Health Management and Policy Alert

Antimicrobial resistance national action plan: call for evidence

Department of Health and Social Care - 
The government is developing the next five year national action plan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The plan will run from 2024 until 2029. The action plan will be part of a programme to tackle AMR and achieve the UK’s vision for AMR to be contained and controlled by 2040. The closing date for comments is 20 January 2023.

• Consultation response
• Department of Health and Social Care - consultations

Mental health and wellbeing

Covid Social Mobility & Opportunities Study -
Poor mental health among young people (aged 16 and 17) has increased by more than a quarter since 2017, according to this research. This briefing explores the mental health and wellbeing of a sample of almost 13,000 young people across England who were in Year 11 in 2021. It finds that almost half (44 per cent) of young people were above the threshold for ‘probable mental ill health’, using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), indicating high levels of psychological distress. This has increased dramatically from 35 per cent in 2017 and 23 per cent in 2007 (from previous cohort studies looking at similar ages), pointing to a decline in the mental health and wellbeing of young people, likely accelerated by the pandemic.

• Briefing
• Covid Social Mobility & Opportunities Study - press release

Understanding patient perspectives on improving GP referrals to secondary care through the use of specialist advice and guidance

Patients Association - 

The Patients Association has been working with NHS England to look at how to improve GP referrals of patients to hospital. The goal was to look at ways specialists could support GPs so they could reduce the number of outpatient appointments patients have to attend, without compromising care.

• Report
• More detail

Health and wellbeing boards: guidance

Department of Health and Social Care - 

The Health and Care Act 2022 (the 2022 Act) introduced integrated care boards (ICBs) and integrated care partnerships (ICPs) to the health and care system. This non-statutory guidance sets out the roles and duties of health and wellbeing boards (HWBs) and clarifies their purpose within the new system architecture introduced by the 2022 Act. It should support ICB and ICP leaders, local authorities and HWBs to understand how they should work together to ensure effective system and place-based working, following the principle of subsidiarity. The guidance also includes case studies that illustrate how HWBs are adapting to the changes introduced by the 2022 Act and using their influence as leaders at place.

• Guidance
• More detail

 

How does UK health spending compare across Europe over the past decade?

The Health Foundation - 

This analysis finds that over the last decade the UK spent around a fifth less on average than the EU14 on day-to-day health care costs per person.

• Analysis

Stressed out and burned out: the global primary care crisis

The Commonwealth Fund -
This briefing presents the first findings from the 2022 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians to explore the effects of the pandemic on the primary care workforce across nations. Conducted in ten high-income countries, it compares changes in workload, stress, emotional distress, burnout, quality of care delivered, and career plans.

• Briefing

Scoping digital support for children and young people’s mental health

Oxford Academic Health Science Network -
To help increase capacity and achieve better outcomes in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) at a time of rising demand, the NHS has recognised it needs help to identify and harness the best of the ever-expanding array of digital innovations – from assessment through therapeutic interventions to ongoing support and prevention. This report identifies potential digital solutions to support NHS mental health services for children and young people. The audit of 24 digital tools and solutions covered current usage, interoperability, user experience and cost, and fit with NHS strategic priorities.

• Report
• Oxford Academic Health Science Network - news

What next for strengths-based areas?

Social Care Institute for Excellence - 
Strengths and asset-based approaches in social care focus on what individuals and communities have and how they can work together, rather than on what individuals don’t have or can’t do. This paper discusses the key features of a strengths-based area and encourages the reader to think about where they are in relation to these features. Please note that free registration is required to access this report.

• Social Care Institute for Excellence - publications

 

Strengths-based approach for council services supporting adult social care

Social Care Institute for Excellence -
This resource aims to support council services supporting adult social care to understand what a strengths-based approach is, what it means to their role and how to ensure their practice is strengths-based. Please note that free registration is required to access this resource.

• Social Care Institute for Excellence - resources

Powering the UK’s approach to AMR: the future of AMR policy

Reform -
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major challenge to the UK’s health security, and is responsible for a significant burden of death, disability and prolonged illness globally. A Reform report published in 2020 highlighted the threat of AMR and made a number of key proposals for reform. This briefing paper draws on a roundtable to assess progress made against these proposals. It takes learnings from the Covid-19 pandemic to provide practical actions that Government could implement to drive change, with a particular focus on the role of rapid, accurate diagnostics in supporting surveillance and managing infections; creating AMR awareness campaigns that citizens can trust and relate to; and creating structures to enable effective, cross-government working.

• Report
• Reform - publications