Health Management and Policy Alert

UK mortality trends and international comparisons

The Health Foundation - 

This briefing compares trends in mortality within the UK and with 21 high-income countries, based on new research by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The findings are stark, underlining deep inequalities in health between different parts of the UK and a worrying decline in UK health compared with international peers. The briefing concludes by considering actions that the UK government could take to begin to address these challenges.

• Briefing

10 years of children's public health in local government: A series of interviews

Local Government Association -

To mark ten years of children's public health being back within in local government the Local Government Association have commissioned a series of interviews with thought leaders from across the sector on their thoughts on the impact made and what more can be done to support children.

• Read the interviews
• View the timeline

Patient safety healthcare inequalities reduction framework

NHS England -
This framework sets out five key principles to reduce patient safety health care inequalities across the NHS. It outlines opportunities that local teams and integrated care boards can implement, as well as the work NHS England is taking nationally to support and enable this. These principles align with the aims of NHS England’s Patient safety strategy and Core20PLUS5 approach for adults and for children and young people to address health care inequalities.

• Framework
• NHS England - publications

Collaborating on the future health of Europe: building an EU-UK health protection agreement

NHS Confederation - 

The paper explores the areas of collaboration, agreement and interoperability between the UK and European Union to ensure population health is protected and improved.

• Paper
• More detail

Health inequalities in health protection report 2025

UK Health Security Agency -
Health inequalities in health protection have a high human cost across people and places. They have a wider societal impact, including on health services and economic productivity. The causes of and solutions to addressing health inequalities are often systemic, structural and complex. This report sets out the extent of these health inequalities. It sets out how the UK Health Security Agency aims to make health protection fair.

• Report
• UK Health Security Agency - publications

Men's Health Strategy for England: call for evidence

Department of Health and Social Care -
Men are disproportionately affected by a number of health conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Life expectancy data also shows that men live on average four years fewer than women (79.1 versus 83.0 years in England, respectively). This call for evidence will inform the development of a Men’s Health Strategy for England. The closing date for comments is 17 July 2025.

• Call for evidence
• Department of Health and Social Care - press release

The health mandate: the voters' verdict on government intervention

Institute for Public Policy Research -
This report challenges the idea that the British public is resistant to government action on public health. It reveals instead a strong appetite for intervention, particularly in communities that could decide the next general election. The research reveals how voters really feel about public health, and how thoughtful, decisive action could deliver not only a healthier nation, but a winning strategy at the ballot box.

• Report
• Institute for Public Policy Research - press release

Bridging Hearts: Addressing inequalities in cardiovascular health and care report

The British Heart Foundation - 
Health inequalities are the unfair differences between the health of different groups of people. This includes people’s risk of developing a disease, differences in their access to care, and how long people can expect to live in good health. The causes of these differences are complex, and include factors such as their income level, their sex, or their ethnic background. This report considers how level of deprivation, sex and ethnicity can impact a person’s cardiovascular health.

• Report
• More detail

Improving children’s health: the critical role of nutrition and the impact of ultra-processed foods

The King's Fund -
Children’s diets are an increasing cause for concern. Jessica Holden explores the prevalence of ultra-processed foods and the detrimental effect these are having on children’s health.

• Blog

Realising the three shifts: preventing more people from reaching crisis point will be one measure of success

The King's Fund -
Leila Morris sets out how prioritising non-clinical support for people who frequently attend A&E can contribute to the government’s ambition to deliver three major shifts in health and care.

• Blog