Health Management and Policy Alert

Comparing smoking cessation to screening and brief intervention for alcohol in distributional cost effectiveness analysis to explore the sensitivity of results to socioeconomic inequalities characterised in model inputs

Centre for Health Economics -
This research found no discernible pattern relating the extent and direction of socioeconomic variation in model inputs to socioeconomic variation in model outputs. Differences in deprivation structure of the local population and other factors translate into different conclusions on the value for money of delivering the interventions locally compared to nationally.

• Research briefing
• Centre for Health Economics - publications

Stoptober 2020: campaign evaluation

Public Health England -
Stoptober is an annual event to encourage smokers to quit for 28 days in October, with the aim of stopping smoking permanently. This report aims to measure the impact of Stoptober in 2020.

• Report
• Public Health England - publications

Health Profile for England: 2021

Public Health England -
The 2021 edition of the Health Profile for England provides aa overview of the health of people in England and updates indicators presented in previous reports. It also contains a summary of the wider impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on many aspects of health and health inequalities. In addition, the report makes comparisons with health in a selection of other countries (US, Canada, Japan, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Poland) where possible.

• Statistical report
• Public Health England - publications

Barriers to wellbeing: migration and vulnerability during the pandemic

Doctors of the World -
This report reveals that refugees, asylum seekers and migrants reported higher levels of bad health and inadequate housing during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as difficulties registering with a GP and accessing remote health care services, suggesting significant unmet health care needs.

• Report
• Doctors of the World - press release

Drawing light from the pandemic: a new strategy for health and sustainable development

World Health Organization - 

Over the past year, members of the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development have reflected on what worked and, more often, what did not work in the Covid-19 response and in previous crises. This report makes a series of recommendations with the aim of achieving seven key objectives to prevent a catastrophe on the same scale from happening again.

• Report
• More detail

Anchor institutions and how they can affect people's health

The King's Fund -
What are anchor institutions and how can they change their local community's health and wellbeing for the better? Our new explainer provides some answers.

• Long read
• The King's Fund - publications

Home for all: the case for scaling up Housing First in England

Crisis -
This report warns that over 9,000 people with the most serious support needs, such as trauma, physical and mental health problems and drug and alcohol dependencies, are at risk of being trapped in a cycle of homelessness because there aren’t enough Housing First programmes available to support them into a permanent home. It argues that with no national directive and insufficient funding to continue the scheme, coupled with a lack of affordable housing to support people in to, many councils are being forced to close this emergency accommodation, leaving thousands at risk of being forced onto the streets or remaining trapped in unsuitable temporary accommodation.

• Report
• Crisis - press release

Global status report on the public health response to dementia

World Health Organization - 

This report finds that only a quarter of countries worldwide have a national policy, strategy or plan for supporting people with dementia and their families. Half of these countries are in WHO’s European Region, with the remainder split between the other Regions. Yet even in Europe, many plans are expiring or have already expired, indicating a need for renewed commitment from governments. At the same time, the number of people living with dementia is growing according to the report: WHO estimates that more than 55 million people (8.1 per cent of women and 5.4 per cent of men over 65 years) are living with dementia. This number is estimated to rise to 78 million by 2030 and to 139 million by 2050.

• Report
• Press release

Dismissed for too long: recommendations to improve migraine care in the UK

Migraine Trust - 

This report found a wide range of issues with migraine healthcare including slow or no diagnosis and lack of access to specialist care. It sets out the action needed from government, healthcare systems and other oganisations to give everyone living with migraine in the UK the support they need.

• Report
• Press release

The public health workforce: overdue for attention

The King's Fund - 

In this blog, Richard Murray outlines why directors of public health – and the wider public health workforce – need a comprehensive and funded workforce plan in order to work on improving population health and tackling health inequalities.

• Blog