The Government has announced NHS England will be scrapped and brought back into the Department of Health and Social Care. In its announcement, the Government said the move would reduce bureaucracy and make savings, allowing more resources to be put into frontline services. Responding to the news in a joint statement, the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers said scrapping NHS England marked the "end of an era" and the biggest reshaping of the NHS in a decade. It said the move came at an "extremely challenging time" and called for balance between recovery and reform given the opportunities presented by the 10-year plan. The statement also highlighted that NHS England was set up to provide arms-length operational independence for the NHS from government and called for the service to maintain its ability to inform policy making.
Read the announcement on the GOV.UK website here.
Read the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers response here.
A co-designed framework aims to help public health agencies use social media to communicate with young people more effectively. Researchers found official social media health communication often fails to appeal to young people. Three research workshops were held with young people aged 18-24 and health communicators in government health departments. Recommendations included a preference for social media content featuring, and created by, their peers. Young people also wanted health messaging that was tailored and pitched to their age group on social media. Specifically, health information that considers their lack of experience with the health system and was free from complex language and medical jargon.
Read more about the research via the Wiley website here.
In this long read, Veena Raleigh from PIF member The King's Fund looks at the health outcomes and health inequalities experienced by women from ethnic minority backgrounds. Veena describes the barriers women from ethnic minority groups experience in preventing ill health, accessing services, safeguarding reproductive and maternal health, managing long-term conditions and ageing well. Some women face obstacles when it comes to staying healthy and accessing health care due to the way health care services are structured. This includes language barriers, lack of interpreters, services that are not culturally competent and poor health literacy. Veena highlights the importance of working with voluntary and community partners, talking to women and strengthening culturally-tailored information awareness.
Find the long read in full on The King's Fund website here.
Organisations and individuals are being asked to complete a survey, sharing their views on emerging ideas for change as part of the government's 10-year health plan. The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England want to find out what people think about the ideas being discussed before the final plan is launched. There are five sections to the survey including empowering people to make choices, improving health for everyone and using technology. The survey closes on 14 April.
Find out more and complete the survey on the Change NHS website here.
Researchers have shared the lessons learned from developing an ethnically diverse patient and public involvement (PPI) group. The group was created to co-deliver research into the associations between ethnicity and breast cancer outcomes. Sharing their experiences, researchers highlighted the need to be realistic about timelines, utilise existing expertise and resources and be clear about what was needed from participants. This included writing all communications in plain language.
Find out more about the research and the PPI group via the BMJ website here.
The Office for National Statistics has published the latest public opinions and social trends from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey. At the start of the year, more than 8 in 10 people said the NHS was the most important issue facing the UK. It was the most reported important issue alongside the cost of living. The survey also includes insights into health, wellbeing and loneliness. More than 6 in 10 adults reported their health was very good or good. One in four adults reported feeling lonely "often or always" or "some of the time".
Find out more about the survey results on the ONS website here.
PIF member Marie Curie has produced a new webpage about living funerals for people affected by terminal illness. The charity explains how a living funeral is an occasion someone has while they are alive, usually to reflect on and celebrate their life with people important to them. Living funerals can be an activity, event, or a specific ceremony. They are often chosen by someone living with a terminal illness, or nearing the end of their life but anyone can have a living funeral. The new webpage aims to address the increase in searches for information about living funerals. Marie Curie spoke to people with lived experience to ensure the page contains helpful tips and reflects lived experience.
Read the webpage about living funerals on Marie Curie’s website here.
Two new health resources on safe hospital discharge have been published by homelessness charity Groundswell. The first resource is a leaflet aimed at frontline staff to help ensure people are being discharged safely and not to the streets. The second is a postcard-sized resource aimed at people experiencing homelessness to help them understand their rights when they are admitted to hospital. The postcard includes key information homeless patients should tell healthcare professionals when they arrive at hospital and a list of day-to-day support they may need to mention to ensure a safe discharge.
Find the safe hospital discharge resources on the Groundswell website here.