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A clinician measuring a patient's blood pressure using a device on their finger.

Change for the better: how can the NHS Health Check better help patients manage cardiovascular disease risk?

Sophie GriffithsBrian McMillanKiera BartlettDavid French By , , and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

The NHS Health Check reaches more than a million patients each year. It involves cardiovascular risk assessments, which can be used to develop management strategies to help patients lower their risk of cardiovascular disease. But how often do these checks lead to sustained behaviour change? In this piece, published as part of the Healthy Hearts […]

Article image. Outdoor, group of students with female teacher sitting on grass

The right prescription? Young people, mental health and social prescribing

Author headshot By and Filed Under: All posts, Education, Health and Social Care Posted:

The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is a growing concern amongst policymakers and practitioners, with recent data from the World Health Organisation suggesting that one in seven young people globally aged 10-19 years, experience a diagnosable mental health condition. In this article, Ruth Farrimond-Goff and Professor Caroline Bond examine the implications […]

Two women are looking at each other laughing

Cervical cancer prevention: ensuring equity throughout the screening process

A portrait of Caroline SandersA portrait of Emma CrosbieJennifer Davies By , , and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Cervical cancer accounts for 1 in 50 new cancer cases in women and people with a cervix in the UK. Screening is essential to identify and treat preinvasive cervical disease, but many people report barriers to engaging with or accessing screening services. Here, Stephanie Gillibrand, Caroline Sanders, Emma Crosbie and Jennifer Davies share research into […]

Four children in white t-shirt uniforms are smiling and running

Transforming children and young people’s futures through PE, school sport, and physical activity

Sarah MacQuarrieAlexandra Hennessey author headshot By and Filed Under: All posts, Education, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Today’s children and young people encounter multifaceted challenges, including mental health concerns, reduced physical activity, and persistent inequities in access to sports. As the post-pandemic landscape reshapes our society, physical education (PE), school sports, and physical activity (PESSPA) emerge as critical tools in fostering healthier, happier, and more resilient children and young people. In this […]

NHS building

The growing infrastructure crisis in English NHS hospitals

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

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS England remains in crisis. We are now accustomed to ambulances queuing outside accident and emergency departments, bed shortages, growing waiting lists for elective care, and old, crumbling hospital buildings. In this article, from our On Infrastructure publication, Professor Anne Stafford examines the consequences of using private finance to deliver healthcare […]

Industrial chimney pluming out smoke surrounded by an urban landscape of buildings.

Advanced materials addressing health risks from exposure to benzene

Headshot of Martin Schröder.Headshot of Sihai Yang. By and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, Urban, Work Posted:

Benzene, a volatile organic compound (VOC) with widespread industrial applications, poses severe health risks to humans even at trace levels. Its genotoxic effects, which involve direct damage to cellular DNA and genetic material leading to mutations, are strongly linked to cancer and blood disorders, making its control a critical priority for workplace safety and environmental […]

A child's hand holding a toothbrush under a running tap.

Brushing up on oral health: how can health policy prevent tooth decay in children?

Dr Georgios KitsarasProfessor Tanya Walsh By , and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Children’s oral health in England is in crisis, with thousands of children across the country suffering from dental caries, the most prevalent and prominent form of dental disease. In response, the government has promised measures to tackle dental health inequalities. But how can policymakers best implement this plan to ensure it has the desired impact? […]

Several women practicing football on a grass field

Creating SPACES for young people’s wellbeing

Stephanie RaySamuel Hugh-Jones By , and Filed Under: Education, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Adolescent wellbeing is a predictor of school attainment, adult mental health, relationships, and socioeconomic outcomes. However, the wellbeing of young people in the UK has significantly decreased in the last two decades. Current research into creative health has found increasingly positive links between supporting participation in arts, culture, entertainment,and sports (SPACES) and young people’s wellbeing. […]

A hospital signpost, pointing toward the Outpatients Department, and the Maternity Department

From mental health to maternal health: understanding the link

A photo of Dr Holly HopeA photo of Dr Rohna KearneyA photo of Professor Kathryn Abel By , and Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

It is increasingly recognised that women’s health needs are under-resourced, under-researched, and under-funded. But what happens to women for whom multiple health needs overlap? Here, Dr Holly Hope, Dr Rohna Kearney, and Professor Kathryn Abel outline their research into the reproductive health outcomes of women with mental illness, and what is needed from policy and […]

A directory sign at an NHS facility; one arrow points to the sexual health clinic

Did the UK fail in its management of mpox? Lessons for future pandemics

A picture of Maurice NagingtonA photo of Jeremy WilliamsA photo of Jaime By , and Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

In 2022, Europe, the US, and Canada experienced widespread community transmission of mpox, constituting a health emergency. Previously, mpox had been endemic to Central and Western Africa. In the UK, a wide response involving multiple stakeholders was developed. In this article, Dr Maurice Nagington, Dr Jeremy Williams, and Dr Jaime Garcia-Iglesias discuss the findings of […]

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