health

Report that focuses on the general practice as a provider of primary care services, and while it is based on English NHS, many of the solutions could apply equally to general practice in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Although the association between health and unemployment has been well examined, less attention has been paid to the health of the economically inactive (EI) population. Scotland has one of the worst health records compared to any Western European country and the EI population account for 23% of the working age population.

The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the health outcomes and behaviours of the employed, unemployed and the EI populations (further subdivided into the permanently sick, looking after home and family [LAHF] and others) in Scotland.

Systematic review to establish the research evidence of the relationship between the psychosocial work environment and employee health and its impact on organisational production. Searches in several databases were performed in September 2009. Previously known studies were also included.

Paper that builds on an earlier publication ‘A glass half-full: how an asset approach can improve community health and wellbeing’. It promotes different ways of engaging local communities in co-producing local solutions and reducing health inequalities.

The paper argues that asset principles help us to understand what gives us health and wellbeing. It makes the case for developing ways of working that protect and promote the assets, resources, capacities and circumstances associated with positive health for everyone.

Report that forms part of a wider programme of work being carried out by The King’s Fund on health and wellbeing boards. The programme has supported several local authorities and their health partners to develop their shadow boards. As part of the programme, in late 2011, a survey of 50 local authority areas was conducted, covering all regions of England to find out how they and their health partners are implementing the new boards. Telephone interviews were conducted in September and October 2011 with lead officers identified by local authorities themselves.

Paper that focuses on the experiences of older people with multiple health problems, and particularly on their experiences inside hospital. Continuity is especially important for these older patients because: they are more likely to spend time in hospital and to be in hospital for longer; if they are frail, a stay in hospital can be life-changing; and, regrettably, in some hospitals and some wards older patients are exposed to unacceptable standards of care.

Paper that claims that there is more to choice reforms than an attempt to improve the efficiency of a health system. It argues that information imperfections in health care can undermine the case for a sole efficiency related driver in favour of other drivers such as modernization or middle class capture.

A national colloquium was held in November for an invited audience of public health, primary care, and local authority leaders. The summit considered how organisations could start to use the new arrangements for public health and commissioning positively at the local level to deliver better health outcomes and a reduction in health inequalities in the context of budget constraint.