Call for electronic patient record strategy; Addressing health inequalities faced by Black communities; Social prescribing for mental health

Urgent call for electronic patient records strategy

The Health Foundation has warned there is no time to waste in improving the use and capabilities of electronic patient records (EPRs). A new report says, when used well, EPRs can deliver improvements to care quality and productivity, ensuring staff have access to health information. However, although England is on the verge of every NHS trust having an EPR system, a small number of organisations are still struggling to reach this milestone. Many more are not yet using EPRs to their full potential. Challenges and next steps identified by the report include:

• Simply digitising paper does not change the way we deliver care. NHS organisations need to be able to deploy EPR systems effectively to reap their benefits. Procuring and installing EPRs is merely the starting point for this journey.
• Having already made significant investment in acquiring EPRs, it is essential that NHS organisations are now supported to realise these benefits.
• Reaching meaningful use of EPRs requires time, investment and cultural change. NHS providers can learn from those organisations in the UK and abroad who are further ahead with their EPR journeys.
• The government urgently needs to set out an EPR strategy for the NHS to facilitate effective benefits realisation – both to ensure trusts are getting the basics right, and to help develop and deploy higher order functionalities including AI.

Read the full analysis on The Health Foundation website here.

New resource addresses health inequalities experienced by Black communities

Bespoke information for Black communities living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) has been developed by PIF member Crohn’s & Colitis UK. The new resource was created in response to insights suggesting Black people living with Crohn’s or Colitis do not see themselves fully represented in information provided by the charity. The resource includes top tips and looks at how Black patients can access healthcare and advocate for themselves. It also addresses health inequalities, including how Black communities may have different experiences throughout the patient journey. It was developed in partnership with research agency Kohlrabi and the Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN). 

Read the full resource on Crohn's & Colitis UK's website here.

Black people with HIV face barriers to receiving adequate care

A new report from National AIDS Trust and the One Voice Network has identified how Black people living with HIV face barriers to receiving adequate care. The report – Unheard Voices: Understanding the challenges faced by Black people living with HIV in primary care – surveyed 142 Black-heritage people living with HIV in London. It found:

• Nearly 2 in 10 respondents have avoided going to their GP for fear of being treated differently due to their HIV status. 
• 1 in 10 have been refused a medical procedure or medication. 
• 2 in 10 state they are not listened to by their GP. 
• 3 in 10 report their GP never consulted them about their medical care or treatment. 

The report makes a series of recommendations including developing an understanding of cultural norms of patient communities and creating and signposting opportunities to improve the digital literacy of vulnerable and older community members.

Read the full report on the National AIDS Trust website here.

Social prescribing for mental health

A new report by The National Academy for Social Prescribing outlines how social prescribing could play a greater role in supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The Connected To Thrive report is based on extensive consultation with youth and mental health organisations, NHS leaders, Link Workers, researchers and experts, as well as young people. It proposes a joined-up system in which more children, young people and families would receive community-based support for the social factors affecting their mental health. 

Read the report in full on the NASP website here.

Call for strategy to end smoking in a generation

A report from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health has set out the urgent actions needed to end smoking in a generation. A Roadmap to a Smokefree Country calls on all political parties to support a fully funded strategy to reduce smoking rates by 2 million people by the end of this Parliament. This includes investing £97 million annually in targeted stop smoking support and strengthening regulation to prevent children from the harms of tobacco. The report also recommends adding inserts in cigarette packs and warnings on cigarette sticks to reinforce awareness of health harms and encourage more smokers to stop.

Read the full report via the Action on Smoking and Health website here.

The actions needed to make care closer to home a reality

In this long read for PIF member The King's Fund, Beccy Baird and Luca Tiratelli discuss what the government needs to do to make shifting care closer to home a reality. They warn if a greater emphasis on primary and community care is pushed to the "nice to do once we’ve sorted waiting times" column, then it will remain an unimplemented policy for another 30 years.

Read the full article on The King's Fund website here.

Agenda announced for NHS ConfedEXPO 

The agenda for this year's NHS ConfedExpo – set to take place in Manchester on 11 and 12 June – is now live. The NHS ConfedExpo brings together more than 5,000 leaders, professionals and partners to share best practice. This year's event will be an opportunity to learn about the innovative work helping to drive improvements and deliver on the UK government’s three big shifts. There will be more than 150 partners and exhibitors at the event including NHS trusts, the Care Quality Commission and charities. The conference is free to attend for NHS, local government and wider public sector staff. 

Find the full agenda and book tickets on the NHS ConfedExpo website here.