Current Awareness
Health matters: cold weather and COVID-19 Public Health England
(As we approach the first winter with coronavirus (COVID-19) circulating, it’s essential that action is taken across the health and social care sector to enable people to stay safe and well and to ensure that the NHS is not overwhelmed. This edition of Health Matters will cover the impact of cold weather on health, how COVID-19 amplifies cold-related risks, and actions that can be taken to prevent harm, particularly to those most vulnerable.)
KINSHIP IN THE CITY REPORT: Urban Loneliness and the built environment Future Spaces Foundation
(This report explores the impact of urban loneliness and ideas for reshaping our built environment to improve social cohesion. Produced as part of the Future Spaces Foundation’s Vital Cities programme, it builds on our existing body of research into the building blocks of dynamic, socially sustainable cities where individuals and communities can thrive.)
Play and social skills may protect children who have difficulties with spoken language.
NIHR Evidence; 2020.
(NIHR Alert. Researchers looked at the social and play skills of young children with developmental language disorder (DLD). They found that those with good early social and play skills developed fewer behaviour or mental health problems as they grew up. The research suggests that therapies and education techniques based on play and understanding other children could help children with DLD avoid later problems.)
COVID-19: guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2020.
[Updated guidance in line with national restrictions commencing 5 November 2020.]
Behaviour change: guides for national and local government and partners.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.
(Based on the Behaviour Change Wheel framework, these guides are for national and local government and partners, such as the NHS, emergency services and third sector, to support people to have healthier behaviours.
6 November 2020: Added document: ‘Achieving behaviour change: a guide for national government’ and policies to change behaviour.)
Community pharmacies: promoting health and wellbeing NICE
(This quality standard covers how community pharmacies can support the health and wellbeing of the local population. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.)
Performance Tracker 2020: How public services have coped with coronavirus.
Institute for Government; 2020.
(This report analyses the disruptions in hospitals, general practice, adult social care, schools and criminal courts, and the changes made in response. It finds that coronavirus has resulted in backlogs across public services and calls for reviews of the impact of remote general practice and hospital appointments.)
