The current bulletins for Depression and Community Health, produced by Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust, are now available to view and download.
For support accessing any of the articles within the bulletins please contact: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk
The Cochrane Library is a collection of high-quality independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making.
The Cochrane library promotes evidence-informed health decision-making by producing high-quality, relevant, accessible systematic reviews and other synthesized research evidence.
Their work is internationally recognised as the benchmark for high-quality information about the effectiveness of health care and is generally known as the ‘Gold Standard’ for systematic reviews.
Access the library here. For help with this please email the library team: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk
Please feel free to download our resource of the month poster and share with your team or within your department.
The current bulletins for Dementia and Community Health, produced by Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust, are now available to view and download.
For support accessing any of the articles within the bulletins please contact: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk
Contingency framework: education and childcare settings.
Department for Education (DfE); 2021.
[The updated framework describes the principles of managing local outbreaks of Coronavirus (COVID-19) (including responding to variants of concern) in education and childcare settings, covering: the types of measures that settings should be prepared for; who can recommend these measures and where; when measures should be lifted; how decisions are made.]
Use of telecritical care for family visitation to ICU during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interview study and sentiment analysis.[Abstract]
Sasangohar F. BMJ Quality & Safety 2021;30(9):715-721.
[Conclusions: Use of virtual intensive care unit (vICU) for remote family visitations evoked happiness, joy, gratitude and relief and a sense of closure for those who lost loved ones. Identified areas for concern and improvement should be addressed in future implementations of telecritical care for this purpose.]
Impact of COVID-19 on migrants’ access to primary care and implications for vaccine roll-out: a national qualitative study.
British journal of general practice; 2021.
[COVID-19 has led to big changes in UK primary care, including rapid digitalisation, with unknown impact on migrant groups. The aim of this study is to understand the pandemic’s impact on recently-arrived migrants and their access to primary health care, and implications for vaccine roll-out.]
A rapid needs assessment of excluded people in England during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
Doctors of the World UK; 2020.
[The aim of this rapid needs assessment was to identify and describe the needs of routinely excluded groups, arising from the COVID-19 pandemic in England, to raise awareness, inform advocacy and form recommendations for action. Groups included refugees, migrants, people affected by modern slavery, homeless, Roma and traveller communities, sex workers and people recently released form prison.]
Volunteering and wellbeing during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Wales Centre for Public Policy; 2021.
[Volunteering has played a crucial role in supporting communities during the pandemic. Interest in volunteering saw a dramatic spike early in the pandemic, and volunteers have helped meet people’s emotional and physical needs during the crisis. To inform this recovery planning, WCPP conducted 2 studies on the contribution of volunteering to individual and community wellbeing during the pandemic: a synthesis of 50 practice-based case studies using a synthesis method and a rapid evidence review.]
Drug users urged to be extra careful following a high number of likely heroin overdoses.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Public Health England (PHE) has issued a warning of a sharp rise in the number of overdoses linked to people using drugs in several areas across England. To date, there have been at least 46 poisonings resulting in 16 deaths but investigations are still ongoing. The areas affected include South London, the South East, South West and East of England.]
Mental Health Crisis Care Profile.
PHE Fingertips; 2021.
[The Crisis Care Profile collates and analyses a wide range of publicly available data on associated prevalence of mental health crisis. Risk factors include access to care, treatment, and outcomes. Includes risk factors around age, deprivation, illness and disabilities, crime and social isolation. Other topics – urgent and emergency care, quality of treatment, access to support. Data available by local authorities.]
Dental health: migrant health guide.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients for healthcare practitioners. 17 August 2021: New model of care to support refugees and asylum seekers to access NHS dental services.]
Cervical screening: support for people who find it hard to attend.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Guidance on support for people who find it hard to attend cervical screening due to having a mental health condition, or having experienced trauma or abuse. 16 August 2021: Clarification that this guidance is based on research conducted with users of mental health services and addition of signposting to guidance to support other underserved groups.]
Oral healthcare: model for asylum seekers and refugees.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[This model of care provides professionals with guidance to support access to NHS dentists. Asylum seekers and refugees can face barriers when accessing NHS dentists. This model of care details the processes, rights and entitlements to care and includes supporting information and links to forms and guidance. It is designed for local authorities, support services and health professionals who work with asylum seekers and refugees.]
Antenatal care.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2021.
[This quality standard covers care for healthy women and their babies during pregnancy (up to 42 weeks). It covers routine antenatal care in primary, community and hospital settings. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement. In August 2021, changes were made to align this quality standard with the updated NICE guideline on antenatal care.]
Service specification: Cystinosis diagnosis and co-ordination of management (all ages).
NHS England; 2021.
[This service specification covers the provision of services for patients with Cystinosis, all ages.]
Continuous positive airway pressure for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2021.
[Evidence-based recommendations on continuous positive airway pressure for treating obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome in adults. August 2021: The recommendation on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for mild obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) has been updated and replaced by recommendation 1.5.2 on CPAP for mild OSAHS in the NICE guideline on obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome and obesity hypoventilation syndrome in over 16s.]
Obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome and obesity hypoventilation syndrome in over 16s.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2021.
[This guideline covers the diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS), obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with OSAHS (COPD–OSAHS overlap syndrome) in people over 16. It aims to improve recognition, investigation and treatment of these related conditions.]
Ethnic differences in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy in United Kingdom healthcare workers: Results from the UK-REACH prospective nationwide cohort study.
Woolf K. The Lancet Regional Health – Europe 2021;8(-):100180.
[Using a nationwide prospective cohort study and qualitative study in a multi-ethnic cohort of clinical and non-clinical UK healthcare workers (HCWs) researchers analysed ethnic differences in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy. Of the 11,584 HCWs included in the cohort analysis, 23% (2704) reported vaccine hesitancy. Ethnicity was a significant predictor of hesitancy.]
Association of the COVID-19 lockdown with smoking, drinking and attempts to quit in England: an analysis of 2019–20 data.
Addiction; 2021.
[Following the March 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, smokers and high-risk drinkers in England were more likely than before lockdown to report trying to quit smoking or reduce alcohol consumption and rates of smoking cessation and use of remote cessation support were higher. However, high-risk drinking prevalence increased post-lockdown and use of evidence-based support for alcohol reduction by high-risk drinkers decreased with no compensatory increase in use of remote support.
Everybody active, every day: 5 years on.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Summary of the 5 year review to the national physical activity framework, ‘Everybody active, every day’ and the PHE response.]
Quality in Qual: a proposed framework to commission, judge and generate good qualitative evaluation in wellbeing impacts.
whatworkswellbeing; 2021.
[Based on interviews with ten leading organisations and individuals who have in-depth evaluation and methodological expertise this report sets out why work on qualitative evaluation is valuable and important, what resources already exist. The report identifies six prompts for potential uses of qualitative research in evaluations.]
Genomics nation: A benchmark of the size and strengths of the UK genomics sector.
UK Bioindustry Association; 2021.
[The NHS Long Term Plan promised greater focus on prevention to help people stay healthy and ease the burden on the health service. The early detection of disease, rather than merely the diagnosis and treatment of illness, will be critical to achieve this objective. The NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS), launched in 2018, provides a single, national coordinated approach to genomic testing and genomic research in the NHS.]
A joint thematic inspection of community-based drug treatment and recovery work with people on probation.
HM Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP); 2021.
[Probation services across England and Wales supervise nearly 156,000 people in the community. HM Inspectorate of Probation estimates that almost 75,000 of these individuals have a drugs problem, yet fewer than 3,000 people were referred by probation services to specialist drug misuse treatment in 2019/2020. HMIP partnered with the Care Quality Commission to examine how probation services supervise this cohort and found probation services are responding poorly to drugs misuse and addiction cases.]
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.]
Daily Insight: Covid can’t peak too soon.
HSJ: Health Service Journal (Daily Insight) 2021;:7030598.
[Confirmed covid cases in the community fell again on Tuesday, offering further hope that the current wave could have peaked. Most experts are highly cautious about saying so – there is likely to be further growth following ‘freedom day’. Also: In the Cheshire and Merseyside ICS, the nine local authorities have issued a series of “red lines” and pre-conditions to health service leaders. 28 July.]
Daily Insight: Covid puts one in 10 beds to sleep.
HSJ: Health Service Journal (Daily Insight) 2021;:7030631.
[A major hospital trust has made its highest number of bed closures “for many years” due to covid staffing pressures. Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Trust lost 933 bed days in the first week of June due to staff testing positive for covid or being required to isolate. Also: Latest figures show just 3 per cent of A&E attendances nationally are ‘booked’ through the 111 First service. And Healthwatch England says the NHS has not done enough to publicise this new service. 3 August.]
New study into COVID-19 vaccine dose interval for pregnant women.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[The Preg-CoV clinical trial has been launched to help determine optimal gap between doses as well as explore potential side-effects in more detail. Research shows pregnant women more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19 and 98% of those in hospital due to COVID-19 are unvaccinated.]
Coronavirus: the consequences for mental health.
Mind; 2021.
[This research with almost 12,000 people found that those with mental health problems report an increase in the severity of challenges they’re facing now and concerns about the future. The authors call for services to be ready for the increase in severity of people’s mental health problems, and to take into account the trauma that people have experienced over the past year and how this might affect the support they need.]
Coronavirus: Adult social care key issues and sources.
House of Commons Library; 2021.
[House of Commons Library research Briefing updated 23 July 2021. An overview of key issues facing the adult social care sector during the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, with links to some of the key official guidance for the sector.]
Coronavirus and the social impacts of ‘long COVID’ on people’s lives in Great Britain: 7 April to 13 June 2021.
Office for National Statistics (ONS); 2021.
[Indicators from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey covering the period 7 April to 13 June 2021 to understand the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on people by their self-reported long COVID-19.]
The Trip Medical Database is a smart, fast tool to find high quality clinical research evidence.
Trip is a clinical search engine designed to allow users to quickly and easily find and use high-quality research evidence to support their practice and/or care:
Access the database here. For help with this please email the library team: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk
Please feel free to download our resource of the month poster and share with your team or within your department.
Tick bite risks and prevention of Lyme disease: resources.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Toolkit and resources for local authorities and other stakeholders to raise awareness of the potential risks created by ticks and tick-borne disease in England. You can choose to co-brand leaflets and posters with PHE by adding your logo to the Word files or simply download the PDFs.]
Holiday activities and food programme 2021.
Department for Education (DfE); 2021.
[This document provides information for local authorities delivering the holiday activities and food programme in 2021. In 2020 the government announced that the holiday activities and food programme, that covers the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays, will be expanded across the whole of England in 2021. There will be up to £220 million available to local authorities to coordinate free holiday provision, including healthy food and enriching activities.]
New cross-government unit to tackle drug misuse following major independent review.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Home Office, and Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[The new unit aims to end illegal drug-related illness and deaths. The rise in drug misuse poisoning deaths has been driven by increases in heroin deaths which have doubled in this time and other substances such as cocaine have seen notable recent increases. The proportion of 11 to 15-year-olds who use drugs has increased in recent years with one in three 15-year-olds saying they took drugs in the last year.]
Tackling obesity: the role of the NHS in a whole-system approach.
The King’s Fund; 2021.
[Rates of obesity in England are high and rising, with a strong systemic relationship between obesity and deprivation. Rates are also higher in women than in men, and in some ethnic minority groups compared to the white British group. This briefing explores the role of the NHS in tackling obesity, focusing on how the NHS can work with local partners and engage with communities to deliver targeted interventions to treat and prevent obesity.]
Effectiveness of complementary therapies in cancer patients: a systematic review.
Guerra-Martin MD. International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health 2021;18(3):1017.
[The findings reveal some effective complementary therapies: auriculotherapy and acupuncture, laser moxibustion, hypnosis, Ayurveda, electroacupuncture, progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery, yoga, phytotherapy, music therapy and traditional Chinese medicine. On the other hand, electroacupuncture, laser moxibustion and traditional Chinese medicine presented adverse effects, and kinesiology did not show effectiveness.]
Wellbeing toolkit for Alcohol Related Brain Damage (ARBD).
Penumbra; 2021.
[As well as providing important medical information about ARBD and alcohol use, the toolkit covers key practical and holistic information on recovery – including information on reducing stress, improving memory, coping with challenging emotions without using alcohol, nutrition and exercise, connecting with others and the community, along with guidance on improving digital skills, budgeting and knowing your rights. It includes a podcast of relaxation exercises.]
What support do young people with sickle cell disease need when moving into adult services?.
NIHR Evidence; 2021.
[This research suggests that non-specialist healthcare services are failing young people with sickle cell disorder. This is a critical period in their development when they are learning to live as adults. It is difficult to manage conflicting demands, such as wanting to work hard at school but needing to rest to avoid pain. Researchers suggest healthcare professionals shouuld work with schools to create supportive services that can help young people to achieve their life goals.]
Loneliness is strongly linked to depression in older adults in a large, long-term study.
NIHR Evidence; 2021.
[Depression is a major public health problem that is growing worldwide. The causes are complex and vary from person to person. However, new research estimates that up to one in five cases of depression among older adults could be prevented by reducing loneliness. The study therefore has important public health implications, highlighting the need for comprehensive action across society to combat loneliness.]
HIV infection and AIDS.
Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS); 2021.
[This CKS topic has been updated.]
Could a decision support tool help to guide mental health treatment in primary care?
The Mental Elf; 2021.
[Linda Gask reviews a recent randomised controlled trial on the clinical efficacy of a Decision Support Tool (Link-me) to “guide the intensity of mental health care in primary practice”.]
Improving the care of patients discharged following a pulmonary embolism, in line with NICE Guidelines (NG158).
[Shared learning from Nottingham Universities Hospitals Trust. Project started out as audit looking into how to improve discharge process for patients following a PE, however upon understanding limitations of care provided on discharge, practice was changed in line with NICE guidelines to ensure safest possible discharge for these patients.]
Risk factors for LGBTQ+ youth self-harm and suicide.
The Mental Elf; 2021.
[In her debut blog, Hazel Marzetti reviews a recent systematic review and meta-analysis on victimisation and mental illness prevalence among LGBTQ+ young people with experiences of self-harm and suicide.]
European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network (ESAC-Net).
World Health Organization (WHO); 2021.
[The report found some differences in the use of antibiotics between two sets of countries, the ECDC’s European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network (ESAC-Net) and WHO/Europe’s Antimicrobial Medicines Consumption (AMC) Network. Findings show a significant decrease in the consumption of antibacterials in eight ESAC-Net countries including the United Kingdom. However, figures for the AMC Network were less clear, reflecting the more complicated nature of data collection.]
Transition to adulthood and transfer to adult care of adolescents with congenital heart disease: a global consensus statement.
Moons P. European Heart Journal 2021;:ehab388.
[This consensus document describes issues and practices of transition and transfer of adolescents with CHD. Transitional care ought to be provided to all adolescents with CHD, taking into consideration the available resources. When reaching adulthood, patients ought to be transferred to adult care facilities capable of managing their needs, and systems have to be in place to ensure continuity of high-quality care.]
Children and young people’s mental health – policy, CAMHS services, funding and education.
House of Commons Library; 2021.
[Research briefing on children and young people’s mental health policy, June 2021.]
Community mental health and wellbeing : what does gold standard look like?
Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, Scotland; 2021.
[Following interviews and meetings with key stakeholders a range of tools were developed to support collaborative discussion around gold standard community mental health and wellbeing, key relationships and challenges to implementation. This report presents findings of the resulting workshop.]
Emerging lessons from the commissioning and delivery of a gambling treatment service.
Woodall J. Public Health 2021;196:69-73.
[This article offers a unique contribution to understanding more about the provision of gambling treatment services. This is crucial, given that a greater number of people face challenges as a consequence of gambling harms, and such services should be seen part of forming a coherent public health response.]
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. Use these documents and tools to understand how this programme integrates with the upcoming women’s and sexual and reproductive health strategies. Links to new tools, publications and examples of best practice can also be used as a reference point for colleagues across the healthcare system, to inform prioritisation and planning.]
National flu immunisation programme plan.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[The annual flu letter for 2021 to 2022 describes the national flu immunisation programme and outlines which groups are eligible for flu vaccination.]
Life Sciences Vision.
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy; 2021.
[This document outlines the government’s and the life science sector’s ambitions for the sector over the next decade. It sets out the government’s plans to stimulate a thriving UK life sciences sector. It also focuses on how the sector can address some of the UK’s most significant health care challenges, including cancer, dementia and obesity.]
Alcohol consumption and harm during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[A report collating data on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm in England during the COVID-19 pandemic and comparing it to data from previous years. The report improves our understanding of how alcohol consumption and harm changed in England while physical and social restrictions to prevent and control coronavirus were in place. The findings help to understand whether pandemic-related changes have affected rates of alcohol hospital admissions and deaths as well as health inequalities.]
Early evaluation of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Trailblazer programme.
University of Birmingham; 2021.
[The programme was launched in December 2018 to improve the prevention of mental health problems and early intervention for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health problems. The early evaluation is following the experiences of the initial group of mental health support teams, which are based in 25 areas across England (called Trailblazers) and work with more than 1,000 schools and colleges.]
Please click here to view the latest Lancashire and South Cumbria Research bulletin to see research and journal articles produced by staff in the Trust.
