Tag: HIV

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates amongst vulnerable groups: summary advice for GPs.
Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP); 2021.
[GPs will be aware of the disparity in uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine between different population groups; often, the groups most at risk from infection and serious illness are those least represented at vaccination centres. We continue to collect examples, case studies or evidence on what works in addressing this issue.]

Vaccination of people working or deployed in care homes: operational guidance.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[From 11 November 2021, anyone working or volunteering in a care home will need to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus (COVID-19), unless exempt.]

JCVI statement, August 2021: COVID-19 vaccination of children and young people aged 12 to 17 years.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[This statement sets out JCVI’s latest considerations and advice regarding the potential extension of the COVID-19 vaccination programme to children and young people.]

JCVI issues updated advice on COVID-19 vaccination of young people aged 16 to 17.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is today advising that all 16 and 17 year olds receive their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.]

COVID-19 vaccination: resources for children and young people.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Information for eligible children and young people on COVID-19 vaccination.]

PHE women’s reproductive health programme 2020 to 2021.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Progress update on the PHE reproductive health programme, including a new return on investment tool and the next steps for 2021 to 2022. ‘Extending PHE’s contraception return on investment tool: maternity and primary care settings’ outlines a new return on investment (ROI) model for contraception in maternity and the provision of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) in primary care, building on the existing contraception ROI tool published in 2018.]

BHIVA guidance for virtual consultations for people with HIV: May 2021.
British HIV Association (BHIVA); 2021.
[This guidance was released in May 2021 in response to the increased proportion of consultations carried out remotely due to COVID-19. The guidance highlights issues important for safe and effective consultation, including awareness of the limitations of remote consultation.]

Expanding access to naloxone.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[Naloxone is a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and can help to prevent overdose deaths. We are seeking responses to this consultation to assess the viability of proposals to widen access to naloxone by expanding the list of services and individuals that can give it out without a prescription or other written instruction.]

Quality indicators in lung cancer: a review and analysis. [Abstract]
Chiew KL. BMJ Open Quality 2021;10(3):DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2020-001268.
[Conclusions: We found a large number of published QIs in lung cancer but they focused on relatively few areas not reflective of patterns of contemporary practice. We identified gaps in lung cancer QIs especially for systemic therapies, radiotherapy, palliative care and patient-reported outcomes. In order to comprehensively assess the care of patients with lung cancer, future efforts should focus on developing readily measurable QIs in these areas…]

Now or never: A systemic investment review of mental health care in England.
Centre for Mental Health; 2021.
[This report, commissioned by the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network, sets out ten key areas where strategic investment could solve systemic issues in the mental health system, with significant benefits to the lives of people with mental health difficulties and their experiences of support.]

The role of epigenetics in psychological resilience. [Abstract]
Smeeth D. The Lancet Psychiatry 2021;8(7):620-629.
[In this Review, we propose a new conceptual model for the different functions of epigenetic mechanisms in psychological resilience. After reviewing empirical evidence for the various components of the model, we identify research that should be prioritised and discuss practical implications of the proposed model for epigenetic research on resilience.]

Effect of telehealth interventions on quality of life in cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Li J. International Journal of Nursing Studies 2021;122:103970 .
[Telehealth interventions are effective and alternative methods for improving quality of life among cancer survivors. The most effective approach was application-based intervention, the most common approach was website-based intervention, and in terms of intervention durations, the short-term telehealth intervention was the most effective. Most telehealth interventions included breast cancer survivors.]

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

The state of children’s mental health services 2020/21 Children’s Commissioner

(This report examines the progress that has been made over the past five years as well as looking at the impact the Covid crisis has had on children’s mental health. It finds that while there has been an expansion of children’s mental health services over the past four years, services are still nowhere near meeting the needs of many hundreds of thousands of children.)

Young people’s mental and emotional health: trajectories and drivers in childhood and adolescence Whitney Crenna-Jennings; January 2021

(Based on data from the Millennium Cohort Study, this report reveals insights into the determinants of young people’s wellbeing, including how it is affected by their relationships, background, and use of social media. The study examines the personal experiences of young people in England, at age 11, 14 and 17. The research shows that while the wellbeing of all young people declines by the end of their teenage years, there is a strong gender divide within this: girls see far lower levels of wellbeing and self-esteem than boys – driven by a sharp fall of both during mid-adolescence.)

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine advice for adults living with HIV.
British HIV Association (BHIVA) & Terrence Higgins Trust (THT); 2021.

(The British HIV Association (BHIVA) & Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) have issued guidance on COVID vaccines for people living with HIV. The COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be protective in people with HIV and are recommended. The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that all adults living with HIV should have the vaccines currently on offer, regardless of their CD4 count.)

Advice for women seeking contraception, abortion and other sexual and reproductive healthcare during the COVID-19 second wave.
Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH); 2020.

(The updated advice includes new information on menopause services as well as updates on contraception, abortion, and emergency removals of long-acting reversible contraception. It also contains useful links for women in all regions of the UK, to help them access further advice and care. The advice can be shared with patients and local communities.)

Building public trust: a response to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy predicament.
Journal of Public Health; 2021.

(This study suggests that a more ‘localized’ public education and role-modelling from public officials and health authorities can help a lot in building public trust. The study aims to contribute to the further development of public health mechanisms in the rolling-out and distribution of vaccines against COVID-19.)

Health charities and the NHS: a vital partnership in peril?
National Garden Scheme; 2021.

(This report highlights the crucial services and leadership that health care charities provide for the NHS, both of which have been shown to be critical throughout the current pandemic. It sets out the pressing need for better recognition of and healthy engagement with health care charities by policy-makers, and the benefits that this would bring.)

Stronger Together: A Co-production Webinar series Ambition for ageing

(Between 9th February – 25th March, Ageing Better programme partners are coming together to showcase their learning through a webinar series on Co-Production, coordinated by Ageing Better Sheffield. The webinars aim to inspire others to use the principles of co-production to work collaboratively to achieve a collective aim.)

Public Health

Current Awareness

Suicide awareness materials: do they help people with suicidal ideation?
The Mental Elf; 2020.

(Hanzla Amir and Derek Tracy summarise a recent online randomised controlled trial on the effects of suicide awareness materials on people who feel suicidal, which finds that the Papageno effect is real and that stories of hope and recovery can help.)

Whole systems approach to obesity.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.

(A guide and set of resources to support local authorities with implementing a whole systems approach to address obesity and promote a healthy weight.
7 December 2020: Added ‘Engaging NHS system leaders in whole systems approaches to physical activity’.)

Supporting public health: children, young people and families.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.

(Documents to support local authorities and providers in commissioning and delivering maternal and child public health services from preconception up to 24 years. 8 December 2020: Updated to include the 6 maternity high impact area guides.)

How England will end new cases of HIV: final report and recommendations.
HIV Commission; 2020.

(The HIV Commission is an ambitious, independent process to find the path to ending new HIV transmissions and HIV-attributed deaths in England by 2030. Its report sets out 20 achievable and evidence-based actions that need to be taken if this goal is to be met.)

Obesity Profile: December 2020 update.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.

(Obesity Profile online data tool: update with new data from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) for academic year 2019 to 2020.)

What people are telling us: a summary, July – September 2020 Healthwatch, 2020

(Between July and September 2020, more than 38,082 people shared their experiences of using health and social care with Healthwatch. This briefing is a summary of the key issues that the public are telling us about, including access to NHS dental care; the support provided in care homes; and accessing Covid-19 tests.)

Interventions to prevent intimate partner and sexual violence Public Health England (PHE), 2020

(A guidance resource from PHE to help tackle the root causes of violence and
change behaviours that lead to violence. It includes a summary of research and good practice in bystander interventions.)