Policy@Manchester Articles

Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

Policy@Manchester Articles
Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

The toll of ‘Deaths of Despair’ in England

By and Filed Under: British Politics, Cities and Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Levelling up, Urban Posted:

In 2015, a phenomenon coined as ‘Deaths of Despair’ (DoD) emerged in the US, highlighting an alarming increase in mortality due to drugs, alcohol, and suicides, particularly among white men without a college education. Here, Christine Camacho and Dr Luke Munford explore the spatial patterning of these deaths in England, where an estimated 46,200 lives […]

An older woman participates in an arts group activity, painting a picture of a lighthouse

Joining the dots: assessing the roll out of social prescribing link workers in primary care

Paul Wilson headshot By Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Social prescribing is the referral of patients to non-clinical treatments – often for mental health needs and long-term health conditions. In 2019, the NHS Long Term Plan embedded the role of link workers to coordinate and refer patients from Primary Care Networks. But are the right areas getting the support they need – and how […]

Temporary Workers sort asparagus in a production line

Precarious Work: The Consequences for Later Life Security

Kristian Fuzi By and Filed Under: All posts, Inclusive Growth, UK economy, Work, Working Futures Posted:

The concerning trend of precarious work is increasingly the focus of policymakers and researchers. Here, Kristian Fuzi and Professor Debora Price advocate for greater attention to the multiplicity of sectors and the widening age range of the workforce now affected by these working conditions.  Precarious work trends have serious consequences for the financial security of workers […]

Woman delivering medications

Don’t worry about the future, what about the ‘now of work’?

By and Filed Under: All posts, Growth and Inclusion, UK economy, Work Posted:

Amongst all the competing predictions about what the future of work might hold, the challenges of achieving decent work in the foundational economy have been largely overlooked. Here, Dr Mat Johnson and Dr Eva Herman argue that the focus should be on making tangible improvements to the working lives of those in the frontline roles that keep […]

Unjamming the (bio)printer: how can regulatory reform unleash new and advanced biomaterials?

By Filed Under: Health and Care, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

3D bioprinting technologies hold huge potential to transform patient care and treatment, delivering the next generation of personalised medicine. But current legislative boundaries are poorly defined, and the pathways to approval are unclear, creating unnecessary delays and costs in getting these new technologies to patients. Here, Dr Marco Domingos from the Bioprinting Technology Platform argues […]

Group of schoolchildren - article image

Wellbeing in education settings – listening to children and young people

Alexandra Hennessey author headshotKirsty Pert By , and Filed Under: All posts, Education Posted:

The role of education settings in promoting good wellbeing and mental health among children and young people has been increasingly formalised in national policy. But often the voices of the key stakeholders – children and young people – are not adequately sought, heard, or given due weight. In this article, Dr Ola Demkowicz, Dr Alexandra […]

Suicide prevention for veterans of the UK Armed Forces

Suicide prevention for veterans of the UK Armed Forces: adding to the national evidence base

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

There are no recent UK-wide studies, and comparatively few international ones, examining suicide in military veterans. This is despite increasing public concern about suicide and the mental health impact of serving in the UK Armed Forces, particularly following a period of intensive operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The recently published National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England sets […]

Old woman stacking shelves at a supermarket

Extending working lives – healthy ageing in the workplace

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

One in three workers in the UK are aged over 50 – with this figure set to rise in coming decades. Current government employment policy is to encourage over 50s to either to remain or return to work. However, the lasting impacts of COVID-19, along with caring, health, and work issues facing older workers, are […]

Tablets in therapeutic plastic packaging.

Culture shift: Tackling antimicrobial resistance from agriculture to operating table

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

In 2019, drug resistant microbial infections claimed more than 1.3 million lives, and over the next 25 years, it is expected that more people will die from drug resistant infections than from cancer. New antimicrobials and alternatives to traditional chemotherapeutic agents are urgently needed to treat infections that are resistant to all current therapies, alongside […]

What does a ‘metal intensive’ future entail?

By and Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Technology Posted:

Critical metals, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese, are key to the path towards net zero. The UK Government released their Critical Minerals Strategy in early 2023, which sets out to improve the resilience of the critical metal supply chain. In this article from our publication ‘On Resilience’, Dr Sampriti Mahanty and Professor […]

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Articles give the views of the author, and are not necessarily those of The University of Manchester.

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