Health Management and Policy Alert

Review of NHS trust strategies for addressing health inequalities

NHS Providers -
This review sets out the key components of a successful trust strategy for reducing health inequalities. It is based on desk-based research into a selection of published trust strategy documents and follow-up interviews to better understand the extent to which action on health inequalities has been prioritised.

• Briefing
• NHS Providers - publications

Without a safety net: the impact of no recourse to public funds on internationally educated nursing staff

Royal College of Nursing -
This report finds that two thirds of migrant nursing staff are considering leaving the UK due to cost of living pressures. It also highlights the impact of ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF), a rule that denies migrants on temporary visas, such as the Health and Care Worker visa, access to benefits. Migrant nursing staff pay tax, but without Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) they are unable to access benefits such as Universal Credit, Child Benefit, and Housing Benefit, leaving them and their families at a greater risk of poverty and destitution.

• Report
• Royal College of Nursing - news

Listening to the stories of women who have experienced child removal due to drug and alcohol use

Maternal Mental Health Alliance -
This report, written in collaboration with REFORM, shares the stories of three women with experience of drug addiction during pregnancy and the early days of motherhood. It aims to shine a light on their experiences and centre their views on what is needed to improve the journey for others in a similar situation. The main three themes of the report are: the level of stigma that exists for women experiencing drug addiction, and/or are at risk of having their children removed; the need for improved support through training of health care professionals and investment in peer support and advocacy programmes; and the importance of hope.

• Report
• Maternal Mental Health Alliance - news

A local diagnosis: learning the lessons of Community Diagnostic Centres

Healthwatch England -
A Community Diagnostic Centre is a place where people can go for planned (elective) diagnostic care. Before Community Diagnostic Centres were established, most of these tests were performed in acute hospital settings — the same place where people needing emergency tests would go. This research looks at people's experiences of using Community Diagnostic Centres and lessons for expanding community-based care.

• Report
• Healthwatch England - publications

Men’s health: the lives of men in our communities

Local Government Association (LGA) - 

This report finds that men in England are facing “a silent health crisis”, dying nearly four years earlier than women, while suffering disproportionately higher rates of cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The report highlights severe inequalities, with men in deprived areas living up to 10 years less than their affluent counterparts and facing a 20-year gap in healthy life expectancy. It found socio-economic and behavioural factors, including higher levels of smoking and excessive drinking, as contributory factors. In addition, the report says four out of every five suicides are by men. the LGA is urging the government to implement a men's health strategy similar to the women's health strategy of 2022.

• Report
• Press release

Virtual wards operational framework

NHS England - 

This framework supports consistency across the NHS and the relevant goals in line with the Year 2 urgent and emergency care (UEC) recovery plan and the 2024/25 priorities and operational planning guidance: maintaining virtual ward capacity and optimising occupancy so it is consistently above 80%.

• Framework
• More detail

What community health providers are doing to recruit and keep the staff they need

NHS Providers - 

This briefing from NHS Provider's Community Network showcases the work of four community providers that are innovating to improve recruitment and retention at a local level.

• Briefing

Public health funding

Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) - 

This briefing presents the public health funding landscape across the UK, including ADPH’s recommendations for how public health funding can be reformed to ensure people can live healthier, happier and more productive lives.

• Briefing
• More detail

Feeling the pressure: what the 2023 Commonwealth Fund survey reveals about the state of the UK health system

The Health Foundation -
This report found that the UK’s performance on hospital-based care is consistently near the bottom in a public survey of 10 high income countries. The analysis of the 2023 Commonwealth Fund survey highlights key areas where the UK performs poorly, particularly on long waits for specialist care, lack of access to out-of-hours care and affordability for treatments like dental care. For hospital care, the UK had among the longest waiting times compared to the other countries in the survey, with 11% of people waiting a year or more for a specialist appointment and 19% waiting a year or more for non-emergency surgery.

• Report
• The Health Foundation - press release

Taking the next step for working carers: introducing a new right to paid Carer’s Leave

Carers UK -
This report argues that introducing paid Carer’s Leave could boost productivity, whilst improving millions of workers’ lives. It estimates that it would cost the Government between £5.5 million to £32 million annually, if the statutory right to five days of unpaid Carer’s Leave for all employees with unpaid caring responsibilities was turned into paid Carer’s Leave. In contrast, the costs of people having to leave work because of their caring responsibilities – based on Carer’s Allowance payment figures and lost tax revenues – is an estimated £1.3 billion a year.

• Report
• Carers UK - press release