Health Management and Policy Alert

How might Covid-19 affect the number of GPs available to see patients in England?

Health Foundation -
This research reveals that one in three GPs who singlehandedly manage a GP practice are at high risk of death from Covid-19. It estimates that this could potentially leave 710,043 patients without face-to-face appointments with their GPs if those at high risk take the difficult decision to limit direct patient contact. It argues that CCGs must ensure that they are aware of gaps in face-to-face provision of core general practice services, and must work with practices and primary care networks to find solutions.

• Briefing
• Health Foundation - press release

Challenging the culture on menopause for working doctors

British Medical Association -
The BMA surveyed its members to understand specific challenges for doctors working through the menopause. This report looks at the experiences of doctors and areas of action which could support doctors during this time. The survey this report is based on ran from November 2019 to February 2020 with 2,000 doctors participating.

• Report
• British Medical Association - news

Sustainable development management plan 2020/25

Public Health England -
This plan outlines the steps that Public Health England (PHE) will take to reduce the impact of its activities on the environment and achieve its environmental, social and economic targets. In particular, it looks at how PHE will aim to reduce its carbon emissions while still providing high quality, science-based support to its stakeholders.

• Report
• Public Health England - publications

Our place: local authorities and the public’s mental health

Centre for Mental Health -
This report, written with the Local Government Association, argues that people’s mental wellbeing will play a crucial role in every aspect of recovery planning, including schools reopening, workers returning from furlough, people who have been shielding, and in dealing with the economic and housing consequences of coronavirus, as well as planning for possible further spikes in infections. It concludes that a national focus is needed on helping everyone stay mentally well, backed-up by funding for councils.

• Report
• Centre for Mental Health - publications

Covid-19: guidance for supported living

Department of Health and Social Care -
This guidance sets out key messages to assist with planning and preparation in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic so that local procedures can be put in place to minimise risk and provide the best possible support to people in supported living settings. It also covers safe systems of working and how infection prevention and control and personal protective equipment applies to supported living settings.

• Guidance
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

Antimicrobial stewardship programmes in primary care: 2020 progress report

Patients Association - 

This report sets out to explore how antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes are working to tackle antimicrobial resistance by asking clinical commissioning groups about their practice and experience of local stewardship. The purpose of AMS is to ensure ‘the right antibiotic for the right patient, at the right time, with the right dose, and the right route, causing the least harm to the patient and future patients’. It is a follow-up to the Patients Association’s 2016 report on the same subject, and highlights some progress and scope for improvement in key areas. 

• Report
• More detail

Comparisons of all-cause mortality between European countries and regions: January to June 2020

Office for National Statistics - 

There has been considerable interest in international comparisons of mortality during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The best way of comparing the mortality impact internationally is by looking at all-cause mortality rates by local area, region and country compared with the five-year average. This article presents provisional analysis of European all-cause mortality patterns during the first half of 2020. Weekly deaths data is examined for 29 European countries where official data was available by 10 July 2020, and compares measures from week ending 3 January (Week 1) to week ending 12 June (Week 24) of 2020. Comparisons have been made for local areas (approximately local authority district or equivalent) as well as nationally for most of the countries included.

• Article

Principles for preceptorship

Nursing and Midwifery Council -
Preceptorship is the structured start for newly registered nurses, midwives and nursing associates. The principles outlined in this document are for professionals who design and oversee preceptorship programmes, those engaged on preceptorship programmes (preceptees) and those who support preceptees (preceptors).

• Guidance
• Nursing and Midwifery Council - press release

How to embed flexible working for nurses

NHS Employers -
This guidance signposts to the latest research and thinking concerning flexible working, highlights what nurses look for in a flexible role, and identifies a number of key enablers to successfully embedding a culture of flexible working.

• Guidance
• NHS Employers - news

Process for independent evaluation of progress on Government commitments

Health and Social Care Select Committee - 
This report details an independent evaluation system that will give ratings on the Government’s progress against its pledges on health and social care targets.

• Report
• Health and Social Care Select Committee - news

Over-exposed and under-protected: the devastating impact of COVID-19 on black and minority ethnic communities in Great Britain

Runnymede Trust -
This report illuminates why BME groups are at greater risk from Covid-19: they are more likely to be working outside their home, more likely to be using public transport, more likely to be working in key worker roles, less likely to be protected with PPE and more likely to live in multigenerational, overcrowded housing, so much less able to self-isolate and shield.

• Report
• Runnymede Trust - press release

Resilient health and care: learning the lessons of covid-19 in the English NHS

Institute for Public Policy Research - 

This analysis of the state of the health and care system in England in the run up to the Covid-19 pandemic finds that underinvestment in social and community care left four in five hospitals with ‘dangerously low’ spare beds as crisis hit. The report calls for a long-term approach for the health and care service in England, to build resilience for any future crisis and to ensure the system isn’t always ‘running hot’ during normal times.

• Report
• Press release

 

Technology and innovation for long-term health conditions

The King's Fund - 

This paper, commissioned by the Academic Health Science Network, looks at four digital innovations in health services from the UK and the Nordic countries. The case studies illustrate the potential of digital technology to transform care.

• Report
• More detail

We are the NHS: people plan 2020/21 - action for us all

NHS England - 

This plan sets out the actions that NHS England, NHS Improvement and Health Education England will take, over the remainder of 2020/21, to support transformation across the whole NHS with a focus on workforce growth and changing the culture of the NHS and support the government commitment to expand our primary care workforce, including GPs and nurses.

• Plan
• More detail

Adult social care and Covid-19: assessing the impact on social care users and staff in England so far

Health Foundation - 

This briefing provides an overview of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on social care in England. Part 1 describes how the pandemic unfolded in the social care sector from March until June 2020, and part 2 examines the factors that contributed to the scale and severity of outbreaks in care homes. Part 3 attempts to quantify the disruption to health and social care access from February until the end of April 2020.

• Briefing
• Press release