Building healthier communities: the role of the NHS as an anchor institution

Building healthier communities: the role of the NHS as an anchor institution Anchor institutions are large, public sector organisations that are unlikely to relocate and have a significant stake in a geographical area. The size, scale and reach of the NHS means it influences the health and wellbeing of communities simply be being there. This report identifies five ways in which NHS organisations act as anchor institutions and it sets out actions and opportunities for the NHS to harness its considerable influence to have an even greater impact on the health and wellbeing of communities. The Health Foundation

Government response to "Ignoring the alarms follow-up: too many avoidable deaths from eating disorders"

Government response to "Ignoring the alarms follow-up: too many avoidable deaths from eating disorders"  In June 2019, the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee published its report into avoidable deaths from eating disorders. It contained recommendations across six areas to improve eating disorder services and this report outlines the government's response to the recommendations. Department of Health and Social Care

Mental health services failing to ask women about their experience of domestic abuse – ‘putting women at risk’

Mental health services failing to ask women about their experience of domestic abuse – ‘putting women at risk’ Mental health services across England are failing women by not asking about experiences of domestic abuse, according to new data in a report published today by Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk.

The findings – based on results from Freedom of Information requests – show that more than a third (15) of NHS mental health trusts that responded (42 of 58) have no policy on ‘routine enquiry’ about domestic violence and abuse – in spite of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

Mental health services should be asking about domestic abuse in recognition of the high rates of violence and abuse experienced by people who access them. This is especially true for women; 38 per cent of women who have a mental health problem have experienced domestic abuse.

See also:

• Ask and take action:why public services should ask about domestic abuse (report) Agenda
• Domestic Abuse Bill Home Office
• Mental health services 'putting women at risk' by failing to ask them about domestic abuse The Independent

Social-media use 'disrupting teen sleep and exercise'

Social-media use 'disrupting teen sleep and exercise' Using social media isn't directly harming teenagers - but it can reduce the time they spend on healthy activities, such as sleeping and exercising, a study suggests.

Parents should ban phones from bedrooms after 22:00 and encourage more physical activity, the UK researchers said.

Girls were particularly vulnerable to cyber-bullying on social media, which could lead to psychological distress.

But what drove boys' distress needed more research, the study said. BBC News

See also:

• Roles of cyberbullying, sleep, and physical activity in mediating the effects of social media use on mental health and wellbeing among young people in England: a secondary analysis of longitudinal data (abstract) The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health 
• A third of girls who check social media just THREE times a day have mental health issues The Daily Mail
• Children’s lack of sleep ‘more harmful than social media use’ The Guardian
• Social media itself not the cause of poor mental health in adolescents OnMedica

Deaths by suicide and drugs highest among Generation X

Deaths by suicide and drugs highest among Generation X People born in the 1960s and 70s stand out as the generation most likely to die by suicide or drug poisoning, data for England and Wales shows.

The higher rate of fatalities began in the 1980s and 90s when people belonging to Generation X were in their 20s, and is still occurring in the now middle-aged cohort, says the Office for National Statistics.

Public Health England says the trend overlaps with patterns of heroin use.

But other factors will also contribute. BBC News

Homeless person dying every 19 hours in UK, figures show

Homeless person dying every 19 hours in UK, figures show A homeless person dies on average every 19 hours in the UK, according to figures that have prompted calls for the prime minister to address the country’s housing crisis.

Data collated through coroners’ enquiries, media coverage, family testimony and freedom of information requests reveals at least 235 people affected by homelessness have died over the last six months, ranging from the ages of 16 to 104 years old. The Independent

NHS gets £8m payout over drug firm's anti-competitive practices

NHS gets £8m payout over drug firm's anti-competitive practices The NHS has been given an £8m payout from a pharmaceutical firm after an investigation found that it engaged in anti-competitive practices that pushed up the cost of a life-saving drug for the health service.

It is the first time that the Competition and Markets Authority has secured such a payment to the NHS as part of one of its investigations. The Guardian

See also:

• Drugs firm to pay NHS £8m after competition probe BBC News

Why do so many construction workers kill themselves?

Why do so many construction workers kill themselves? Construction knows it has a problem. Working on a building site has become the deadliest profession in the UK, but the dangers have nothing to do with cranes or ladders.

More than 1,400 construction workers took their own lives between 2011 and 2015, according to national statistics. In 2016, the figure was put at 450. The rate is more than three times the national average for men. The Guardian

See also:

• Revealed: mental health crisis at Hinkley Point C construction site The Guardian
• No more 'man up': the push for better mental health at Hinkley C The Guardian

NHS declares national emergency over shortage of feed for babies and disabled patients

NHS declares national emergency over shortage of feed for babies and disabled patients The NHS has declared a national emergency over shortage of feed for babies and disabled patients, with some patients being told to go to Accident & Emergency departments.

Medics said vulnerable patients were being left starving for several days, with some being admitted to hospital because of malnutrition.

Hundreds of NHS patients, including children, who depend on intravenous nutrition, have been experiencing delays in deliveries. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Hundreds of patients at risk over delays to intravenous feed The Guardian

Almost nine in 10 Brits think over-stretched A&E services are being overused

Almost nine in 10 Brits think over-stretched A&E services are being overused The vast majority of Britons believe A&E units are being abused by patients with minor ailments, a poll suggests.

A National Centre for Social Research survey quizzed almost 3,000 people about their thoughts towards emergency care.

The results, which come amid an NHS crisis, found 86 per cent of people agreed too many people unnecessarily use casualty units. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Majority of Brits think A&E services are overused but half think it is hard to get a GP appointment National Centre for Social Research

NHS staff took almost 7,000 days of sick leave because of drug or alcohol abuse last year

NHS staff took almost 7,000 days of sick leave because of drug or alcohol abuse last year NHS staff took almost 7,000 days of sick leave because of drug or alcohol abuse last year, figures have revealed.

Alcohol Change UK said they expect many workers in the health service will use substances as a way of coping with stress.

However, this could impact on their decision-making, which the charity warned was 'particularly concerning'. The Daily Mail