Health Management and Policy Alert

An evidence summary of health inequalities in older populations in coastal and rural areas

Public Health England - 

This report provides evidence on the health inequalities experienced by older populations in coastal and rural areas, together with a summary of key considerations to reduce inequalities and promote healthy ageing in these areas. It comprises a literature review supplemented with case studies, and brings together a range of information in one place with links to published research.

• Report
• More detail

Children's oral health: position statement

Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) - 
New analysis has found that more than 100,000 hospital admissions for children under the age of ten in England due to tooth decay over a three year period. This statement calls on the new government to stand by previous commitments in the Childhood Obesity Plan and Prevention Green Paper to improve children's oral health in England.

• Statement
• Press release

Collaborative approaches to preventing offending and re-offending in children (CAPRICORN)

Public Health England (PHE) - 
This resource outlines how health, education, social care, criminal justice, voluntary sector services and others can work together to stop children and young people offending. This approach to preventing offending and re-offending has been developed by PHE in collaboration with stakeholders in national and local government, the NHS, academia and the voluntary sector.

• Resource

Building healthier communities: the role of the NHS as an anchor institution

Health Foundation - 
Anchor institutions are large, public sector organisations that are unlikely to relocate and have a significant stake in a geographical area. The size, scale and reach of the NHS means it influences the health and wellbeing of communities simply be being there. This report identifies five ways in which NHS organisations act as anchor institutions and it sets out actions and opportunities for the NHS to harness its considerable influence to have an even greater impact on the health and wellbeing of communities.

• Report
• Summary

Ask and take action: why public services must ask about domestic abuse

Agenda - 

This report finds that mental health services across England are failing women by not asking about experiences of domestic abuse. The findings, based on results from Freedom of Information requests, show that more than a third (15) of NHS mental health trusts that responded (42 of 58) have no policy on ‘routine enquiry’ about domestic violence and abuse – in spite of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) domestic violence and abuse guidelines. Agenda is calling for the government to amend the Domestic Abuse Bill to put a duty on all public authorities to ensure staff across the public sector are making trained enquiries into domestic abuse.

• Report
• Press release
• Domestic Abuse Bill

Polling on resident satisfaction with councils: June 2019

Local Government Association (LGA) - 

This report outlines the 23rd set of results in a series of regular LGA public polls on resident satisfaction with local councils, including services and support for older people, conducted every four months.

• Report
• More detail

Professional standards guidance

Social Work England - 

The new specialist regulator for social workers, in collaboration with a range of stakeholders, has developed new rules and standards for the social work profession. This document provides guidance on these professional standards. The standards set out what a social worker in England must know, understand and be able to do after completing their social work education or training. Social workers must continue to meet the professional standards to maintain their registration. The standards apply to all registered social workers in all roles and in all settings. 

• Guidance
• More detail

Public Health Outcomes Framework 2019 to 2020: a consultation. Government response

Public Health England (PHE) - 
In January 2019 Public Health England published proposals for changes to the Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF). Indicators that were to be revised, added or removed, with a rationale for each, were outlined in the consultation. This report summarises the response to the consultation and outlines the changes to the PHOF from 2019/20.

• Report
• Original consultation

Tackling loneliness

House of Commons Library - 

The government's Loneliness Strategy was published in October 2018. It set out a wide variety of cross-departmental measures that the government would take to provide 'national leadership' to tackle loneliness in England. This briefing: explains the Strategy; the steps taken so far by the government; looks at research into the causes and impact of loneliness and possible interventions; and briefly outlines the situation in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The briefing is accompanied by a reading list.

• Briefing
• More detail

Public health outcomes framework 2019/20 - a consultation: government response

Public Health England - 

This is the government response to the consultation on reviewing the 2016 to 2019 Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF). From 2019 to 2020, there will be 75 high level indicator categories which include 161 individual indicators. The main changes are: to either the method or the data of ten existing indicators; replacing eight indicators with different indicator(s) on the same topic (including one vaccination indicator); removing 17 indicators (including two vaccination indicators); and adding 21 new indicators to the PHOF (including five vaccination indicators).

• Government response
• More detail