Category: Current Awareness

Covid 19

Current awareness updates

Vital to cut COVID-19 transmission to avoid more loss of life NHS Confederation (The NHS Confederation has responded to reports that a new national lockdown could be imposed.)

NHS response to the Prime Minister’s announcement NHS England 31 October 2020

HSIB report illustrates challenges of COVID-19 spread in hospitals NHS Confederation

Investigation into COVID-19 transmission in hospitals Kings Fund (This report charts a four-month patient safety investigation that was launched following concern that patients were contracting COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital. It presents the voices of those working across the health service, from strategic national planners to hospital porters. It also captured experiences of patients and families, providing further insight into the challenges of managing the transmission of COVID-19.)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey: characteristics of people testing positive for COVID-19 in England, October 2020 – Office for National Statistics Office for National Statistics

(Data about the characteristics of people testing positive for COVID-19 from the COVID-19 Infection Survey. This survey is being delivered in partnership with University of Oxford, University of Manchester, Public Health England and Wellcome Trust.)

How coronavirus has affected equality and human rights.
Equality and Human Rights Commission; 2020.

(This report summarises evidence that helps in understanding the effects of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic on different groups in society. It highlights potential long-term risks to equality and human rights covering key issues in the areas of: work; poverty; education; social care; and justice and personal security. It makes targeted recommendations for the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments.)

Generation COVID: Emerging work and education inequalities.
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE); 2020.

(The study found, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, young workers to be twice as likely to have lost their jobs compared to older employees and that employment and earnings losses are more pronounced for women, the self-employed and those who grew up in a poor family. The survey provides further evidence that young people are suffering substantial and sustained losses, not only to their employment, but also their education.)

Country reports: COVID-19 and Long-Term Care.
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE); 2020.

(These reports aim to document the impact of COVID-19 on people who use and provide Long-Term Care and the measures adopted by different countries to contain and mitigate the impact of the virus. They are updated regularly as new information becomes available.)

Access to new medicines in the English NHS

A briefing to describe the process

Source – The King’s Fund

All health systems must find ways to ration limited resources. The question is whether they do so with their eyes closed or with their eyes open. In 2018/19, the English NHS spent almost £19 billion on drugs, almost 15 per cent of total public spending on health. Should the NHS increase drugs spending to pay for the latest drugs for hepatitis or cancer, drugs that might prolong life for some patients but cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds per course of treatment? Or should it spend the money in other areas, for example, ensuring that people can see a GP when they need one, ensuring that vulnerable people get basic treatment for long term-conditions or tackling health inequalities? How health systems make these decisions determines, in large part, their effectiveness. The choices determine the quality of people’s lives and, in some cases, who lives or dies.

To find out more and understand the process click here.

Mental Health

Current Awareness

Children and young people’s mental health review: findings from a questionnaire to health and wellbeing boards on local actions QCQ – October 2020

(This report contains an update on work carried out in 2018 looking at the quality of mental health services for children and young people, as well as the access to these services. It sets out the findings of a 2019 independent follow-up self-assessment questionnaire, to find out the extent to which health and wellbeing board areas in England had progressed with implementing the local recommendations made.)

NHS strengthens mental health support for staff NHS England -October 2020

(NHS staff will get rapid access to expanded mental health services that are being rolled out across the country as part of efforts to deal with the second wave of coronavirus. NHS England and NHS Improvement will invest an extra £15 million to strengthen mental health support for nurses, paramedics, therapists, pharmacists, and support staff.)

NHS encourages children and young people to seek help as new data shows rise in mental health problems NHS England – October 2020

(England’s top children and young people’s mental health doctor is encouraging youngsters to seek help if they need it, as NHS Digital’s new survey shows there has been a rise in mental health problems in children and young people during the pandemic.)

The impact of Covid-19 to date on older people’s mental and physical health Age UK- October 2020

(This research finds that some older people are coping with the pandemic, but a sizeable minority are finding life incredibly tough. Those who are not very well and have long term health conditions were particularly likely to report that this is an extremely challenging time for them.The research was made up of a survey of older people, their friends, families, and loved ones (promoted across the Age UK social media channels for two weeks in August 2020 and completed by 569 people) and representative online polling of 1,364 people over the age of 60, conducted by Kantar Polling in September 2020.)

Pushed from pillar to post: improving the availability and quality of support after self-harm in England.
Samaritans; 2020.

[This report finds that there is no consistently effective support available to people who self-harm. The research identified four key support needs for people who self-harm, which are seen as essential to providing effective care: distraction from immediate self-harm urges; emotional relief in times of stress; developing alternative coping strategies; and addressing the underlying reasons for self-harm.]

Commission for Equality in Mental Health: Briefing 3: Inequalities of experience and outcomes.
Centre for Mental Health; 2020.

[This third briefing from the Commission for Equality in Mental Health explores why communities with higher rates of mental ill health often get the least effective support. This is most dramatically evident for people from Black communities in the UK, who experience higher levels of coercion and poorer long-term outcomes. This briefing explores why these inequalities persist, and looks at what can be done to bring about more equal outcomes and experiences from mental health support.]

Mental health rehabilitation inpatient services – 2019 update.
Care Quality Commission (CQC); 2020.

[Based on the results of a request to providers to review progress, the CQC has made recommendations to improve care for people in mental health rehabilitation inpatient services, in line with the recent NICE guidance for the rehabilitation of adults with complex psychosis.]

Advancing mental health equalities strategy NHS England – September 2020

(This strategy summarises the core actions all mental health services need to take to better address inequalities in access, experience and outcomes across the sector. It is also an important element of the overall NHS plans to accelerate action to address health inequalities in the next stage of responding to Covid-19.)

Covid 19

Updates

Covid-19: Second wave death rate is doubling fortnightly but is lower and slower than in March | The BMJ

Ongoing support from Government and public vigilance imperative as more regions enter Tier 3 – NHS Confederation

Themed Review: Living with Covid19.
NIHR Evidence; 2020.
(This rapid and dynamic review draws on the lived experience of patients and expert consensus as well as published evidence to better understand the impact of ongoing effects of Covid19 (‘Long Covid’), how health and social care services should respond, and what future research questions might be. 15 October.)

Covid-19: Most trainees have faced disruption to their training, GMC survey shows | The BMJ

(A national survey has found that more than seven in 10 junior doctors have had their training disrupted by the pandemic.)

Workforce flexibility in the NHS: utilising Covid-19 innovations – Kings Fund

(This briefing argues that speed at which workforce innovations and flexibilities have been implemented in the NHS since the outbreak of Covid-19 has been both impressive and encouraging. It explores and makes recommendations on six key areas of change: staff wellbeing; flexibility in staff deployment and roles; cross-organisational working and regulation; technology; making use of new roles; and funding.)

Our Covid Voices – National Voices

(A website, run by National Voices, with collected first-person accounts of living through the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. It is a place to read about what matters to people for health and care, during COVID19 and beyond.)

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Prime Minister announces new local COVID Alert Levels Press release, Gov.uk, October 2020

(On 12th October, the Prime Minister set out how the government will further simplify and standardise local rules by introducing a three tiered system of local COVID Alert Levels in England.)

So what now? Supporting students through a global pandemic and beyond Health Management and Policy Alert, King’s Fund, October 2020

(This report finds that many student midwives are struggling under the weight of financial concerns, poor mental health and an unpredictable job market. It finds that 96 per cent of student midwives reported having mild or moderate mental health problems since the pandemic began. The survey shows that by the end of July just 36 per cent of students in their final year of midwifery training had been offered a job in the NHS. At the same time, midwifery educator numbers are not keeping pace with the rise in student midwife numbers, potentially leaving students less supported throughout their training.)

Stoptober 2019 Campaign Evaluation Health Management and Policy Alert, King’s Fund, October 2020

(Stoptober is an annual event to encourage smokers to quit for 28 days in October, with the aim of stopping smoking permanently. This report aims to measure the impact of Stoptober during 2019.)

Daily Insight: New wave, new problems.
Health Services Journal (HSJ); 22nd September, 2020.
(The second wave of the Covid pandemic appears to be upon us. While the approach of the second wave has been accompanied by stories of faults and failings in the system delivering vital Covid tests, the first wave in March was accompanied by a crisis in the supply of essential personal protective equipment. The onset of the second wave has also brought a warning from RCEM about English emergency departments reporting “dangerous” overcrowding similar to levels seen pre-covid.)

Use of the NHS COVID-19 app in schools and further education colleges.
Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care; 2020.
(Actions for schools and further education colleges when using the NHS COVID-19 app in education settings. Published 22 September 2020.)

Childhood in the time of Covid.
The Children’s Commissioner; 2020.
(While for some children there were certain aspects of the pandemic that brought benefits such as spending more time with their families, this report sets out how for many of the most vulnerable children the disruption of the past six months has been damaging and compounded existing inequalities. It calls for a comprehensive recovery package for children and provides a roadmap for what should be done to help children to recover from their experiences of the past six months and the ongoing crisis.)

Financial consequences of the coronavirus pandemic for older people ELSA, September 2020

Older people have been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, but less focus has been given to the financial impact on older adults. ELSA investigate how adults in their 50s and older have been affected financially by the pandemic.