The NHS has announced a new partnership with libraries across England to help more people access online health services and use the NHS App. The scheme, in partnership with The National Health Literacy Partnership, will officially launch in October. NHS England will be contacting public and NHS libraries over the next few weeks to provide toolkits and information. The toolkit includes a link to the PIF TICK certified member page so participating libraries can help signpost people to trusted health information. Libraries already play a vital role in making online services more accessible. According to a recent survey by Ipsos, librarians are the third most trusted profession in Britain. The NHS hopes, by providing librarians with the right tools and support, they will be able to play a key part in helping people to better understand and manage their health.
Read more about the partnership via the NHS England website here.
New research by Health Equity North highlights growing regional inequalities and the impact this has on women's quality of life and health. The report found women living in the North have lower healthy life expectancy, fewer qualifications and worse mental health than women living in other regions of England. Infant mortality is higher and abortions are more common. Women in the north are also more likely to suffer domestic violence or to end up in the criminal justice system. The report makes a series of recommendations for regional and central government, as well as the health system. They include exploring ways in which work can be adapted to address health inequalities across different population groups.
Get the full report via the Health Equity North website here.
A new NIHR Evidence collection explores whether stratified care can help primary care teams manage long-term conditions. Stratified care recognises that different groups of people, all with the same condition, may have different needs. The collection presents examples of NIHR research on stratified approaches to four common long-term conditions: diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression and musculoskeletal conditions.
Access the full collection via the NIHR website here.
A new report highlights common strategies and tactics used by the tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food and drink industries to delay and disrupt public health policymaking and protect their business models. The report is the result of a joint project by the the Alcohol Health Alliance, Action on Smoking and Health and Obesity Health Alliance. It outlines what needs to change and why public health policymaking must be protected from the vested interests of some industries.
Read the full report via the Alcohol Health Alliance website here.
In this article, Dr Sabine van der Veer, senior lecturer in health informatics at the University of Manchester, discusses how the adoption of digital tools in healthcare can impact health inequalities. Dr Sabine explores the current barriers to digital health access, the impact of the pandemic, how digital exclusion is compounding inequalities – and what can be done to fix it.
Read the full article via the Open Access Government website here.
The General Medical Council (GMC) has published updated guidance on good practice in research which will come into effect in December this year. The updated guidance combines two existing documents, Good practice in research and Consent to research. It highlights the role that doctors can play in supporting research and unlocking its benefits. The GMC hopes its focus on promoting broader participation, particularly among under-represented groups, will help tackle barriers to research.
Read the updated guidance via the GMC website here.
A new report for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) examines the effectiveness of Green Social Prescribing in tackling and preventing mental ill health. Green Social Prescribing is the practice of supporting people with mental health needs to engage in nature-based activities. The research was led by the University of Exeter, in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University, the University of Sheffield and University of Plymouth.
Read the full report via the Defra website here.
AbilityNet is hosting a free webinar on making Word documents accessible. The brief introduction to the accessibility features in Office 365 will focus on how to produce accessible documents using Word and provide tips on how to get your whole organisation producing more accessible content. The webinar will run for 45 minutes from 1pm on 25 September.