Tag: Centre for Ageing Better

Covid 19

Current awareness updates

Impact of Covid-19 on new parents: one year on: Government Response to the Committee’s First Report.
Petitions Committee; 2022.
[The government’s response points to the £500 million investment announced in the 2021 Autumn Spending Review for family and early years services. This report concludes that this goes some way to addressing the ‘baby blind spot’ in Covid-19 recovery spending identified in the Committee’s report but the response contains no new commitments in response to the concerns raised and recommendations made in the report.]

Volunteering and helping out in the COVID-19 outbreak.
Centre for Ageing Better; 2022.
[This report, based on research conducted by NatCen Social Research, aims to understand the patterns of formal volunteering and informal support that emerged in, and between, July 2020 and November 2020.]

Community connectedness in the COVID-19 outbreak.
Centre for Ageing Better; 2022.
[This report investigates how people across England related to their neighbourhoods as the COVID-19 pandemic challenged individuals and communities while reducing their access to traditional mechanisms of support.]

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Are we Improving Access to Psychological Treatment for everyone?
The Mental Elf; 2021.
[Bibire Baykeens reviews a general population cohort study which suggests that recent migrants are less likely to use the Improving Access to Psychological Treatment programme.]

Flu in prisons and secure settings.
UK Health Security Agency; 2021.
[This guidance, updated for 2021/22, details how to respond to cases of seasonal flu in prisons and other secure settings (e.g. immigration removal centres; secure training centres), including vaccination, treatment and managing outbreaks.]

Flu in the children and young people’s secure estate.
UK Health Security Agency; 2021.
[This guidance, updated for 2021/22, details how to respond to cases of seasonal flu in the children and young people’s secure estate (e.g. young offender institutions, secure training centres, secure children’s homes), including vaccination, treatment and managing outbreaks.]

Flu vaccination in schools.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[Flu vaccination guidance and resources for schools.]

Cold weather plan: action cards for cold weather alert service.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[These action cards summarise advice on how different organisations need to respond to cold weather alert levels 0 through 4.]

Access to palliative care: the primacy of public health partnerships and community participation.
Mills J. The Lancet Public Health 2021;:doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00213-9.
[This viewpoint highlights that palliative care is a public-health concern and the need to promote equity in access to palliative care through public-health partnerships that prioritise community development and participation in end of life care.]

Forthcoming UK asthma guidelines: an opportunity to improve asthma outcomes.
Bush A. The Lancet 2021;:doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02244-3.
[Comment proposes the guideline committees set SMART objectives, e.g. reporting of patients who access less than 80% of their inhaled corticosteroid requirements, suggesting adoption of their proposed strategies could help the guidelines group rise to the challenge of improving asthma outcomes.]

A public health approach to estimating the need for long COVID services.
Journal of Public Health; 2021.
[This paper illustrates how a public health approach was used to influence and inform the development of post-COVID services across two Integrated Care Systems (ICSs). The findings have been valuable in informing early service developments, engaging with managers and clinicians, and supporting applications for funding at a local level.]

Self-Care Readiness Index.
Global Self Care Federation; 2021.
[The Self-Care Readiness Index (SCRI) is a research and policy initiative by the Global Self Care Federation and supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It explores enablers of self care across the health systems of 10 countries, including the UK.]

Online services in general practice: patterns of use and barriers to uptake.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[This project is in line with the national ambition to support the adoption of a range of technology initiatives in general practice. The aims were to understand the needs of the population relating to the effectiveness of online services to support general practice, and identifying groups and exploring barriers and enablers to the use of GP online services. The report is mainly intended for commissioners and providers of GP services.]

Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Health and Wellbeing Programme: An evaluation.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[An independent evaluation of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Health and Wellbeing Programme.]

Best foot forward: exploring the barriers and enablers to active travel among 50–70 year olds.
Centre for Ageing Better; 2021.
[This report finds that too many people in their 50s and 60s will remain physically inactive unless we redesign our neighbourhoods to encourage walking and cycling. The report, which looked at the barriers people in this age group face to walking and cycling, says that action is needed from national and local government, service providers and health systems to get people moving.]

Adult social care in England, monthly statistics: October 2021.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[Experimental statistics on a range of topics including infection control measures, coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations and testing for COVID-19 in adult social care settings.]

Transport initiatives to increase uptake of breast screening programmes.
Carried out by Frankie Marcelline from Brighton and Sussex on 12/10/2021
[The evidence search report covers studies on the links between breast cancer screening uptake and ease of transport to appointments. In Tower Hamlets an initiative for encouraging uptake of breast cancer screening appointments includes transport-related support.]


Covid 19

Current awareness updates

Characterisation of in-hospital complications associated with COVID-19 using the ISARIC WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK: a prospective, multicentre cohort study.
Drake TM. The Lancet 2021;:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00799-6.
[Complications and worse functional outcomes in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are high, even in young, previously healthy individuals. Acute complications are associated with reduced ability to self-care at discharge, with neurological complications being associated with the worst functional outcomes. COVID-19 complications are likely to cause a substantial strain on health and social care in the coming years.]

COVID-19 and the digital divide: Supporting digital inclusion and skills during the pandemic and beyond.
Centre for Ageing Better; 2021.
[This report offers examples of good practice and recommendations for organisations that deliver services to users and help digitally excluded people with skills training. The report finds that the key to building digital inclusion isn’t only about getting more people online, but also building skills and confidence.]

Alcohol consumption and harm during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[A report collating data on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm in England during the COVID-19 pandemic and comparing it to data from previous years. The report improves our understanding of how alcohol consumption and harm changed in England while physical and social restrictions to prevent and control coronavirus were in place. The findings help to understand whether pandemic-related changes have affected rates of alcohol hospital admissions and deaths as well as health inequalities.]

COVID-19 vaccination of children and young people aged 12 to 17 years: JCVI statement.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[Statement from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on COVID-19 vaccination of children and young people aged 12 to 17 years.]

NHS COVID Pass Verifier app.
NHS England; 2021.
[A fast, secure and easy way of allowing people to demonstrate their COVID pass is valid, giving staff confidence in the legitimacy of what is being presented to them. It is a fast, secure way to scan the 2D barcode on an individual’s NHS COVID Pass and verify whether or not they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, had a negative test, or have recovered from the virus – allowing staff to check the legitimacy of what is being presented to them.]

JCVI issues advice on COVID-19 vaccination of children and young people.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is today advising that children at increased risk of serious coronavirus (COVID-19) disease are offered a vaccine.]

The impact of Brexit and COVID-19 on nursing in the UK. [Comment]
Carvalho F. British Journal of Nursing 2021;30(13):822-823.
[Over the years, many experts have stated that nursing in the UK is in crisis and nurses are struggling owing to the increasing number of older and sicker patients, staff shortages and budget cuts that have affected working conditions (Beech et al, 2019). With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, unprecedented levels of pressure were placed on an already strained nursing workforce.]

A healthy recovery – Acting on findings from the COVID-19 impact inquiry
The Health Foundation; 2021.
[Launched in October 2020, the COVID-19 impact inquiry has been carefully exploring the pandemic’s broad impact on health and what this means for improving health and reducing health inequalities in the UK – now and in the future. The inquiry launched its final report on 6 July 2021. This webinar, held on the same day, discussed key issues raised in the report – the impact of the pandemic and what needs to be done in recovery to create a healthier, fairer society.]

Unequal pandemic, fairer recovery: The COVID-19 impact inquiry report.
The Health Foundation; 2021.
[By mid-March 2021 the pandemic had led to 119,000 excess deaths in the UK and in 2020 caused a 9.9% drop in GDP. Behind these overall figures lie the unequal burdens carried by different population groups and regions. Although the pandemic is still ongoing, this report explores these impacts and the range of different, intersecting factors influencing them. It provides an initial assessment of the effects of the pandemic using evidence available up to May 2021.]


Covid 19

Current Awareness Updates

Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination statistics, plans and documentation.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.

(This page brings together COVID-19 vaccination programme-related documents published by DHSC, and vaccination statistics published by other bodies within the UK.)

Second quarterly report on progress to address Covid-19 health inequalities Race Disparity Unit, Cabinet Office; February 2021

(The first report on progress to address Covid-19 health inequalities was published in October 2020. It concluded that a range of socio-economic and geographical factors coupled with pre-existing health conditions were contributing to the higher infection and mortality rates for ethnic minority groups. This second report now looks at those causes in more detail and sets out some of the work being undertaken to fill the gaps in our understanding and to mitigate the risks of Covid-19 infection. It sets out the progress made under the terms of reference and in implementing the recommendations from the first report.)

The other pandemic: the impact of Covid-19 on Britain’s mental health Public First

(In February 2021 Public First polled 4,000 people and held 12 in-depth focus groups with people from across Britain. The findings, published in this report, show that coronavirus has taken a toll on mental health in all parts of society – but especially women, the less well-off and young people.)

New WHO expert group to identify gaps and solutions to the mental health impacts of COVID-19.
World Health Organization (WHO); 2021.

(The group, tasked with reviewing evidence, identifying gaps and exploring solutions, will inform and support countries’ efforts in addressing mental health needs within and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.)

COVID-19: ventilation of indoor spaces to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.

(Guidance, advice and information on how ventilation of indoor spaces can help to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), including how to increase ventilation at home and in other settings.)

Earthquakes and COVID-19
Orlu FN. British Journal of Psychiatry 2021;218(3):172.

(Mental health services at all levels, including psychological services in primary care, bereavement services and secondary mental health services need to start preparing for post-lockdown demand for care by making arrangements for how they will manage increased demands for services. Mental health promotion should be launched now and after the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent an overloading of the National Health Service via the mental health services’ route.)

COVID-19 and Obesity: The 2021 Atlas. The cost of not addressing the global obesity crisis.
World Obesity; 2021.

(Through detailed analyses of the latest peer-reviewed data, we demonstrate how overweight is a highly significant predictor of developing complications from COVID-19, including the need for hospitalisation, for intensive care and for mechanical ventilation. Overweight is also a predictor of death from COVID-19.)

Remote engagement: removing barriers to inclusion in the context of COVID-19.
Centre for Ageing Better; 2021.

(This short paper outlines approaches and techniques to carrying out user engagement and coproduction activities where traditional face to face methods aren’t possible. It includes case studies of good practice from initiatives including Trailblazer projects Business Health Matters and Blackwood Neighbourhoods for Independent Living. )

Public Health

Current Awareness

Staying mentally well: winter plan 2020 to 2021 Gov.uk. 23rd November 2020

(This plan sets out the support that will be in place in the immediate term to help support individuals to stay well during the second wave of Covid-19 and the winter months ahead.)

Learning from local authorities with downward trends in childhood obesity Public Health England

(This report, a set of practice examples researched by University College London and an executive summary by Public Health England, identifies common approaches being implemented by local authorities that had a small but significant 10-year downward trend in childhood obesity. The findings show the value of engagement with and integration of the National Child Measurement Programme and the importance of addressing health inequalities, with 76 per cent of local authorities having a focus on deprivation.) To view the summary click here.

How are the lives of families with young children changing? The changing face of early childhood in the UK Nuffield Foundation

(This evidence review reveals the extent of changes to family life in the UK over the past 20 years and highlights how these changes are experienced unequally across the population. The report argues that, without understanding family life today, the policies and initiatives that seek to address other key areas of society – education, the economy, physical health and mental health – will falter.)

National Child Measurement Programme: childhood obesity.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.

(Research by University College London shares learning from local authorities that have a downward trend in childhood obesity, including practice examples.)

COVID-19: suggested principles of safer singing.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.

(Outlining the available evidence on virus transmission associated with singing and suggested actions to reduce the risk of transmission while singing.)

The state of ageing in 2020.
Centre for Ageing Better; 2020.

(This online, interactive report captures a snapshot of how people in the UK are ageing today, while looking at past trends and our prospects if action isn’t taken. It warns that the Covid-19 pandemic risks setting people in mid-life on a path to poverty and ill health in old age.)