Health Management and Policy Alert

Ageing: science, technology and healthy living

House of Lords Science and Technology Committee -
This report finds that while life expectancy in the UK has continued to increase year on year, healthy life expectancy — the time an individual can expect to live in good health — has not kept pace. It identifies approaches from science and technology that could help to increase healthy life expectancy, and assesses the role of public health interventions and national regulations in helping people to age more healthily.

• Report
• House of Lords Science and Technology Committee - inquiries

Stepping up: the response of stop smoking services in England to the Covid-19 pandemic

Action on Smoking and Health -
This report, written in partnership with Cancer Research UK, examines the performance of stop smoking services in England during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. It finds that the Covid-19 pandemic forced local authorities to reconfigure their stop smoking services at an unprecedented speed. Many found that smokers welcomed remote methods of engagement such as telephone consultations. The impact of the pandemic on the NHS meant that NHS providers of stop smoking support could no longer offer the same level support. Many specialist stop smoking services and lifestyle services were able to pick up the demand that could not be met in primary care.

• Report
• Action on Smoking and Health - publications

Coronavirus: Covid-19 vaccine roll-out

House of Commons Library -
This briefing addresses commonly asked questions about the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine. It includes links to resources and guidance on the Covid-19 vaccine programme published by Public Health England, the NHS and other health bodies.

• Research briefing
• House of Commons Library - publications

A new deal for prevention

Reform - 

This series of articles discuss the benefits of a preventative approach to public health and the obstacles that stand in the way of its realisation. It brings together experts from the scientific research community and the health and social care sector to consider the future of prevention in the UK.

• Report
• More detail

 

Inclusion health: applying All Our Health

Public Health England - 

This guidance aims to help health professionals prevent ill health and promote wellbeing of individuals in inclusion health groups. It includes advice on: why and how to take action on inclusion health in your professional practice, understanding local needs, and measuring impact. It provides recommendations for frontline workers, team leaders, managers and senior or strategic leaders.

• Guidance
• More detail

 

UK Covid-19 vaccines delivery plan

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - 

This plan describes how the DHSC were able to build up a supply of vaccines and how they are planning to deploy them.

• Plan
• Press release

Public health medicine pandemic experience survey

British Medical Association - 

This survey report of doctors working in public health and health protection roles has exposed criticism and scepticism with the government’s plans to reorganise Public Health England, and the opportunities for doctors to help shape any changes. The survey further found doctors reporting dangerously highly levels of mental and physical fatigue as a result of battling Covid-19, coupled with resentment with the sense their branch of practice had been overlooked by decision makers.

• Report
• Press release

 

The UK response to Covid-19: use of scientific advice

House of Commons Science and Technology Committee - 

This report analyses of the way the government has received, and applied, scientific evidence and advice during the first period of the coronavirus pandemic up to autumn 2020. It considers the nature and function of official scientific advisory structures, the transparency of scientific advice, and the use of data in informing the UK's Covid-19 response.

• Report
• Press release

Optimising the COVID-19 vaccination programme for maximum short-term impact

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - 
This statement from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation discusses increasing the short-term impact of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

• Guidance

The IFS Deaton Review of Inequalities: a new year’s message

Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) - 
This report examines the impact of the pandemic on educational, economic, social and health inequalities in the UK. It outlines data and evidence on the groups that have been most heavily impacted by widening inequalities and Covid-19. 

• Report
• Summary