Funding, news and events from January 2022 

Current opportunities 

MJ Achievement Awards 2022 

Local government has a vital role in creating the conditions for good health. At this year’s MJ Awards, we’re celebrating the work of local authorities delivering place-based approaches to health equity. Read more about our sponsored award

Research and engagement officer post with Solace, supported by the Health Foundation 

We’re working with Solace to understand how local government can continue to build local and place-based approaches to health, with a focus on the wider determinants of health. Apply now for this role in the Solace team
 

Long reads  

Debt and health: Preventing ‘problem debt’ during the pandemic recovery 

Our new analysis explores the relationship between debt and health, setting out trends since the pandemic. It discusses key interventions that will assist economic recovery, improve health and reduce health inequalities. Making such an investment is key for a more prosperous future. Read the analysis

How better use of data can help address key challenges facing the NHS

Better use of the data generated within the NHS can play a critical role in supporting direct care, service improvement, research and innovation. However, longstanding barriers currently prevent this from happening. Our new long read looks at the data landscape, barriers, and how to overcome these. Read more
 

Blogs  

Collaborating on the wider determinants of health

How can the public health community find new ways to strengthen its influence during pandemic recovery? Our research consultant, Liz Cairncross, shares learnings from our recent grant programme led by the UK Public Health Network. Read Liz’s blog
 

Briefings 

Tackling the inverse care law: analysis of policies to improve general practice in deprived areas since 1990

The provision of general practice in England is fundamentally unfair. In this new report, we analyse attempts by national policymakers to reduce inequity in the supply of GP services in England since 1990. This includes policies on general practice funding, workforce, premises, contracts and commissioning. Read the briefing
 

Journals 

Wider consequences of pandemic risk controls on access to secondary mental health services

A new study by THIS Institute found the COVID-19 pandemic forced secondary mental health services to make sudden and extensive changes in the way they operated and this had profound effects on service users’ perceptions of whether they were eligible for, and ‘worthy of’, care and support. Staff experienced moral distress, knowing they were not able to provide the right level and quality of care, and worrying about unmet need. Find out more 
 

News 

What drives health inequalities? 

Improvements in life expectancy stalled in the decade before the pandemic and there are wide inequalities in health within and between local areas in the UK. Our new section on the Health Foundation evidence hub offers data and insights into what drives health inequalities in the UK. Explore the hub

Councils need certainty on public health funding at this crucial moment for the nation’s health 

David Finch, Assistant Director of Healthy Lives, responds to the LGA’s call to urgently publish the Public Health Grant allocations. Read David’s statement 

Government must be honest about consequences of not introducing new COVID-19 measures for the NHS 

Senior Policy Fellow Tim Gardner responds to NHS monthly performance statistics, suggesting that ‘the urgent need for a fully funded workforce plan is long overdue’. Read Tim’s statement

Latest data shows that a child born in the UK today will die nearly 5 years earlier than previously predicted

Read our response to the latest Office for National Statistics data on UK life expectancy. David Finch, Assistant Director of Healthy Lives, emphasises the importance of a ‘whole government approach’ to improving life expectancy for people in the UK. Read our response

Government must be realistic about the time and resources needed to clear the NHS backlog

Anita Charlesworth, Director of Research and the REAL Centre, responds to the Health and Social Care Select Committee's report on clearing the backlog caused by the pandemic. Read Anita’s statement
 

This content originally featured in our email newsletter, which explores perspectives and expert opinion on a different health or health care topic each month.