Tag: NHS Digital

Public Health

Current Awareness

Source: KnowledgeShare

Bowel Cancer Screening: Annual Report 2021 to 2022.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID); 2024.

(Data report for the Bowel Screening Programme (BCSP) screening which focuses on programme performance in England during the screening year 2021 to 2022 (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022) compared to the national bowel cancer screening programme standards. It also includes trend data from previous years where this is available.)

Supporting Families – a foundation for family help: Annual report of the Supporting Families programme 2023-2024.
Department for Education, Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities; 2024.

(This eighth annual report of the Supporting Families programme provides an update on progress made during 2023 to 2024. Since the publication of our last Annual Report, 77,203 families have been supported to achieve a successful family outcome.)
Freely available online

Autism Statistics, January to December 2023.
NHS Digital; 2024.

(These statistics present a group of measures on waiting times for autism spectrum disorder diagnostic pathways, based on the time between a referral for suspected autism and the first care contact associated with that referral.)
Freely available online

Drug and alcohol treatment for victims and suspects of homicide.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID); 2024.

(A Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) report looking at the use of substance misuse treatment services by victims and suspects of homicide in England. The report includes information and findings on treatment characteristics of victims and suspects, such as their sociodemographic, accommodation and employment status; and characteristics of the homicide and the relationships between victims and suspects and whether the homicide was drug-related.)

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Electronic prescriptions have become the norm, new figures confirm

Electronic prescriptions have become the default method for prescribing and dispensing in primary care in England, new figures from NHS Digital have confirmed.

The number of items issued electronically to community pharmacies has almost doubled in the past five years – from 532 million in 2016-17 to 996 million in 2021-22, NHS Digital said. In the latest year, 95% of items were prescribed and dispensed via the electronic prescription service (EPS).

Podcast

Exploring the best ways to implement digital innovation into our health sector

Source: Finger on the Pulse podcast

Former Chief Nurse at NHS Digital, Anne Cooper discusses her experiences of implementing digital ways of working into healthcare during her time with the NHS firstly as a nurse then then in her later role at NHS Digital.

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Our ageing population: How ageing affects health and care need in England.
The Health Foundation; 2021.
[This report examines this dynamic by analysing changes in two measures of need:  an estimate of social care need, drawn from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) ; prevalence of long-term conditions, as a proxy for health and health service demand.   It explores how health and care needs change with age, how the relationship between need and age has changed over time and how long-term conditions and social care needs interact.]

National Diabetes Audit, Report 1- Care Processes and Treatment Targets 2020-21.
NHS Digital; 2021.
[The National Diabetes Audit measures the effectiveness of diabetes healthcare against NICE Clinical Guidelines and NICE Quality Standards.]

Humidification of indoor air for preventing or reducing dryness symptoms or upper respiratory infections in educational settings and at the workplace. [Abstract]
Byber K. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021;12:CD012219.
[OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of interventions that increase indoor air humidity in order to reduce or prevent dryness symptoms of the eyes, the skin and the upper respiratory tract (URT) or URT infections, at work and in educational settings.]

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.]

Covid 19


Current awareness updates

The impact of COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom on the positive behavioural support of people with an intellectual disability
Murray G. British Journal of Learning Disabilities 2021;49(2):138-144.
[It has been suggested that COVID-19 and the associated restrictions are likely to have a negative impact on the provision of positive behavioural support (PBS) to people with an intellectual disability. Participants reported a neutral or somewhat positive impact on all the areas measured and the learning from their PBS programme as helping them cope with COVID-19. Many staff developed creative solutions that allowed them to provide PBS despite COVID-19 restrictions.]

VacciNation: Exploring vaccine confidence.
Healthwatch England; 2021.
[Our new research explores vaccine confidence amongst people from African, Bangladeshi, Caribbean, and Pakistani backgrounds. We want to understand these barriers to ensure key lessons are taken forward for future public health campaigns.]

Lateral flow device performance data.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[Analysis confirms lateral flow devices (LFDs) are successful at identifying infectious cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) and real-world data shows Innova LFDs are capable of detecting the Delta variant.]

COVID-19 surveillance and immunity studies.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[Updated 01 July 21: Added link to Schools Infection Survey research findings – round 5.]

JCVI issues interim advice on COVID-19 booster vaccination.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has been asked to consider the options for a potential coronavirus (COVID-19) booster programme.]

COVID-19 and adult congenital heart disease services: impact on support and advice from nurse specialists.
Anthony J. British Journal of Nursing 2021;30(12):730-732.
[Although the focus on service provision in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has mainly been on acute and particularly intensive care, it is important to consider other services that are still needed. This is especially the case for vulnerable patients with long-term conditions, such as those under the care of an adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) service.]

Use of Telehealth in Mental Health (MH) Services During and After COVID-19.
Molfenter T. Community Mental Health Journal 2021;:Online ahead of print.
[COVID-19 social distancing guidelines caused a rapid transition to telephone and video technologies for the delivery of mental health (MH) services. The study examined: (a) adoption of these technologies across the MH service continuum; (b) acceptance of these technologies; and (c) intention of providers to use these technologies following the pandemic based on a sample of 327 MH organizations from 22 states during May-August 2020.]

Persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection in a random community sample of 508,707 people.
Imperial College London; 2021.
[Random samples of the population between September 2020 and February 2021 found that nearly 27,000 (around 6%) reported experiencing at least one of 29 symptoms linked with COVID-19 for 12 weeks or more.]

Potential Coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms reported through NHS Pathways and 111 online (18 Mar 2020-30 Jun 2021).
NHS Digital; 2021.
[Data published on potential COVID-19 symptoms reported through NHS Pathways and 111 online Dashboard shows the total number of NHS Pathways triages through 111 and 999, and online assessments in 111 online which have received a potential COVID-19 final disposition. This data is based on potential COVID-19 symptoms reported by members of the public to NHS Pathways through NHS 111 or 999 and 111 online, and is not based on the outcomes of tests for coronavirus. This is not a count of people.]


Coronavirus Shielded Patient List Summary Totals, England – as at 01 July 2021.
NHS Digital; 2021.
[Snapshot on 22 Jun 2021 – England only.]

Primary Care Workforce in Alternative Settings – General Practitioners in the Covid Clinical Assessment Service.
NHS Digital; 2021.
[28 Mar 2020 to 31 Mar 2021.The COVID-19 Clinical Assessment Service was operative from 28 March 2020 to May 2021 and there were fluctuations in the demand for patient appointments during this period according to the COVID-19 infection rates. Recruitment to the service ceased in January 2021 and all GPs were onboarded by March this year.]

Remote home monitoring (virtual wards) for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients: a rapid systematic review.
Vindrola-Padros C. EClinicalMedicine 2021;37:Vindrola-Padros.
[A rapid systematic review on models led by primary and secondary care across seven countries (US, Australia, Canada, The Netherlands, Ireland, China, UK) identified 27 articles. Monitoring was carried out via online platforms, paper-based systems with telephone calls or (less frequently) through wearable sensors. No substantive conclusions regarding patient safety and the identification of early deterioration due to lack of standardized reporting and missing data.]

Bridging the uptake gap – COVID-19 vaccination toolkit for Black African and Black African Caribbean communities.
NHS England; 2021.
[Evidence-based good practice for increasing vaccination confidence and uptake among Black African and Black African Caribbean populations.]


NHS performance summary: December 2020-January 2021

Monthly round-up of the latest NHS performance data.

Source: KnowledgeShare

NHS England and NHS Digital have published the latest data on key activity and performance measures for December of last year and January of this year. Urgent and Emergency Care Daily Situation Reports were also published for the first week of February, giving a more up-to-date analysis of how the NHS is coping this winter. They show some of these statistics and how they compare with previous trends.

Read the summary here.

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

Syphilis: Public Health England action plan.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.

(Addressing the increase in syphilis in England.)

The obesity paradigm and the role of health services in obesity prevention: a grounded theory approach.[Abstract]
Pearce C. BMC Health Services Research 2021;21(1):111.

(The aim of this research was to examine whether and how hospital and community-based health services incorporate adult obesity prevention into policy and practice. An alternative systems-level approach is needed to align health service responses with contemporary approaches that address obesity prevention as a complex problem.)

The impact of household energy poverty on the mental health of parents of young children.
Journal of Public Health; 2021.

(Energy poverty increases the likelihood of depression in parents. These findings merit policy attention since a mental health burden is in itself important, and more widely, parental well-being can influence child development and outcomes.)

Raising awareness of funding for vulnerable two-year-old children.
Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE); 2021.

(SCIE is helping the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) to raise awareness about the 15 hours funded early years provision, particularly to more families who are vulnerable. This programme improves the health, learning and development of disadvantaged two-year-old children as well as being beneficial for the parent.)

‘Do No Harm’: Lived Experiences and Impacts of FGM Safeguarding Policies and Procedures, Bristol study.
FORWARD UK; 2021.

(The research reveals worrying evidence that FGM safeguarding policies are inadvertently causing a great deal of harm to families, communities and young girls, both in Bristol and potentially across the UK. Their targeted and heavy-handed approach have increased scrutiny, suspicion and stigmatisation of families in many areas of their lives, from schools, to healthcare, to overseas travel.)

Still not safe: the public health response to youth violence.
The Children’s Commissioner; 2021.

(This report assesses how effectively existing infrastructure within local authorities is being used to deliver a public health approach to preventing gang involvement and youth violence. The Children’s Commissioner concludes that two years on from her last report into this issue and a year after the Prime Minister promised to ‘cut the head off the snake’ of county lines, thousands of children are still not being kept safe.)

Dementia profile: February 2021 update.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.

(Updated statistics on dementia prevalence, hospital admissions, care and mortality, at the national and subnational geographical areas in England. The dementia profile is designed to improve the availability and accessibility of information on dementia. The data is presented in an interactive tool that allows users to view and analyse it in a user-friendly format.)

Health and Care of People with Learning Disabilities 2019-20.
NHS Digital; 2021.

(The most recent release of the 2019-20 Health and Care of Learning Disability Publication. These are aggregated data on key health issues for people who are recorded by their GP as having a learning disability, and comparative data about a control group who are not recorded by their GP as having a learning disability.)

Statistics on Drug Misuse, England 2020.
NHS Digital; 2021.

[This report presents newly published information on hospital admissions attributable to drug-related mental health and behavioural disorders and on hospital admissions attributable to poisoning by illicit drugs.

The report also provides links to information on drug misuse among both adults and children from a variety of sources, including the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System and the Crime Survey for England and Wales (date range:01 Apr 2019 to 31 Mar 2020)]


Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

Hepatitis C in England and the UK.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.

[Latest PHE hepatitis C virus (HCV) reports and supporting documents, for England and the UK. 14 December 2020: Added Hepatitis C in the UK: 2020 report and accompanying slide set and infographic.]

Drug misuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2020.
Office for National Statistics (ONS); 2020.

[This publication reports on trends in drug use across England and Wales for the year ending March 2020. This publication is largely unaffected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as it mainly relates to the period prior to the lockdown. Overall drug use continued to remain stable, with around 1 in 11 adults aged 16 to 59 years having taken a drug in the past year.]

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.
14 December 2020: Added ‘Opportunities to strengthen place-based systems approaches’ report and annexes.]


Coronavirus and the social impacts on Great Britain: 11 December 2020.
Office for National Statistics (ONS); 2020.

[One in five adults in Great Britain experienced some form of depression in November. This is similar to levels reported earlier in the year, but double that reported before the pandemic. Since late October, more adults say they believe life will return to normal within six months. However, a lower proportion of adults experiencing some form of anxiety and/or depression felt this was the case.]

The government’s approach to test and trace in England – interim report.
National Audit Office (NAO); 2020.

[This interim report provides an overview of test and trace services for addressing COVID-19 in England, including how the government’s approach has developed, and how it managed performance and capacity in the period from May to October 2020.]

A ‘new normal’? How people spent their time after the March 2020 coronavirus lockdown.
Office for National Statistics (ONS); 2020.

[During the first national coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, many people in Great Britain were forced to make changes to their lifestyles. But it appears that some of those changes may not have lasted long. On the whole, people returned to pre-lockdown behaviour in September to October 2020.]


Sexual and Reproductive Health Services, England (Contraception) 2019/20.
NHS Digital; 2020.

[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. People attend SRH services for a variety of reasons, but the main focus of this report is contraception.]

National Diabetes Audit – Report 1 Care Processes and Treatment Targets 2018-19, Full Report.
NHS Digital; 2020.

[This report details the findings and recommendations relating to diabetes care process completion, treatment target achievement and structured education for the 2018-19 audit.]


Statistics on Smoking, England 2020.
NHS Digital; 2020.

[This report presents newly published information on smoking including:
Smoking-related hospital admissions from NHS Digital’s Hospital Episode Statistics (HES).Smoking-related deaths from Office for National Statistics (ONS) mortality statistics. Prescription items used to help people stop smoking from prescribing data held by NHS Prescription Services. Affordability of tobacco and expenditure on tobacco using ONS economic data.]