New health misinformation research; Report highlights importance of faith literacy; PIF member welcomes change to treatment guidelines
Health misinformation drives health inequality
New research from the Academy of Medical Sciences highlights how health misinformation can deepen existing inequalities. According to its survey, the people most likely to be affected by misleading health information are among the least likely to have access to trusted sources of advice. It also points to an optimism bias, where people are more likely to see health misinformation as a problem for others than for themselves.
Read the analysis on the Academy of Medical Sciences website.
Report demonstrates why faith literacy matters
A new report from Equi calls for a faith-literate approach to healthcare and highlights the role that faith-led and community organisations can play in bridging the gap between the NHS and patients of diverse faith backgrounds. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the National Academy for Social Prescribing, spoke at the launch.
Read Kamila's insights and download the report here.
PIF member welcomes changes to lupus guidelines
Lupus UK has welcomed updates to the British Society for Rheumatology guidelines for lupus. It says the update "represents a huge amount of progress in research, understanding, and treatment since the first UK guidelines were published almost ten years ago". The PIF member has created a series of short videos explaining these guidelines.
View the playlist on its YouTube channel.
Young diabetics face burden of self-management
Clear communication, practical education and psychological support are essential to sustaining safe care. That is the call from a Getting It Right First Time report into diabetes in children and young adults. The findings, supported by PIF member Diabetes UK, show how timely, co-ordinated care is essential to improving health outcomes and quality of life.
Read the report into diabetes care here.
Major expansion of community mental health support
PIF member Rethink Mental Illness has welcomed news of a major expansion of community mental health support across England. The £343m plan will open 159 NHS mental health centres to offer earlier local support and specialist crisis care outside A&E. The UK Government says the rollout is the biggest redesign of mental health services in a generation.
Read the news from the Department of Health and Social Care here.
Reports published on mental health inequalities
The Mental Health Foundation has published new statistics on population mental health in Northern Ireland and across the UK. The Foundation Reports are a series of in-depth reports examining mental health inequality in the UK. The reports explore population mental health across the four nations of the UK, the factors that are contributing to inequalities and what can be done to prevent people experiencing mental ill-health.
Read The Foundation Reports on The Mental Health Foundation website here.
Healthwatch invited to join National Voices
National Voices has received a grant to offer every local Healthwatch the chance to join as members for the next 12 months. Healthwatch faces planned abolition under the Health Bill. National Voices said the funding would strengthen collaboration, amplify community voices and ensure people remain at the heart of health and care.
Read about the collaboration on the National Voices website.
More patients in Scotland using GP walk-ins
Initial data shows more patients are using GP walk-ins in Scotland in a pilot to test a new way of accessing same-day care at a wider range of times. Ten of the planned 16 GP walk-in services have opened in five months. The Scottish Government will soon announce more locations as the pilot expands.
Read more about the pilot scheme here.
London life expectancy seeing changes post-Covid
For two decades before Covid-19, London had the highest gains in life expectancy. But this changed after the pandemic. Two articles from The King's Fund explore trends in life expectancy across England – and how the pace of change varies.
Read the briefing from the King’s Fund here.
And explore the trends in life expectancy at birth up to 2024 in a long read from the King’s Fund.