A Blueprint for a 100% Digitally Included Nation

Good Things Foundation, November 2018
Digital exclusion in the UK is holding back economic growth and stalling social inclusion. In 2018, 11.3million adults lack one or more of the basic digital skills for life and work. At current rates of progress, by 2028 there will still be 6.9 million people without these skills. In a world where we increasingly rely on digital in all areas of our lives, this is too slow. This report believed that everyone in the UK should have the confidence, skills, support and access to use digital technology to participate in society and benefit from the digital world. It calls for a faster move towards realising this aim and envisages a world where everyone has the opportunity to benefit from digital.
Click here to view the full report.

A fair, supportive society: summary report

University College London Institute of Health Equity, November 2018
NHS England commissioned report that highlights that some of the most vulnerable people in society – those with learning disabilities – will die 15-20 years sooner on average than the general population. Much of the government action needed to improve life expectancy for people with disabilities is likely to reduce health inequalities for everyone. The report recommends that action should focus on the ‘social determinants of health’, particularly addressing poverty, poor housing, discrimination and bullying.
Click here to view the full report.

Ensuring access to medicines: How to stimulate innovation to meet patients’ needs?: (Policy Brief 29)

European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, November 2018
Brief that aims to inform discussions about stimulating more meaningful productivity in terms of pharmaceutical R&D. More specifically, it explores how R&D efforts can be steered to areas of unmet clinical needs and how efficiency in the R&D process can be increased. It also explicitly considers concrete options for strengthening cooperation between European Union member states in this context.
Click here to view the full report.

Research integrity: clinical trials transparency: Tenth Report of Session 2017–19 Report, together with formal minutes relating to the report

House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, November 2018
Selective non-publication of the results of research distorts the published evidence base and is a threat to research integrity. In the case of clinical trials, non-publication of results means that information on the efficacy of new drugs or other medical interventions cannot be used. Falling short on ‘clinical trials transparency’ in this way presents risks to human health, contributes to research wastage and means that clinical decisions are made without access to all the available evidence.
A range of UK and EU rules and guidelines are now in force to improve clinical trials transparency, in terms of tackling non-registration, non-reporting and mis-reporting. However, despite these rules, around half of clinical trials are currently left unreported, clinical trial registration is not yet universal in the UK, and reported outcomes do not always align with the original study proposal.
Click here to view the full report.

5 Act Now guides

NHS England, November 2018
These are a series of guides produced by NHS England aimed to help health and social care colleagues to take prompt practical actions and use every opportunity to prevent delayed transfers of care. It aims to assist health and social care staff to address the evidence that staying in hospital for longer than required drives adverse outcomes for patients.  Click on the links below to access the guides:
1 Act Now : maximise your leadership this winter
2 Act Now : plan for discharge early
3 Act Now : maximise your leadership this winter
4 Act Now : new technology to find Care Home availability
5 Act Now : Look after yourself, look after others: flu immunisation

Barriers and enablers for clinicians moving into senior leadership roles: Review report

Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management, November 2018
This report sets out the findings of a review carried out by the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM). Finds some common themes emerged between the professions, fundamental differences were also evident. Most people highlighted progression to senior leadership was rarely promoted as a legitimate career pathway as part of training programmes and even where programmes exist, such as the National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellowship scheme, these are not recognised as part of specialty training. Most felt the skills and competences for senior leadership, especially chief executive, are not always clear and there is a need to identify and develop leadership talent in a more structured way than is currently the case. In general, there is a lack of data about the backgrounds and qualifications of senior leaders in the NHS.
Click here to view the full report.

Right treatment, right time

Rethink Mental Illness, November 2018
This report sets out a clear picture of the significant gap in access to health services for people severely
affected by mental illness based on a survey with 1,600 respondents. It identifies:

  • Average wait time for an assessment is 14 weeks
  • 56% of respondents believe they are not receiving treatment in adequate time
  • 30% asked for a service that was unavailable
  • 28% believe they were not referred by GP to an appropriate service
  • 51% felt that they received this support for a sufficient and appropriate time.
  • At least 20 people talked about having attempted or thought about suicide due to lack of services

Click here to view this report.

Comprehensive model of Personalised Care

NHS England, November 2018
The comprehensive model of personalised care helps to establish a whole-population approach to supporting people of all ages and their carers to manage their physical and mental health and wellbeing, build community resilience, and make informed decisions and choices when their health changes.
Click here to view the full report.