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Policy@Manchester Articles: Health and Care
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Article image fertility law reform

Reforming UK fertility legislation: the effects of online DNA testing

Caroline Redhead headshotLucy Frith headshot By and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Science and Technology Posted:

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTCGT) from companies such as Ancestry and 23andMe has significantly impacted the dialogue around gamete (sperm and egg) donor conception. In the UK where the anonymity of donors is theoretically protected until a donor-conceived person turns 18, the growing use of DTCGT has prompted the regulator of reproductive technologies, the Human Fertilisation […]

Article cover image

What’s your language? Variation, dialect, interpreters and public services

Leonie Gaieser author imageRebecca Tipton By and Filed Under: All posts, Ethnicity, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, primary care services Posted:

As our public services face increasing linguistic diversity, booking a spoken language interpreter is often more complex than service providers realise or are trained to handle. In this article, Dr Leonie Gaiser and Dr Rebecca Tipton draw on their cross-disciplinary expertise in Linguistics and Interpreting Studies, to explore challenges in arranging language provision and discuss […]

A place to #BeeWell: Neighbourhood effects on young people’s wellbeing

By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Devo, Education, Health and Care Posted:

There is a public health crisis in young people’s wellbeing. Approximately one in six young people experience high levels of emotional difficulties that are likely to warrant significant additional support. A number of factors can impact wellbeing, and the neighbourhood in which a young person lives is one of them, with differences seen across Greater […]

Out of mind? What policymakers should learn from those who shielded from COVID-19

Charlotte Sharp headshot photo By and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Between the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and September 2021, 4.1 million people in the UK were asked to ‘shield’, including those with autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Shielding recommendations included staying at home, avoiding all face-to-face contact with those outside shielders’ households, and limiting interactions within households. Here, Dr Charlotte Sharp and Lynn […]

Ill-health and deprivation: How we can address health inequalities in left behind neighbourhoods

By Filed Under: All posts, Devo, Growth and Inclusion, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

We have long known that the health of people living in deprived areas is worse than the national average. But this raises important questions, such as how big is the gap? Is it narrowing or growing over time? Are some deprived places worse off than others? And how do health inequalities affect economic performance? In […]

Medics analysing MRI scan - feature image for dementia article

Capacity for change: improving the governance of dementia research

James Fletcher headshot By Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, primary care services, Research and development, Science and Technology Posted:

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) outlines legal decision-making procedures in England and Wales for people above the age of 16 who have an impairment of, or disturbance in, the functioning of the mind or brain. It specifies that research involving these people must be approved by a research ethics committee (REC) sanctioned by the […]

A person blowing their nose in a city centre park

Determining the impact of poor air quality in cities on daily life: the value of using ‘citizen sensors’ and agile platforms

By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Environment, Health and Care, Urban Posted:

The air in cities can be bad for our health. People who live in cities are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as COPD and be admitted to hospital with asthma attacks and other serious respiratory conditions. Whilst it is important to monitor these, focusing only on life-threatening events can mask a lower-level […]

Practice under pressure: how can the exodus of GPs be reversed?

By and Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

There is a workforce crisis in UK primary care. Analysis of the latest workforce data confirms a continuing drop in England’s number of general practitioners (GPs) – the equivalent of 2,133 fewer fully qualified, full-time GPs than in September 2015. One answer from policymakers has been the introduction of non-GP practitioners into surgeries, to alleviate […]

Older people playing bingo

Inequalities, COVID-19 and the older population: developing a community-based response

Camilla Lewisluciana Lang By , , and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Levelling up Posted:

Older people were disproportionately affected by the emergence and spread of COVID-19, whether in hospital, the community or in care homes. Just taking the period from January to December 2020, 72,178 people died 60 days after testing positive for COVID-19 or with it mentioned on their death certificate – 67, 451 of whom were 60 […]

Why do teachers need to think about student experiences of loneliness?

By , and Filed Under: Education, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Globally, many governments have set an objective to reduce loneliness, including among adolescents. So far, however, the focus has been on individuals, and is most often out of school time. In this article, Professor Pamela Qualter, Dr Rebecca Jefferson, and Dr Lily Verity discuss their work in the UK, and internationally, and argue whole school […]

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