Health Management and Policy Alert

NHS 111’s response to callers with Covid-19-related symptoms during the pandemic

Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch -
This investigation aims to support improvements in the delivery of NHS 111 and other telephone triage services during a national health care emergency. The investigation uses real patient safety incidents involving patients and their families who dialled NHS 111 (and were either managed through NHS 111 or the Covid-19 Response Service) for advice during the Covid-19 pandemic. These are referred to as ‘reference events’ and support examination of the national issues. The four reference events used in this report occurred in the early months (March–June 2020) of the pandemic, but the report also highlights learnings and developments from later in the pandemic. It highlights the importance of ‘stand-up’ services and clear communication across the NHS and to the public when they are accessing telephone triage services in times of national emergencies.

• Report
• Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch - news

Long Covid: a framework for nursing, midwifery, and care staff

NHS England -
This framework supports nurses, midwives and care staff in ensuring care remains at a high standard, as well as demonstrating the contribution to the long Covid response. It aims to give the opportunity to embrace collective leadership in supporting people and communities served and showcase good practice as it emerges across England.

• Guidance
• NHS England - publications

How much is Covid-19 to blame for growing NHS waiting times?

Nuffield Trust - 

This analysis looks at access and waiting times before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. While it has accelerated a trajectory of declining NHS performance, Covid is not solely to blame for the current problems.

• Analysis
• Press release

The continuing impact of Covid-19 on health and inequalities

The Health Foundation - 

This long read revisits the conclusions of The Health Foundation's Covid-19 impact inquiry, published in July 2021, to consider the further direct impact of Covid-19 on health outcomes and the broader implications for health and the wider determinants. It also discusses the extent to which previously highlighted risks to health have been addressed and the implications for the country of ‘living with Covid-19’.

• Long read

 

Direct and indirect health impacts of Covid-19 in England: emerging Omicron impacts

Department of Health and Social Care - 

This paper (produced together with the Office for National Statistics) gives an overview of the direct health impacts of Covid-19 in terms of morbidity and mortality and the indirect impacts arising through behavioural changes and health system pressures.

• Paper
• More detail

National commissioning guidance for post Covid services

NHS England -
This document informs the commissioning of post Covid services in England. It aims to assist local health care systems to plan and deliver services that meet the varied and often complex needs of people living with long Covid.

• Guidance
• NHS England - publications

Waiting for NHS hospital care: the role of the independent sector

The Health Foundation - 

Given the role anticipated for the independent sector in elective care recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, this long read explores the sector’s role to date, looks at how this has changed since the pre-pandemic period, and considers what it might mean for patients waiting for different types of treatments, and living in different parts of England.

• Long read

The impact of the pandemic on population health and health inequalities

British Medical Association (BMA) - 
This report looks at the impact of the pandemic on population health and health inequalities in the UK. It discusses how the pandemic has affected the nation’s physical and mental health, as well as social determinants of health such as education and employment. The report aims to pay particular attention to inequalities and how these pandemic effects were distributed. It also looks at the positive lessons that can be learned from the vaccine rollout and efforts to tackle homelessness.

• Report
• BMA - press release

The public health response by UK governments to Covid-19

British Medical Association (BMA) -
This report examines the approaches and key decisions taken by UK governments during the pandemic and the public health measures they introduced. It assesses whether these choices were timely, appropriate, and proportionate to deal with the threat and impact of Covid-19.

• Report
• BMA - press release

Government’s contracts with Randox Laboratories Ltd

House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts -
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Health & Social Care awarded contracts worth almost £777 million to Randox Laboratories Ltd for Covid-19 testing services and goods. This report concludes that inadequate record keeping and a failure to be transparent about meetings or deal with potential conflicts of interest means it is “impossible to have confidence” that the £777 million of contracts with Randox were awarded properly.

• Report
• House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts - news