Health Management and Policy Alert

Delivering a Smokefree 2030: The All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health recommendations for the Tobacco Control Plan 2021

All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health -
This report calls for further regulations, increased funding levied from the tobacco industry on a polluter pays principle and investment in the communities where smoking has the biggest impact.

• Report
• ASH - publications

Global medicine spending and usage trends : outlook to 2025

IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science -
The future level of global spending on medicines has implications for health care systems and policymakers across developed and emerging economies, and these issues are even more important in light of the global Covid-19 pandemic. This report finds medicine spending growth will continue to be driven by traditional factors including patent expiries, launches of new medicines as well as changing volume demand, particularly in pharmerging and lower income countries. Please note that free registration is required to access this report.

• Report

Townscapes: the value of social infrastructure

Bennett Institute for Public Policy -
This report is one in a series that aims to inform the debate on how to support those communities that have been most badly affected by the pandemic and how to promote economic renewal. The report argues that investing in social infrastructure may be equally important for rebalancing the prospects of the UK’s nations, regions, cities and towns. It outlines how the availability of social spaces can improve both physical and mental health and how access to green space is associated with lower rates of depression, anxiety and obesity.

• Report
• Bennett Institute for Public Policy - publications

What people have told us about NHS dentistry: a review of our evidence - January to March 2021

Healthwatch - 

This review of 1,375 people’s experiences shared with Healthwatch found a lack of consistency across the country when it comes to accessing a dental appointment. Whilst some people were asked to wait an unreasonable time of up to three years for an NHS appointment, those able to afford private care could get an appointment within a week. The review explores people’s attitudes towards affording NHS dental care and sets out recommendations to create equal and affordable access to NHS dentistry.

• Review
• Press release

Generation Covid : the economic impact of Covid-19 on young people in the United Kingdom

All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Youth Affairs -
This report found finds that young people have had their financial, emotional and vocational wellbeing inordinately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and that a holistic approach is needed in order to aid their recovery. In addition to job losses, educational disruption and financial pressures, young people have also experienced increased family strain, heightened anxiety and exacerbated mental health issues as a result of the pandemic. The APPG on Youth Affairs inquiry found these areas to be inexorably interlinked, and further compounded by the overall uncertainty of employment prospects for young people in the future.

• Report
• YMCA - press release

Smoking and health 2021: a coming of age for tobacco control?

Royal College of Physicians -
This report reviews the UK’s progress in reducing smoking prevalence, and sets out comprehensive recommendations for England’s forthcoming National Tobacco Control Plan. It says that while the reduction in smoking prevalence by 75 per cent since 1962 has been considered a national success, if the policies advocated by the RCP in 1962 had been adopted and followed through, smoking would have been eradicated from the UK years ago.

• Report
• Royal College of London - press release

Genome UK: 2021 to 2022 implementation plan

Department of Health and Social Care -
Published in 2020, Genome UK: the future of health care set out a vision to create the most advanced genomic health care system in the world to deliver better health care at lower cost. Following collaboration with key partners across the genomics community, priority actions for 2021 to 2022 have been set out in the implementation plan to progress key commitments made in Genome UK.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

Homelessness and rough sleeping in the time of Covid-19

LSE London - 

This study (funded by Trust for London) reviews how Covid-19 has impacted on the problems of homelessness and rough sleeping; clarifies how policies, implementation and funding have changed; and makes recommendations on policy and practice.

• Report
• More detail

Research for Parliament 2021

Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) - 
This publication presents a horizon scan of 30 areas of change to help the UK Parliament prepare for the future. Amongst the wide range of issues explored are mental health and wellbeing in the context of Covid-19, health inequalities and the use of digital technologies in the delivery of health care.

• Reports

Assessing England’s response to Covid-19: a framework

The King's Fund -
Learning the lessons from Covid-19 would allow England to better prepare for future pandemics, and understand the weaknesses and strengths of the health, care and public health systems. This framework sets out a structure to help untangle the complicated interactions between different elements of the response in England.

• Report
• The King's Fund - publications