Health Wales and the World Health Organisation, Violence Info is an online interactive collection of scientific information about the prevalence, consequences, risk factors and preventability of all forms of interpersonal violence. It covers homicide, child maltreatment, youth violence, intimate partner violence, elder abuse and sexual violence.]

Two new tobacco cessation medicines added to the WHO essential medicines list.
World Health Organization (WHO); 2021.
[On 1 October 2021, the WHO announced the updated the Model List where two new medicines have been added, indicating a powerful shift in the fight against the tobacco epidemic. Bupropion and varenicline are medicines which work in a different way from nicotine replacement. The new medicines reduce cravings for nicotine without supplying a nicotine substitute, thereby supporting people in quitting tobacco use and reducing nicotine dependence.]

Healthy weight coach elearning programme: for primary care networks, healthcare practices and pharmacies.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID); 2021.
[This reference guide is for primary care networks, healthcare practices and pharmacies interested in training staff, and staff interested in undertaking training, to become a healthy weight coach.]

Blood pressure lowering and risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes: an individual participant data meta-analysis.
The Lancet; 2021.
[Blood pressure lowering is an effective strategy for the prevention of new-onset type 2 diabetes. Established pharmacological interventions, however, have qualitatively and quantitively different effects on diabetes. This evidence supports the indication for selected classes of antihypertensive drugs for the prevention of diabetes, which could further refine the selection of drug choice according to an individual’s clinical risk of diabetes.]

Caring for older patients with complex needs: How does England compare with 11 OECD countries?
The Health Foundation; 2021.
[The analysis shows that looking across the system is essential to understand the true resource use of patients with complex needs, if policymakers are to identify areas for improvement in care. The comparatively high mortality rates for people admitted for hip fracture and for people with heart failure and diabetes in England are concerning and require scrutiny by policymakers, commissioners and providers…]

Library Bulletin

Public Health

The current bulletin for Public Health, produced by Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust, is now available to view and download here

For support accessing any of the articles within the bulletin please contact: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Influenza season 2021–22: what healthcare managers need to know.
Clough I. British Journal of Healthcare Management 2021;27(10):1-4.
[With the influenza season approaching and COVID-19 case numbers remaining high, this article highlights key points for healthcare managers and leaders going into this potentially challenging period.]

The vicious cycle of tobacco use and mental illness – a double burden on health.
World Health Organization (WHO); 2021.
[This new factsheet examines the intricate connections between tobacco use and mental illness. 2 in 3 people with severe mental health conditions are current smokers, which has an enormous impact on health. Reducing smoking among people with mental illness is identified as the single most effective action for reducing the gap in life expectancy.]

British HIV Association guidelines for the management of HIV-2 2021.
British HIV Association (BHIVA); 2021.
[The overall purpose of these guidelines is to provide guidance on best clinical practice in the treatment and management of adults with HIV-2.]

Promoting the sexual health and wellbeing of people from a Black Caribbean background: an evidence-based resource.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Provides information on developing interventions for improved sexual health and wellbeing in people from a Black Caribbean background.]

Sexually transmitted infections: promoting the sexual health and wellbeing of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Provides information on developing interventions for improved sexual health and wellbeing among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.]

Sexual and Reproductive Health Services, England (Contraception) 2020/21.
NHS Digital; 2021.
[This publication primarily covers contraceptive activity taking place at dedicated Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services in England, as recorded in the Sexual and Reproductive Health Activity Dataset (SRHAD), a mandated collection for all providers of NHS SRH services. The main focus of this report is contraception.]

Overlooked: why we should be doing more to support families and friends affected by someone else’s drinking, drug use or gambling.
Adfam; 2021.
[This report examines Adfam’s latest research with YouGov on the prevalence of people currently negatively affected by the drinking, drug use or gambling of a family member or friend in 2021, and the different challenges and impacts these families currently face. The report’s findings highlight the need for more recognition of the impacts on families and friends, and it includes recommendations on how to better support this overlooked group.]

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): annual data tables.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Information on STI diagnoses and sexual health services provided in England by demographic characteristics and geographical region.]