Month: May 2019

Acting Early to improve childrens health

Posted on by CLAHRC

The life chances and wellbeing of young people are shaped by factors well beyond their immediate home and family life. The communities and neighbourhoods we grow up in play a big part in our development and health, and the quality of life we enjoy – or endure.

 

ActEarly is a major study launched this month. It will see researchers working with communities to build the “big picture” of factors impacting children’s health. This work is funded by the UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP) – an alliance of research funders committed to supporting research into the primary prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

ActEarly will investigate what external factors influence our health and wellbeing so we can act early to better support healthy childhoods.

The ultimate aim is to improve the life chances of children in two predominantly deprived areas in the UK, Bradford (Yorkshire) and Tower Hamlets (London) focusing on three main areas –  healthy places, healthy learning and healthy livelihoods.

Professor John Wright, who will be leading the study gives the background to this research and what it aims to achieve in a new blog

£25 million funding awarded to leading disease prevention projects

Back to listing 9 May 2019 In its first ever funding round, the UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP) is investing £25 million into understanding and influencing the social, economic and environmental factors that affect our health.

How can we help Emergency Departments better prepare for the arrival of patients with acute mental health problems?

Posted on by CLAHRC

New CLAHRC research offers the NHS a great opportunity to better support patients with mental health issues arriving at Emergency Departments.

CLAHRC researcher Dr Helen Barratt and colleagues have used NHS data to describe the population of patients who attend Emergency Departments in England, including their sociodemographic characteristics. As part of the first national study of Emergency Department mental health attendances, the researchers analysed over 6 million adult visits at 97 English NHS Trusts between April 2013 and March 2014.

The data will be invaluable to the NHS in estimating the demand for liaison psychiatry services, and resourcing A & E departments to deal with patients presenting with mental health issues in what is already a stressful environment. This work is timely as recently new NHS Access standards for emergency mental health care have been proposed – obliging Trusts to strengthen the availability of care ‘out of hours’ and the provision of resources for individuals requiring admission.

“Those coming to A&E will receive a response from a 24/7 liaison psychiatry team (or equivalent children’s and young people’s service) within the first hour of their referral, and will receive the appropriate, timely support to meet their needs and an evidence-based package of care.”
Clinically-led Review of NHS Access Standards Interim Report from the NHS National Medical Director

You can see the key figures in the infographic below

 

You can see more of the key figures in a presentation Helen put together below