Health Management and Policy Alert

Testing the nation’s Eye Q: how smart are we when it comes to looking after our vision and eye health?

Thomas Pocklington Trust - 

One in three people will experience sight loss in their lifetime and half of this could be avoided, but this report has found that just one in four people consider routine eye tests as important for maintaining good eye health. The report also uncovered a shocking lack of awareness of ‘reg flag’ symptoms linked to sight-threatening eye conditions. The research was conducted as part of National Eye Health Week (19-25 September) on behalf of Eye Health UK and Thomas Pocklington Trust, and involved interviews with a representative sample of 2,077 UK adults aged 18+, taking place between 24 and 25 August 2022.

• Report
• Press release

Covid-19 and the nation’s mental health: a review of the evidence published so far

Centre for Mental Health - 

Covid-19 was an unprecedented global health emergency unlike anything else in living memory. While the pandemic’s immediate impact was on physical health, it also had a profound impact on people’s mental health. This report explores what is known about those impacts, and how they have affected mental health services in the UK, four years on from the start of the pandemic.

• Report
• Press release

Whistleblowing disclosures report 2024: health and social care professional regulators

Nursing and Midwifery Council  - 

This annual joint whistleblowing disclosures report is part of a collaborative initiative with eight other regulators. This aims to highlight how, together as partners, they are addressing serious concerns raised by health and care professionals in the UK.

• Annual report
• Press release

Tackling health inequalities: seven priorities for the NHS

The King's Fund - 

Drawing on The King’s Fund’s five-year programme of work on health inequalities and tackling the worst health outcomes, which includes insights from stakeholders, partners and people with lived experience, this long read outlines what we think the anticipated 10-year health plan should focus on to help the NHS do more to tackle these challenges.

• Long read

Pharmacy closures in England

Healthwatch England - 

Healthwatch England sent a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to all 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to investigate the issue of pharmacy closures. The briefing provides a geographical breakdown of pharmacy closures in England and finds the closures are hitting older people and rural communities the hardest. Healthwatch England makes recommendations to reduce the impact of pharmacy closures on pharmacy users.

• Briefing
• Press release

The state of integrated care systems 2023/24: tackling today while building for tomorrow

NHS Confederation -
This survey of integrated care system (ICS) leaders has found that while nine in ten are committed to shifting more care out of hospitals, there are widespread concerns that a lack of long-term investment and planning is holding them back.

• Report
• NHS Confederation - news

Prostate cancer is killing more Black men

Prostate Cancer Research -
This report unveils disparities in health care experiences among Black individuals in the UK, particularly concerning prostate cancer. According to the poll of 2,000 Black adults, nearly 25% believe discrimination has prevented them from being tested for prostate cancer, while 1 in 3 believe discrimination has stopped them being tested or treated for any medical problem. Less than half (47%) think they would receive the same level of care from the NHS as their white counterparts.

• Report
• Prostate Cancer Research - press release

The management mission: how better leaders improve public services

Social Market Foundation -
This report brings together the highlights of detailed studies into the value of leadership and management in the UK’s health care, education system, and local government. It concludes that investing in managers both current and future, will ensure they have the basic set of skills required to navigate stretched budgets, but also the tools needed to manage the change that comes via new technologies, changing demographics and evolving demands of the workforce.

• Report
• Social Market Foundation - publications

What are the enablers for improving outcomes and reducing inequalities in maternal and neonatal care?

NHS Providers - 

This long-read shares learning from NHS Providers' Health Inequalities, Race Equality and Improvement programmes around improving maternity and neonatal outcomes.

• Long read

Mirror, mirror 2024: a portrait of the failing U.S. health system — comparing performance in 10 nations

The Commonwealth Fund - 

This report compares health system performance in ten countries. It provides analysis of 70 health system performance measures in five areas: access to care, care process, administrative efficiency, equity, and health outcomes. The top three countries are Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, although differences in overall performance between most countries are relatively small. The only clear outlier is the U.S., where health system performance is dramatically lower.

• Report
• More detail