Healthy Ageing

Applying all our health

Source: The King’s Fund Health and Wellbeing Bulletin

This guide is part of All Our Health, a resource that helps health and care professionals prevent ill health and promote wellbeing as part of their everyday practice. The information will help frontline health and care staff use their trusted relationships with patients, families and communities to promote the benefits of healthy ageing. It also recommends important actions that managers and staff holding strategic roles can take.

Adfam Research

Overlooked: why we should be doing more to support families and friends affected by someone else’s drinking, drug use or gambling

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.

Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities

The Report

Source: The King’s Fund Health Management and Policy Alert

This report includes a chapter on health that looks at life expectancy, cancer, diabetes, obesity, maternal mortality as well as access to health care, Covid-19 and more.

The Commission’s report sets out a new, positive agenda for change. It balances the needs of individuals, communities and society, maximising opportunities and ensuring fairness for all.

The Commission has considered detailed quantitative data and qualitative evidence to understand why disparities exist, what works and what does not. It has commissioned new research and invited submissions from across the UK.

Its work and recommendations will improve the quality of data and evidence about the types of barriers faced by people from different backgrounds. This will help to inform actions and drive effective and lasting change.

State of health and care

The NHS long-term plan after Covid-19

Source: The King’s Fund Health Management and Policy Alert

After a decade of austerity, the NHS long-term plan was meant to be a turning point for health care. However, those plans have been severely disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. This analysis shows the scale of the damage done by the pandemic across several major health conditions. It recommends a package of six ambitious changes to ‘build back better’.

Digital inclusion and older people

How have things changed in a Covid world?

Source: The King’s Fund Health and Wellbeing Bulletin

This briefing paper looks at the impact the pandemic has had on internet use among people aged 52+ in England. It considers what needs to be done to ensure that everyone who can benefit from digital technology does so while taking care to make sure that those who find it difficult to access or use digital technology are not left behind.

For more information click here.

Realising the value of vaccines in the UK

Consulting Report

Source: The King’s Fund Health Management and Policy Alert

Health technology assessment approaches in the UK (as well as some other countries) limit themselves to evaluating health benefits that accrue to treated individuals and resource use within the health care system. As a result, vaccines and other technologies that generate broader benefits – such as maintaining health care capacity or labour productivity – may be undervalued and underused. This  report on the broader value of vaccines (commissioned by the ABPI Vaccines Group) sets out actionable short- and long-term recommendations on how to drive change towards recognising and rewarding the broader value of vaccines in the UK.

For more information click here.

Supporting the LGBTQ+ population

Through Covid-19 and beyond

Source: The King’s Fund Health Management and Policy Alert

Leaders from across the health care system agree that for the LGBTQ+ population to recover and thrive after the pandemic, the way services are designed and delivered, and the workforce environments they are delivered in, must change. This report sets out a series of recommendations to help health care leaders, service designers and commissioners ensure their services and workplaces meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ population.

some of their recommendations include:

Mental Health Network NHS Confederation

To find out more click here.

Department of health and social care

Report of the independent review of NHS hospital food

This review, advised by chef and restaurateur Prue Leith, highlights the main challenges for NHS catering and makes recommendations on how NHS trusts can prioritise food safety and provide more nutritious meals to both staff and patients. The review covers: workforce; nutrition and hydration; food safety; facilities; technology; sustainability; enforcing standards; and the way forward to improving hospital food for patients, staff and visitors.

To find out more click here.

Mental health in later life

Minds that matter

This report looks at the life events and circumstances that can affect people’s mental health in later life, including bereavement, loneliness, ill health and caring responsibilities. Focusing mainly on anxiety and depression, the report also describes people’s mixed experiences of seeking support from GPs, therapists and other services. It highlights the common barriers and makes recommendations for what needs to change to improve support for older people and ensure they can live a mentally healthy later life.

To find out more click here.

Community pharmacies

Supporting the health and well-being of the local population

A NICE quality standard covering how community pharmacies can promote health and well-being. It describes high quality care in areas identified as priorities. To find out more click here.

The flowchart below outlines areas covered and associated recommendations.