Tag: Public Health England

Improving the nation’s health

The future of the public health system in England

Source: King’s Fund Health Management and Policy Alert

In light of the impact of the pandemic and the government’s decision to abolish Public Health England (PHE), this briefing explores what needs to be put in place to make progress on the government’s commitments to improve the nation’s health. It looks at the role the government can play in improving the nation’s health before examining how England might transition to a new public health system and what the main priorities for any new system should be.

To find out more click here.

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

Befriending programmes for people with psychosis can be challenging but beneficial to both parties.
NIHR Evidence; 2020.

(People with psychosis are at a high risk of social isolation, and can take part in befriending programmes. It is understood that these schemes can be mutually beneficial, but there is little research into how befrienders and patients, particularly those with mental health problems, experience such schemes. This is the first study to explore specific challenges, experiences and benefits of befriending in both volunteers and people with psychosis within the same programme.)

Flu vaccine uptake among people aged 65+ on track to be highest on record.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.

(Three-quarters (75%) of those aged 65 and over in England received the free vaccine so far this year – up from 72.4% at the end of the last flu season.)

The Covid-19 long-term care situation in England.
International Long Term Care Policy Network; 2020.

(This report provides an overview of the impact of Covid-19 so far on people who use and provide long-term care in England, and of the policy and practice measures adopted to mitigate its impact. It finds that the initial policy responses did not adequately consider the social care sector and that the pandemic has laid bare longstanding problems in the long-term care system in England.)

Long term care centres: making space for ageing.
Autonomy; 2020.

(By 2030, there will be a 60 per cent increase in the number of individuals with caring responsibilities in the UK. This shift in the kind of work that we will be doing will require not just new funding arrangements but also robust infrastructure and working conditions. This paper proposes a network of long-term care centres that can form a key part of the new ‘caring economy’ that delivers for those who need care and those providing it.)

Learning from Lockdown: 12 Steps to Eliminate Digital Exclusion.
Carnegie UK Trust; 2020.

(The scale of digital exclusion has been highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Impacts on work, income, education and social life have been felt by many people across the UK. This report lays out a series of 12 recommendations calling for ambitious action from policy makers, practitioners, academics and industry to tackle this issue.)

Priority groups for coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination: advice from the JCVI, 2 December 2020 Department of Health and Social Care, December 2020

(This advice is provided to facilitate the development of policy on COVID-19 vaccination in the UK.)

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Public Health

Current Awareness

Staying mentally well: winter plan 2020 to 2021 Gov.uk. 23rd November 2020

(This plan sets out the support that will be in place in the immediate term to help support individuals to stay well during the second wave of Covid-19 and the winter months ahead.)

Learning from local authorities with downward trends in childhood obesity Public Health England

(This report, a set of practice examples researched by University College London and an executive summary by Public Health England, identifies common approaches being implemented by local authorities that had a small but significant 10-year downward trend in childhood obesity. The findings show the value of engagement with and integration of the National Child Measurement Programme and the importance of addressing health inequalities, with 76 per cent of local authorities having a focus on deprivation.) To view the summary click here.

How are the lives of families with young children changing? The changing face of early childhood in the UK Nuffield Foundation

(This evidence review reveals the extent of changes to family life in the UK over the past 20 years and highlights how these changes are experienced unequally across the population. The report argues that, without understanding family life today, the policies and initiatives that seek to address other key areas of society – education, the economy, physical health and mental health – will falter.)

National Child Measurement Programme: childhood obesity.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.

(Research by University College London shares learning from local authorities that have a downward trend in childhood obesity, including practice examples.)

COVID-19: suggested principles of safer singing.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.

(Outlining the available evidence on virus transmission associated with singing and suggested actions to reduce the risk of transmission while singing.)

The state of ageing in 2020.
Centre for Ageing Better; 2020.

(This online, interactive report captures a snapshot of how people in the UK are ageing today, while looking at past trends and our prospects if action isn’t taken. It warns that the Covid-19 pandemic risks setting people in mid-life on a path to poverty and ill health in old age.)

Public Health

Current Awareness

Total restriction of online advertising for products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) .
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport; 2020.
[Open consultation. They want your views on their proposal for a total online advertising restriction for HFSS products to reduce the amount of HFSS advertising children are exposed to online. This consultation closes at
11:59pm on 22 December 2020.]

Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England April 2019 to March 2020.
NHS Digital; 2020.
[Data show of 221,678 people setting a quit date, 114,153 were successful. Quitting success increased with age; 41% under 18 and up to 56% aged 60 and over. Also 45% of 13,779 pregnant women who set a quit date successfully quit.]

Online bullying in England and Wales: year ending March 2020.
Office for National Statistics (ONS); 2020.
[Estimates of the prevalence and nature of online bullying among children using data from the 10- to 15-year-olds’ Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW).]

COVID-19: deaths of people with learning disabilities.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.
[Review of available data on the deaths of people identified as having learning disabilities in England during the COVID-19 pandemic.]

COVID-19: mental health and wellbeing surveillance report.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.
[This is a routinely updated report about population mental health and wellbeing in England during the COVID-19 pandemic. 12 November 2020: All relevant chapters updated. Academic studies included up to 4 September 2020; weekly data may be more recent.]

People with learning disabilities had higher death rate from COVID-19.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.
[England death rate up to 6 times higher from coronavirus during the first wave of the pandemic than the general population, Public Health England study finds.]

Public Health

Current Awareness

Health matters: cold weather and COVID-19 Public Health England

(As we approach the first winter with coronavirus (COVID-19) circulating, it’s essential that action is taken across the health and social care sector to enable people to stay safe and well and to ensure that the NHS is not overwhelmed. This edition of Health Matters will cover the impact of cold weather on health, how COVID-19 amplifies cold-related risks, and actions that can be taken to prevent harm, particularly to those most vulnerable.)

KINSHIP IN THE CITY REPORT: Urban Loneliness and the built environment Future Spaces Foundation

(This report explores the impact of urban loneliness and ideas for reshaping our built environment to improve social cohesion. Produced as part of the Future Spaces Foundation’s Vital Cities programme, it builds on our existing body of research into the building blocks of dynamic, socially sustainable cities where individuals and communities can thrive.)

Play and social skills may protect children who have difficulties with spoken language.
NIHR Evidence; 2020.

(NIHR Alert. Researchers looked at the social and play skills of young children with developmental language disorder (DLD). They found that those with good early social and play skills developed fewer behaviour or mental health problems as they grew up. The research suggests that therapies and education techniques based on play and understanding other children could help children with DLD avoid later problems.)

COVID-19: guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2020.

[Updated guidance in line with national restrictions commencing 5 November 2020.]

Behaviour change: guides for national and local government and partners.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.

(Based on the Behaviour Change Wheel framework, these guides are for national and local government and partners, such as the NHS, emergency services and third sector, to support people to have healthier behaviours.
6 November 2020: Added document: ‘Achieving behaviour change: a guide for national government’ and policies to change behaviour.)

Community pharmacies: promoting health and wellbeing NICE

(This quality standard covers how community pharmacies can support the health and wellbeing of the local population. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.)

Performance Tracker 2020: How public services have coped with coronavirus.
Institute for Government; 2020.

(This report analyses the disruptions in hospitals, general practice, adult social care, schools and criminal courts, and the changes made in response. It finds that coronavirus has resulted in backlogs across public services and calls for reviews of the impact of remote general practice and hospital appointments.)

Mental Health Campaign

Every Mind Matters campaign launched

Public Health England have launched a new campaign – Every Mind Matters, to support the well being of children, young people and their carers. The Covid pandemic has impacted everyone and research shows that children are more anxious, worried and lonely than ever before. These new stresses could cause harm to the mental health of the young generation.

This new advice supports parents and carers to recognise signs that their child may be struggling with their mental health and provides support to help them maintain good quality well being.

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/childrens-mental-health/

Physical Activity

PHE briefing on Active Mile initiatives

This briefing provides information about the evidence on active mile initiatives, ideas for how to implement them and examples of practice. It is aimed at public health teams, schools and commissioners.

Read the briefing here