Health Management and Policy Alert

Hungry for change: fixing the failures in food

House of Lords Select Committee on Food, Poverty, Health and the Environment - 

This report considers the links between inequality, public health and food sustainability. It found barriers at all levels of the food system that make it harder for people, particularly those living in poverty, to access a healthy and sustainable diet. It sees the lack of a unifying government ambition or strategy on food has prevented interrelated issues such as hunger, health and sustainability from being considered in parallel, meaning that opportunities have been missed to develop coherent policies that could effect widespread change. 

• Report
• More detail

Disparities in the impact of Covid-19 in Black and Minority Ethnic populations: review of the evidence and recommendations for action

The Independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) - 

The question of why more people from black and ethnic minority (BME) backgrounds appear to be at greater risk of hospitalisation and deaths with Covid-19 – and the need for urgent action in order to address this – has become one of the most urgent issues in this pandemic in the UK. This review of the evidence suggests that the reasons why some BME groups appear to be at greater risk of dying with Covid-19 are complex with interplay between socio-economic disadvantage in BME populations, high prevalence of chronic diseases and the impact of long-standing racial inequalities being key explanations.

• Report
• More detail

Capturing beneficial change from the Covid-19 pandemic: response from the British Geriatrics Society

British Geriatrics Society (BGS) - 

This report is a response to a request from NHS England and NHS Improvement for examples of beneficial innovations across the NHS that have been implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic and should be retained as the NHS starts to resume business as usual. BGS members contributed examples of innovations that have been implemented in their areas.

• Report
• More detail

The impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on all-cause attendances to emergency departments in two large London hospitals: an observational study

Imperial College -
This report aimed to assess how the reorganisation of hospital care and admission policies to respond to the Covid-19 epidemic affected emergency attendances and emergency hospital admissions. The report uses administrative patient level clinical hospital records from two large London hospitals from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (St Mary’s and Charing Cross) to analyse trends in attendances to emergency departments and emergency admissions pre- and post-implementation of lock-down policies in England.

• Report
• Imperial College - publications

The mental health emergency: how has the coronavirus pandemic impacted our mental health?

Mind -
The findings of this survey of more than 16,000 people during lockdown reveals the scale of the impact of the pandemic on people with mental health problems. Two out of three (65 per cent) adults over 25 and three-quarters (75 per cent) of young people aged 13-24 with an existing mental health problem reported worse mental health.

• Report
• Mind - news

Analysing the impact of Covid-19 on county authority finances

Grant Thornton -
The County Councils Network commissioned Grant Thornton to undertake this study of the financial impact of Coronavirus on councils. Based on data provided by county and unitary authorities, it shows that all 39 of councils included in the study could use up their available reserves in 2021/22 to cover a funding shortfall of £2.5bn. The report sets out that England’s largest councils could be facing the prospect of ‘large scale reductions’ in services to set legal budgets this year.

• Report
• County Councils Network - news

Re-thinking local

Local Government Association -
This discussion paper sets out how, with the right funding and powers, councils can grasp this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not just recover from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemics but to go further and address the inequalities the virus has exposed, develop a green recovery, address skills gaps and rebuild the economy so that it benefits everyone.

• Report
• Local Government Association - publications

Measuring poverty 2020

Social Metrics Commission - 
This report aims to provide a comprehensive account of poverty based on the Commission’s measurement framework. It provides both a detailed overview of the extent and nature of poverty in the UK today and considers the impact on different areas such as family and relationships, education, health, finances and the labour market.

• Report
• Social Metrics Commission - publications

Coronavirus: health and social care key issues and sources

House of Commons Library -
This briefing brings together and summarises some of the key issues that MPs have raised on behalf of their constituents around the impact of coronavirus on the health and care sectors.

• Briefing
• House of Commons Library - publications

Evaluating social prescribing

Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services -
This briefing provides a review of the research methods and approaches used to evaluate UK-based social prescribing interventions in recent years, to inform health care and social services professionals, as well as organisations delivering social prescribing interventions and those conducting evaluations of them. It aims to give an overview of how social prescribing has been evaluated, and what can be learned from this.

• Briefing
• Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services - publications