In the poorest parts of England, life expectancy for women is lower than in Colombia, Latvia and Hungary

In the poorest parts of England, life expectancy for women is lower than in Colombia, Latvia and Hungary New analysis by the Health Foundation has revealed that life expectancy for women living in the poorest 10% of areas in England is lower than overall life expectancy in any OECD country, except for Mexico.

Women in the poorest 10% of areas in England can expect to live on average 78.7 years – significantly below the average of 83.2 years for the whole of England and less than the overall life expectancy for women in countries including Colombia (79.8 years), Latvia (79.7 years) and Hungary (79.6 years), as well as others. In Mexico, which has the lowest life expectancy at birth of any OECD country, women live on average 77.9 years.

Chart of the week: What is the scale of the race equality challenge in the NHS?

Chart of the week: What is the scale of the race equality challenge in the NHS? The recent workforce race equality standard report described how staff from a Black and minority ethnic background are less well represented at senior levels of the NHS, and that they have worse day-to-day work experiences and face more challenges in progressing their careers. In this chart, Billy Palmer shows how stark some of the differences are. Nuffield Trust

A response to the Race and Health Observatory (RHO) rapid evidence review into ethnic inequalities in healthcare

A response to the Race and Health Observatory (RHO) rapid evidence review into ethnic inequalities in healthcare This report looks at the NHS Race and Health Observatory (RHO) as a case study and its work to ‘identify and tackle ethnic inequalities’ in health. The RHO exists to bring about equality of outcomes in health care and calls for radical action, but makes calls for more research to find out precisely what that entails. Central to its recent report, Ethnic inequalities in health care: a rapid evidence review, was the role of racism - those who are not white are treated worse, given the wrong treatment, and avoid getting help for ‘fear of racist treatment from NHS healthcare professionals’. This report analyses rapid evidence review and questions the assumptions and conclusions contained in this work. It questions why the RHO exists and if it is achieving its aim of ‘equality of outcome’ for different ethnic groups. Civitas

The business of health equity: the Marmot review for industry

The business of health equity: the Marmot review for industry This report examines the evidence of how businesses affect our health, and what they can do to improve health equity. Businesses can affect health, for good or ill, through the pay, hours and conditions of work they provide for employees; through the products, services and investments that they offer customers and clients; and, more widely, by their influence on communities and wider society. The report encourages all businesses to use this influence to promote good health and a more equitable society. Institute of Health Equity

Adult social care: why it has even lower public satisfaction than the NHS

Adult social care: why it has even lower public satisfaction than the NHS In March, a witness told the House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee that he avoided contacting his local authority because he feared it would be used as an excuse to reduce the amount of social care support he receives. Andy McCabe, who has spinal muscular atrophy, said: ‘When I contact social care because I need a review, advice or support, I always have a worry, a concern and fear that my budget will be cut. Just by contacting them, and them getting more involved in my life, suddenly things might start getting pulled away.’ The King's Fund

Health experts share priorities for Women's Health Strategy

Health experts share priorities for Women's Health Strategy Health experts have called for a greater focus on care for older women and improved support services for people experiencing pregnancy loss to help shape the government’s first-ever Women’s Health Strategy for England.

A total of 436 organisations and experts in women’s health – including from the charity sector, academia, professional bodies, clinicians and royal colleges – responded to a call for evidence to inform the government’s approach to tackling gender health inequality. Department of Health and Social Care

Hundreds of people diagnosed with cancer early through life-saving NHS lung checks

Hundreds of people diagnosed with cancer early through life-saving NHS lung checks Hundreds of people have been diagnosed with lung cancer earlier through NHS mobile trucks, as part of the biggest programme to improve early lung cancer diagnosis in health service history.

Thanks to NHS teams who are making it even easier for people to get a Lung MOT in travelling trucks visiting different areas across the country, 600 people have been diagnosed earlier. NHS England

Social distancing scrapped in waiting rooms in England

Social distancing scrapped in waiting rooms in England Patients in waiting rooms in England are no longer required to socially distance.

The new "stepping down" rules apply to NHS hospitals, GP surgeries and emergency departments.

People will still be encouraged to wear face masks and practise good hygiene. BBC News

See also:

• Pregnant women 'afterthought' in Covid jab rollout BBC News
• Partygate: Which Downing Street parties have resulted in fines so far? BBC News
• Scientists develop an app that can detect whether you have Covid-19 with 92 per cent accuracy The Daily Mail
• GP practices told to scrap 'physical distancing' despite COVID-19 workforce pressures GPonline
• Omicron XE: More than 1,100 cases of new Covid variant found in UK The Independent
• What is Omicron XE? Symptoms of the new Covid variant as hundreds of cases found in UK The Independent
• NHS social distancing rules for GP and hospital waiting rooms scrapped in England iNews

Hepatitis cases detected in children in Europe and the US

Hepatitis cases detected in children in Europe and the US Health officials say they are now investigating unexplained cases of hepatitis in children in four European countries and the US.

Cases of hepatitis, or liver inflammation, have been reported in Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and the US, health officials say.

Last week UK health authorities said they had detected higher than usual cases of the infection among children. BBC News

Psychedelic frees up depressed brain, study shows

Psychedelic frees up depressed brain, study shows Psilocybin, a drug found in magic mushrooms, appears to free up the brains of people with severe depression in a way that other antidepressants do not, a study has found.

The results, based on brain scans of 60 people, mean the drug could treat depression in a unique way, the researchers say. BBC News

See also:

• Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression (open access) Nature Medicine
• 'I felt more joy than I thought possible' BBC News

Disruption to diabetes care during Covid threatens thousands, charity warns

Disruption to diabetes care during Covid threatens thousands, charity warns Thousands of lives are being put at risk due to delays and disruption in diabetes care, according to a damning report that warns patients have been “pushed to the back of the queue” during the Covid-19 pandemic.

There are 4.9 million people living with diabetes in the UK, and almost half had difficulties managing their condition last year, according to a survey of 10,000 patients by the charity Diabetes UK. The Guardian

Third of GPs in England want to quit within five years, survey finds

Third of GPs in England want to quit within five years, survey finds A third of GPs in England say they want to quit within five years, according to a regular survey which warns that clinical doctors are especially unhappy with the number of hours they work.

The survey of 2,195 GPs undertaken in 2021 found 33% planned to leave “direct patient care” by 2026. The Guardian

See also:

• Eleventh National GP Worklife Survey 2021 NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Systems and Commissioning
• Official GP work/life survey paints dire picture as one third consider quitting Pulse
• A third of GPs plan to quit within five years, finds survey University of Manchester

Half of small GP surgeries have shut in a decade with patients sent to 'soulless' alternatives

Half of small GP surgeries have shut in a decade with patients sent to 'soulless' alternatives Half of England’s small GP surgeries have closed in less than a decade – with more patients forced to travel to ‘soulless’ mega-practices, figures show.

Health leaders warned the move threatens the treasured doctor-patient relationship as patients are less likely to see the same medic each time. The Daily Mail

See also:

• 'Soul of general practice' at risk as small practices decimated since 2015 GPonline