The LGA’s 2020 public health annual report showcases examples from 10 areas that demonstrate what can be achieved by public health operating across local government and working closely with the NHS and a wide range of local and system partners. The examples are from councils across England, covering both rural and urban environments and with varying degrees of deprivation and affluence.
This policy brief explores how primary care and public health can be brought together to improve the health of patients and populations. It describes the types of initiatives that have been undertaken; provides examples of such initiatives in Europe and beyond; and summarises the factors that can help to enhance or hinder the integration of primary care and public health.
This project, the brainchild of a British Airways pilot, is a scheme providing first class style lounges in NHS hospitals, as a place for staff to take a break
Read more here
In this briefing paper, the cross-party think-tank states that parks and green spaces should be seen as a tool of health care in the same way as medicines and therapies. Giving the NHS a role in supporting parks and green spaces would allow doctors to make more use of social prescribing techniques where patients are told to take exercise and spend time outdoors to boost physical and mental health.
Read this week’s bulletin on Community Health here
Before lockdown, our lives were defined by speed. Rushing around, living life at rocket pace was the norm. Keeping up with work responsibilities, social obligations and the latest tech or fashion trends was a never-ending feat. Only a privileged few could afford to slow down. This research shows that in order to experience the benefits of slowing down, people must decelerate in three ways.
This report highlights that tackling preventable illness must remain a top priority for the government in the 2020s. More than half of the disease burden in England is deemed preventable, with one in five deaths attributed to causes that could have been avoided. It goes on to argue that any prevention strategy must take into account the way information can be used to promote public health and spread information.
Studies suggest medical students experience high levels of mental distress during training but are less likely, than other students, to access care due to stigma and concerns regarding career progression. In response, The School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge supported the development of the ‘Clinical Student Mental Health Service’ to provide specialist input for this vulnerable group. This study evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of this service.
Read the study here
This update covers education and training actions
