Health Management and Policy Alert

Environmental health inequalities in Europe: second assessment report

World Health Organization -
This report documents the magnitude of environmental health inequalities within countries through 19 inequality indicators on urban, housing and working conditions, basic services and injuries. Inequalities in risks and outcomes occur in all countries in the WHO European Region, and the latest evidence confirms that socially disadvantaged population subgroups are those most affected by environmental hazards, causing avoidable health effects and contributing to health inequalities.

• Report
• World Health Organization - press release

Government response to the Health and Social Care Select Committee report on 'First 1000 days of life'

Department of Health and Social Care - 
This command paper sets out the government’s response to the recommendations made in the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s ‘First 1000 days of life’ report, published in February 2018.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

The health effects of Sure Start

Institute for Fiscal Studies - 

Despite its rapid expansion and the subsequent cuts, evidence on the impact Sure Start has had on the health of children and their families is still relatively scarce. This report considers the overall impacts on health of the Sure Start programme as a whole between its inception in 1999 and its peak in the late 2000s. The focus on health outcomes is motivated by the fact that, while Sure Start’s services were multifaceted and varied between centres and over time, one of its objectives was to improve children’s health.

• Report
• More detail

Sexual health

House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee - 

This report finds that despite top line figures for sexual health appearing positive they hide a number of seriously concerning underlying trends and inequalities as poor sexual health outcomes fall disproportionately on certain groups. An enduring theme throughout the Health and Social Care Committee's inquiry was geographical variation in access to the highest standard of sexual health services, worsened by the impact of greatly reduced funding and increased fragmentation of services. The report concludes that sexual health must be sufficiently funded on a national level to deliver high quality sexual health services and information.

• Report
• Press release

Independent review of local government spending need and funding

County Councils Network (CCN) - 
This report identifies a funding gap of over £50bn over the next six years for councils in England. It estimates that by 2025, 78 per cent of the 36 county authorities’ spending will relate to four key service areas: adult social care, children’s services, public health and education services.

• Report
• Press release

Health matters: prevention – a life course approach

Public Health England (PHE) - 
This resource for NHS and public health professionals focuses on taking a life course approach to the prevention of ill health and explores the evidence base for this approach. It signposts to evidence-based interventions and tools, as well as to evaluation and monitoring techniques.

• Guidance

Taking the p***: the decline of the great British public toilet

Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) - 
The report explores the state of the UK’s public conveniences, the impact this has on health and wellbeing, and public perceptions of what should be done. It sheds light on the health burden of this declining public toilet provision, which falls disproportionately on people with ill health or disability, the elderly, women, outdoor workers, and the homeless. For example, fear of or knowledge of a lack of facilities nearby can tie people to within a small distance of their home, acting as a ‘loo leash’ for many.

• Report

Under the skin: listening to the voices of older people in influenza immunisation

International Longevity Centre UK (ILC-UK) - 
This report finds that attitudes of older adults to influenza immunisation are a significant factor in influencing the vaccination rates amongst this group. It argues that efforts to increase the vaccination coverage rates among the older population needs to move beyond associating age with vulnerability and towards presenting immunisation as a positive and healthy lifestyle choice.

• Report

Improving children and young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing

Local Government Association (LGA) - 
The LGA's Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Peer Learning Programme looked at how to prioritise early help and free up acute care for the most vulnerable in order to achieve change; supporting councils and their local partners to learn from each other, and from other councils across the country. Eight councils and their partners took part in two learning days and a visit to another council, gaining further knowledge and understanding on how to tackle their local issue.

• Report

The social impact of participation in culture and sport

House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee - 
This report finds that opportunities to reap major benefits in criminal justice, education and health are being missed by the failure of government to recognise and harness social impact. It argues that the full health impacts of cultural programmes are far from being reached in social prescribing and recommends that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport should encourage sporting organisations to take part in social prescribing schemes which can go beyond physical health benefits to include social impacts, such as tackling loneliness.

• Report
• Press release