New data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) delves into the health inequalities caused by infectious diseases and environmental health hazards. The UKHSA published the Health Inequalities in Health Protection report earlier this month. The report used hospital admissions as a measure of infectious disease levels. Key findings include:
The data also revealed people living in deprived communities experience emergency hospital admission rates which are twice as high for respiratory diseases in general, up to seven times higher specifically for tuberculosis and six times higher for measles. Hospital admissions were also twice as high for invasive infections in general, more than two times higher specifically for sepsis, and almost twice as high for gastrointestinal diseases.
Read more about the analysis and access the full report via the GOV.UK website here.
The NHS Race and Health Observatory and the National Institute for NICE have signed an agreement to tackle persistent and systemic ethnic health inequalities. The collaboration supports the objectives and shared commitments of both organisations to tackle unwarranted inequalities in health for Black, Asian and ethnic minority patients. This will include sharing research and practice. It will begin by bringing together expertise and insight to de-bias clinical guidance across five identified areas:
The agreement will also see the Observatory provide guidance on the development of new guidelines, including insights from the lived experience of patients from diverse communities.
Find out more about the partnership on the NHS Race and Health Observatory website here.
A scoping review has been conducted to explore the range of digital mental health interventions available for young people aged 16-25. Supported by the Atlantic Futures research project, the review of 145 studies found the most common digital tools were apps, web-based resources and websites. The results highlighted the need for greater inclusivity in research and a lack of representation from marginalised groups. They also emphasised the importance of long-term follow-up data to assess the efficacy and effectiveness of interventions. The review also highlighted challenges in sustaining engagement and completion.
Read the full review via the JMIR website here.
A new suite of AI resources has gone live for people working within health and social care. The NHS England AI Team says it has created the AI knowledge repository to embed responsible, ethical and sustainable AI into NHS services to improve patient care, optimise resources and empower staff. The AI knowledge repository resources are divided into sections matched to where users might be in their AI journey. These include understanding AI, developing AI, AI in practice and the spread and scale of AI. The repository also includes articles and case studies.
Find out more about the AI knowledge repository on the NHS England website here.
Two PIF members have teamed up to provide information explaining stem cell transplants to young people with cancer. The Teenage Cancer Trust worked with Anthony Nolan to update and expand its stem cell transplant information. The information page includes a guide to why young people might need a stem cell transplant, what they are used for, how they work and any side effects people might experience. There is also a useful list of questions to ask doctors or care teams and details of support available. The two charities have also been sharing awareness posts about the information on social media.
Find the updated stem cell transplant information on the Teenage Cancer Trust website here.
New research has revealed there is widespread public support for stronger government interventions to improve health. A report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Public First says the public wants the government to step up – both with stricter regulation and increased support for families and children. The research found especially strong support for government action in four areas:
Read more about the research on the IPPR website here.
Research gathered for the Health Foundation has estimated that digitising NHS and adult social care services across the UK will cost £21bn over the next five years. PA Consulting found the investment needed will include around £8bn capital spending, £3bn one-off revenue spending and £2bn recurring annual revenue spending each year. Recurring costs will be ongoing beyond the 5-year period. The Health Foundation warned that, while it may be possible to cover some of this from existing budgets, it is highly likely the government will need to commit additional funding to successfully realise the shift from analogue to digital.
Read more about the research on the Health Foundation website here.
A pilot project will see an AI model being trained to predict potential health outcomes. Researchers at UCL and King’s College London are running the project to train AI model Foresight on a set of NHS data for 57 million people in England. Personal information has been stripped away from the data. Foresight learns to predict what happens next based on previous medical events. The researchers believe the model's predictive power could pinpoint high-risk patient groups, offering an opportunity to intervene to improve and save lives.