Population Health Academy Newsletter

March 2025

December 2024

September 2024

Prevention and Inequalities Regional Updates

Publications and guidance:

  • NHS England has published the Patient Safety Healthcare Inequalities Reduction Framework. This framework outlines five principles to reduce patient safety healthcare inequalities across the NHS, providing practical guidance for NHS teams to create inclusive, safe care environments through improved communication, staff training, better data collection, community involvement, and targeted research.
  • UKHSA colleagues have published a report that provides a high-level description of the current state of inequalities in health protection in England. The report focuses on 3 main dimensions of inequality: people living in different areas of deprivation; people from different ethnic groups and geographical inequalities. There are chapters on infectious diseases, environmental hazards, inclusion health groups and economic cost estimates, and the report acts as an example of how we can illustrate the distribution of inequality. 
  • NHS England have released an improvement framework centred on community language translation and interpreting services. It is designed to support the provision of consistent, high-quality community language translation and interpreting services by the NHS to people with limited English proficiency.

Prevention:

Health inequalities:

Training / learning opportunities / events:

  • South East Maternity and Neonatal webinar - Born in the right place. Monday 23 June at 9:30-12:00. Register here.
  • ASH will be delivering a webinar on delivering hte shift to prevention in the NHS. Tuesday 17 June at 11:30-12:30. The webinar will explore the changing role of ICBs in response to the government's priority to 'shift to prevention' and will be chaired by Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King's Fund. The keynote speaker will be Jim Mackey, Chief Executive of NHSE. The session will take tobacco control as the case study for what can be achieved and highlight the opportunities to accelerate progress in preventing the major drivers of poor health and health inequalities. Register here.
  • Gambling Harm Reduction Funding Call. 12 June at 14:00-14:45. The meeting will serve to introduce the Community Investment Programme, a key initiative of the Network to Reduce Gamblng Harms in Great Britain. During the event, there will be an outline of how organisations can access a funding envelope of u to £1,000,000 for community-focussed initiatives. Funding opportunities are with a view to support work that increases community resilience to gambling-related harm and embeds prevention and support for gambling harms into existing programmes, policies, and services. Register here.
  • NHS Impact are hosting a virtual lunch and learn exploring health inequalities in high-intensity use of emergency services and improvement strategies to address them. 10 July 2025 at 14:00-14:50. Guest speaker Kate Griffiths from the British Red Cross will discuss key findings and insights from the latest report, nowhere else to turn. Register here.
  • Community Language Translation and Interpreting Framework webinar. Thursday 26 June at 11:30. Professor Bola Owolabi invites you to an informative and interactive session as we launch the Community Languages Translation and Interpreting Framework for Action for the NHS. Regsiter here.
  • Join the MSK health inequalities community of practice. Thursday 3rd June at 12:30. Are you working to tackle inequalities in MSK health? Join the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance's (ARMA) monthly community of practice for presentations, discussions and peer support. Register here.
  • The NHS ConfedExpo 2025 is taking place on the 11 and 12 June in Manchester. The Expo covers a range of topics spanning prevention and health inequalities.

Other useful links:

Publications and guidance:

Prevention:

Health inequalities:

Training, learning opportunities and events:

  • Obesity Pathway Innovation Work - Innovate UK are looking to help shape new and innovative community-based care pathways to improve access to weight management services. A recording of the original webinar to launch the work can be found here.
  • The Health Foundation is hosting a webinar 'How can we tell more powerful stories about health and health inequalities?': 20 May 11:00. Register here.
  • Watch the NHS Confederation recording on 'Health inequalities - the benefits of community engagement' exploring the impact of proactive patient engagement. Find the slides and recording here.
  • Also on the NHS Confederation 'Addressing the wider determinants of health - exploring the impact of social prescribing on health inequalities'. Covers how the increased skill mix provided by the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) enables general practice to support patients with the wider determinants of health. Watch the recording here.
  • Centre for Homelessness Research and Practice (CHRP) based at the University of Southampton are organising a conference showcasing the diverse voices, innovative projects, and research that push the boundaries of what's possible in homelessness support and intervention. 11 June at Mary Ward House in London. The full agenda will be released in May but will cover all of the following in relation to homelessness: Neurodivergence, climate, gender specific challenges, workforce development and co-creation. Register for the event here. Any queries can be directed to chrp@soton.ac.uk.
  • Applications to join the Population Health Fellowship's 5th Cohort are open until 27 June 2025. This opportunity supports improving the physical and mental health outcomes and wellbeing of people, while reducing health inequalities within and across a defined population.

Other useful links:

Prevention:

Tobacco

  • ASH is hosting a webinar to support mental health trusts to manage the transition from single-use to reusable vapes. It will take place on MS Teams. 7th May, 14:00 – 15:00 - you can register for the event here. The session will include case studies and learning from trusts using reusable products, along with a case study from the prison service on a new tamper-resistant vape developed for use in prisons. The session will be recorded and uploaded to the ASH website, along with the slides.
  • ASH have shared findings from a survey around smokefree policies and tobacco dependence treatment services in NHS mental health trusts in England (2024). This includes a summary of key findings and their suggested recommendations.

Alcohol

  • The Public Health team at East Sussex County Council have conducted an evaluation of their East Sussex Alcohol Care Team. It has since been confirmed that East Sussex ACT has secured a 6-month extension in funding, with the intention of transitioning to a substantive service as part of ESHT (East Sussex Healthcare Trust).

Obesity and Weight Management

  • Innovate UK hosted a sandpit series on innovating obesity pathways – the series has now passed but there is information and a recording of one of the sessions which may be useful. Information on the sessions including a contact email can be found here. The recording can be found here.
  • Thank you to all those that have helped and continue to support engagement with DWMP via the DWMP Lunch and Learns 
    There have been over 100 attendees at the session on the 9th April, some attending in groups, and with many more that have since viewed the recording (please feel free to share as needed). Good progress on increasing eligible referrals has been made in the region and we plan to continue engagement throughout the upcoming year to support further improvements in the South East.

Health inequalities:

  • Health Equity Network Monthly Webinar – Marmot Places, Thursday 24 April 12:30 – 13:30, online. Professor Sir Michael Marmot and Dr. Jessica Allen from the UCL Institute of Health Equity will discuss the current state of health inequalities, the rationale behind Marmot Places, and their structure and impact. Additionally, a public health leader from a Marmot Place will share insights on local efforts to address health inequalities and the journey of working towards becoming a Marmot Place. Register to attend on the Health Equity website.
  • Well Newham have shared a Health Equity Toolkit to support service commissioners, designers and providers to analyse how equitable a service is. 

 

Prevention and Inequalities National Updates

A message from Professor Bola Owolabi, Director - National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme, NHS England

I hope you had a restful Easter break. 

At the end of March, I had the pleasure of co-chairing a joint NHS England and Nuffield Trust roundtable on addressing inequalities in children’s oral health.

We heard examples of best practice about supervised toothbrushing in schools in Sittingbourne, innovation in Suffolk and in Blackburn with Darwen, where oral healthcare and dentistry is being made available to the most deprived communities through courageous leadership and strong partnerships. 

The recently announced funding for supervised tooth brushing schemes is a powerful enabler for initiatives such as these and strengthens our ambitions to reduce health inequalities in oral health as outlined in the Core20PLUS5 approach for children and young people. 

On 8 April, I visited the recently opened Brixton Blood Donor Centre in south London. The need for more people to give blood - especially those of Black Caribbean and Black African heritage -has never been greater. The centre is exceeding expectations on the number of donors coming through its doors, thanks to the brilliant work of our colleagues at NHS Blood and Transplant. 

The service demonstrates how we can create services that are culturally competent, equitably accessible and genuinely responsive to people’s needs. When we involve people in designing their care, it works.  

Blood donations provide life-saving treatment for those with inherited blood conditions. On 8 May, we will mark International Thalassaemia Day. The work of donation centres such as Brixton are vitally important in reducing health inequalities for people living with thalassaemia. Encouraging donations from all communities enables closely matched blood donations that reduce the risk of adverse reactions in people needing regular transfusions. 

I wish you a productive and successful month ahead. 

With best wishes, 
Bola

Latest Updates

Professor Bola Owolabi visits community-designed blood donor centre

On 8 April, Professor Bola Owolabi visited the newly opened Brixton Blood Donor Centre in south London. The centre has been designed to welcome the local community to give blood by creating a friendly and comfortable community environment.

Professor Bola visited the fantastic team on the ground who are championing Black heritage donors and driving more genetic testing and future blood matching. 

Keep your eyes peeled for our video of the visit coming soon!

Reducing healthcare inequalities in cervical cancer

NHS England has published 'Cervical cancer elimination by 2040 - plan for England', which sets out how improving equitable uptake and coverage across HPV vaccination and cervical screening can help eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

One of the five themes, reducing inequalities, aims to address barriers to vaccination and screening services for underserved communities and supports the 'early cancer diagnosis' clinical area of focus of the Core20PLUS5 approach.

How physical activity can reduce health inequalities

NHS England has produced a resource on harnessing the benefits of physical activity that highlights the evidence base for embedding physical activity across systems and communities.

It empowers health and care professionals to reduce inequalities in health outcomes and align clinical pathways to the Core20PLUS5 approach by promoting physical activity.

Editorials raise awareness of sickle cell disorder

NHS editorials on sickle cell disorder (SCD) have been featured in Pride, African Voice and The Voice publications.

Featuring perspectives from both clinicians and patients, the articles raise awareness of SCD and encourage blood donation to save lives.

Podcast addresses health inequalities in primary care

Primary care colleagues including GPs, practice managers and community pharmacists have shared how digital technology is being used to address known health inequalities by increasing access to NHS services.

Listen to the podcast, or read the transcript, for episode two on the NHS England - North East and Yorkshire website.

Campaign resources available for International Thalassaemia Day

NHS England has created campaign resources for International Thalassaemia Day on 8 May to help you raise awareness of the condition. To request a copy, please email england.sicklecellreview@nhs.net.

Entries open for HSJ reducing healthcare inequalities award

Has your NHS organisation worked in an innovative or creative way to reduce healthcare inequalities, especially those which align with the Core20PLUS5 approach?

The Health Service Journal Awards 2025 is calling for entries to its 'Innovation and Improvement in Reducing Healthcare Inequalities' award before the deadline of 30 May.

Start your entry now on the HSJ Awards website.

News from our partners

Eight insights into Core20PLUS5 Connectors system change

The Health Creation Alliance has published 'Sustainability Leading to System Change Report', which highlights the value of the Core20PLUS5 Connectors programme and contains eight insights into how systems can help continue service redesign and system change.

NHS Race and Health Observatory strategy 2025-2027 published

The NHS Race and Health Observatory (RHO) has published its strategy for 2025-2027.

Incorporating feedback and engagement from partners, stakeholders, patients and communities, it frames more equitable healthcare with robust and co-designed ambitions.

Read the strategy on the NHS RHO's website

Community-led project to reduce health inequalities publishes report

Community-led project Partnership for Black People's Health, hosted by Queen Mary University of London, has published a report on the importance of engaging Black African and Black Caribbean communities in research to reduce health inequalities.

Bridging Hearts: addressing health inequalities in heart health

The British Heart Foundation has published 'Bridging Hearts: addressing inequalities in cardiovascular health and care', which considers how level of deprivation, sex and ethnicity can impact a person's cardiovascular health. 

The Safety Gap report: addressing inequalities in sensory impairments

The Patient Safety Commissioner has published 'The Safety Gap', a report which addresses safety and accessibility challenges faced by patients with sensory impairments when using medicines and medical devices.

Select committee report: 'England's Homeless Children' released

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has released a report considering the experiences of homeless children in temporary accommodation.

NHS Confederation publishes alleviating child poverty briefing

NHS Confederation's 'Alleviating child poverty' briefing explores the critical role integrated care systems can play in the government's child poverty strategy.

Stroke Association report reveals inequalities in lifechanging treatments

The Stroke Association has published 'Unlocking potential: a bold vision for stroke care in England', which considers some of the outstanding challenges for the NHS and its partners in ensuring equity of access to lifechanging treatments.

Events and Webinars

NHS ConfedExpo 2025 agenda now live: book your pass today!
11 and 12 June 2025 | Manchester Central

Join over 5,000 peers and system partners at NHS ConfedExpo, the UK’s leading health and care conference.

The agenda lists over 170 sessions including thought-provoking keynotes, panel discussions and interactive workshops. Professor Bola Owolabi, director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England, is taking part in a number of panels and there will be a health inequalities theatre across both days.

Book your pass today. NHS, local authority and wider public sector staff are eligible for a free ticket. 

The King's Fund: Tackling health inequalities: mission impossible?
Tuesday 6 May 2025 | The King's Fund, London W1G 0AN

This conference will discuss how those working in the health and care system can make a difference to inequalities, particularly in context of the government's plans to develop a 10-year plan for health.
You can book your place here.

HSJ Reducing Health Inequalities Forum
Monday 19 May 2025 | Park Regis, Birmingham

Join leaders across the healthcare spectrum to focus on embedding health equity through the lens of the government's upcoming 10 year health plan. This year's agenda emphasises the need for a cohesive, long-term approach to address health inequalities.

Register for your place now.

Have you seen?

Dr Brenda Hayanga's blog on the challenges of accessing high-quality, disaggregated ethnicity data, and how innovative methods can be used to reduce racial and ethnic health inequalities. 

You can read the blog post on the The Race Equality Foundation's website.

A message from Professor Bola Owolabi, Director - National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme, NHS England
On 9 March we marked a UK-wide COVID-19 Day of Reflection, remembering the tens of thousands of people who lost their lives in the pandemic. With underserved communities disproportionately affected due to different factors, the day reminded us of the importance of understanding the uneven impact of such health emergencies.

The day was also a chance to pay tribute to the unrelenting, selfless and intensive efforts made by NHS and healthcare staff to save lives. The NHS response to the pandemic felt the full gaze of public scrutiny, and our brilliant people rose to the challenge. 

During this time, we developed many innovative approaches to care, from mutual aid agreements between organisations to the greater use of virtual appointments. It is important that we continue to apply these lessons to evolving priorities, to ensure no one is left behind by our services.  

Earlier this month, I joined the biennial Sciana Global Health Leaders Network in Copenhagen to explore innovative approaches to public health. It was great to hear from Dr Hans Kluge, the World Health Organisation’s Regional Director for Europe, about the strategic challenges we all face – another reminder that there can be no global health security without global health equity.   

This week, I attended two important summits that addressed health inequity. The Black Health Inequalities Summit was a great chance to reflect on some of the inspiring ways that communities are developing local solutions to tackle health inequalities. And my panel session at the UK Health Security Agency conference allowed us to imagine a future model health system with health equity embedded at its core and how we can make this a reality.               

Lastly, most of you will have seen recent news about NHS England. With this background of organisational transition, I can assure you that our team will continue to champion and deliver vital healthcare inequalities improvement work. Our mission remains as critical as ever: exceptional quality healthcare for all, through equitable access, excellent experience and optimal outcomes.

With best wishes, 
Bola

Good practice from local teams

'Was not brought' AI tool reduces barriers to children's hospital attendance 
The Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust's 'Was Not Brought' intervention uses an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to predict the likelihood of a child not being brought to their outpatient appointment. 
'Was Not Brought', which was established to address the COVID-19 backlog in paediatric care, allows service improvement and outpatient teams to target support to families, e.g. providing access to transport.
The AI tool removes barriers to attendance by using sixty variables to predict the risk, many of which relate to health inequalities. The initial roll out highlighted that children living in more deprived communities, in homes where English is not their first language, and particularly from the Roma community, were most at risk.
Read more about the Was Not Brought initiative on The Strategy Unit website.

Latest updates

NHS England clinical advisor delivers equity talk
Dr Aoife Molloy, Senior Clinical Advisor for NHS England's National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme and consultant in infectious diseases, has delivered an equity talk about Core20PLUS5. The talk was part of the 2024 Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity (AFHE) fellowship.

Podcast: why health equity matters for everyone
Professor Bola Owolabi, Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England, has taken part in a Clinical Changemakers podcast discussing health inequalities.
In the episode, Professor Owolabi shares her insights on health inequalities in England, how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed pre-existing disparities and the innovative Core20PLUS5 framework to drive meaningful change across communities. Listen to the full episode here.

Rare diseases action plan launched
The government has published 'England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2025', a policy paper that reports new findings on the inequalities that people living with rare conditions face in accessing the health care they need.
There are over 3.5 million people in the UK living with a rare condition, which includes cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disorder. Read the report here. 

COVID-19 vaccine materials available
A range of assets are now available to share to encourage uptake of the spring COVID-19 vaccine, which is available to those eligible to book from 1 April until 17 June 2025. 
The assets include social cards, posters, A5 flyers, postcards, business cards and screen display slides. They are available in English and 25 other languages. For more information, please contact roopal.vyas-patel@nhs.net

National report outlines measures to improve care for tuberculosis patients
The 'Getting It Right First Time' projects team at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital has produced a data-driven national report into tuberculosis (TB) that outlines measures which can improve services for TB patients and the NHS staff who care for them.
It shares critical findings and recommendations to help reduce the burden of TB on patients, their carers, providers of TB services and the local and national health systems. Read the report here.

Change NHS: have your say on emerging ideas for change 
Since the launch of Change NHS to have the biggest conversation on the future of the NHS, over 100,000 contributions have been made and over 1.5 million visits to change.nhs.uk. To help finalise the plan, we need to get views on the emerging ideas from the engagement so far. Please visit priorities for change to have your say by Monday 14 April.

Apply for Population Health Fellowship fifth cohort 
NHS England's Population Health Fellowship is offering a fifth cohort of its year-long fellowship.
Available for healthcare and care workforces in England, the fellowship aims to develop and grow a workforce of professionals who will incorporate population health into their everyday jobs.
This opportunity supports improving the physical and mental health outcomes and wellbeing of people, while reducing health inequalities within and across a defined population. Read about the fellowship's fifth cohort on the NHS England website. Applications are open until 27 June 2025.

News from our partners

The King's Fund publishes long read addressing inequalities
The King's Fund's long read 'The health of women from ethnic minority groups in England' discusses how women from ethnic minority groups experience inequalities in health, and in access to, and experience of, health care services.

Health Creation Alliance blog post explores government's three shifts
The Health Creation Alliance's chief executive, Merron Simpson, has written a blog post discussing how the shift from sickness to prevention can empower communities to address healthcare inequalities.

Joint report highlights how racism affects health
The Health Foundation and the Runnymede Trust have published a joint report, 'How racism affects health', which highlights variations in the experience of the building blocks of health according to ethnicity.

'Lost boys' report explores divergence in boys' and girls' life outcomes
The Centre for Social Justice has published a report, 'Lost boys', which explores the divergence between the life outcomes of boys and girls, and highlights experiences of boys and young men from low socio-economic backgrounds or from certain ethnic minority groups.

Events and webinars

Support those needing translation and interpreting services
Tuesday 29 April 2025 - 10:00am - 12:00pm | Online
Professor Bola Owolabi, Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England, invites you to join the launch event of the Community Languages Translation and Interpreting (CLTI) Framework for Action for the NHS. 
You will learn how the framework will address healthcare inequalities for those needing translation and interpreting services. Register for the event here.

Register for NHS ConfedExpo 2025 
11 and 12 June 2025 | Manchester Central
Book your pass today to join over 5,000 leaders, professionals and sector partners to collaborate, share insights and develop innovative solutions to deliver high quality care for all.Hear from inspiring thought-leaders, share learnings in interactive workshops and discover the latest tech and innovations that will leave you inspired with new ideas to help transform health and care in your local area. NHS, local authority and wider public sector staff are eligible for a free ticket.  

Learn about AI in healthcare at ambassador network meeting
Wednesday 2 April 2025 - 10:30am to 11:50am | Online
Learn about the impact and value of artificial intelligence through an evaluation of the NHS AI Lab, AI in cardiology, technical assurance and more at the AI Ambassador Network meeting. The network is a 3,500+ strong learning community for anyone in healthcare and interested in AI.
Join the network and register for the meeting here. For more information, please email mlcsu.aiambassadornetwork@nhs.net

Have you seen?

The NHS Race & Health Observatory's survey report: 'Patient Experience and Trust in Primary Care' and briefing paper: 'The Cost of Racism - How ethnic health inequalities are standing in the way of growth'.

A message from Professor Bola Owolabi, Director - National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme, NHS England

As we enter the first month of spring, we also welcome the holy month of Ramadan. For colleagues observing, I wish you and your friends and family a peaceful and joyful period of reflection. Ramadan Mubarak. 

In mid-February, I was delighted to speak at the launch event of the health inequalities improvement framework for Integrated Care Systems, developed by the Care Quality Commission in collaboration with National Voices, The Point of Care Foundation and with input from the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England.

This innovative tool emphasises a local approach to tackling healthcare inequalities. Its power lies in asking how well we are listening to the seldom-heard voices of underserved communities and making real, tangible improvements to their lives. 

In context of the 10 Year Health Plan, I attended the Public Health in the NHS Professional Network's Health Inequalities Conference and contributed to a parliamentary roundtable on dementia, healthy ageing and digital inclusion. Making health equity a reality is our mission, and we’ll keep moving forward to make this vision real. There is still time to make your voice heard and help shape the future of the health service. 

Cancer Research UK has published ‘Cancer in the UK 2025: Socioeconomic deprivation’, a highly insightful report that reinforces the significance of cancer being a clinical priority area in our Core20PLUS5 approach. We will continue to work energetically with our Community Connectors, Ambassadors and voluntary and community, faith and social enterprise partners to drive uptake of cancer screening, advocacy once on the pathway and support if living with cancer.  

Finally, you may have heard the announcement from NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard. Amanda has been a powerful champion and advocate for our work on tackling health inequalities. Under her leadership, we have made significant progress on reducing health inequalities in coastal communities, embedding the Core20PLUS5 approach and improving the sickle cell pathway, amongst several other advancements. 
With best wishes, 
Bola

Latest updates

North Middlesex University Hospital opens sickle cell by-pass model of care 
North Middlesex University Hospital has introduced a new model of care that will enable around 1,200 patients with sickle cell conditions in north central London to bypass emergency departments and receive specialist treatment.
The initiative is part of NHS England's efforts to roll out seven new specialist by-pass units across the country that allow patients experiencing a sickle cell crisis to get pain relief and other treatment as soon as possible.

Find health literacy levels in your local area 
Are you curious about how many people in your area can understand information about their health? Poor health literacy is a key indicator of health inequalities. NHS England has commissioned a health literacy geodata tool that provides a percentage estimate of low health literacy among local health authority populations.
For further information, please email NHS England's Knowledge and Library Services team at england.kfh@nhs.net or find out more about health literacy at an upcoming webinar delivered by NHS England and North East and North Cumbria ICB. 

Professor Green helps NHS promote children's oral health 
Rapper and health activist Professor Green is helping the NHS promote children's oral health by launching a competition for primary schools across the South West.
To spread awareness, he is supporting England’s largest supervised toothbrushing scheme, 'Big Brush Club', addressing the issue that one in five five-year-olds in the South West has tooth decay. This supports the Core20PLUS5 approach to reducing health inequalities for children and young people.

Roundtable discussion report published on tackling health inequalities 
The Health Innovation Network has published 'Forging a more equitable healthy future through policy and partnership', a roundtable report on health inequality and innovation.
The roundtable discussion, held in December 2024, followed the publication of the 'Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme (InHIP): impact and learning report', where InHIP addressed patient access to proven innovations in underserved populations. 

Regional events under way to shape 10 Year Health Plan 
Hundreds from the health and care workforce have contributed to four of seven regional deliberative events across the country to help shape the 10 Year Health Plan, including in Reading with Professor Bola Owolabi attending. A fifth event in Peterborough is being held in late February.
Help build a health service fit for the future at change.nhs.uk by sharing your experiences, identifying key challenges and suggesting ways to improve the NHS.

Alumni event shares good Core20PLUS5 practice
The first national Core20PLUS5 ambassador alumni event of 2025 for Cohorts 1 and 2 was held on 12 February. Attended by nearly 80 ambassadors, the virtual event exchanged ongoing contributions to tackling health inequalities.
Four alumni members presented topics including: co-leading community events with underserved communities; making health inequalities data meaningful; qualitative insights from underrepresented groups to inform health service improvements; and missed opportunities for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in the Black Country.

Download MMR leaflets to raise awareness in ethnic minority communities 
You can help raise awareness for Measles Immunization Day on 16 March by downloading a range of leaflets on measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) 
With leaflets on cervical screening and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine also available, the resources feature spokespeople from relevant communities and are available in a range of languages. Print them now to use at your events, surgeries, clinics and pharmacies. 
For more information, please contact roopal.vyas-patel@nhs.net

Hear about women's experiences of cervical cancer screening
Interested in hearing directly from women about their real-life experiences of cervical cancer screening? Tune into our SoundCloud podcast 'Preventing cervical cancer', which features Anne, Beth, Sophie and Sian discussing their own journeys alongside expert insights from GPs.
Share this NHS England podcast to support your ongoing efforts to improve awareness and uptake of the screening and human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination.

News from our partners

CQC launches health inequalities improvement framework for ICSs  
The Care Quality Commission (CQC), in collaboration with National Voices and The Point of Care Foundation and with input from NHS England, has launched a framework for engaging with people and communities to address health inequalities. It supports integrated care systems (ICSs) in reducing health inequalities by improving the way they engage with people and communities, identified in the Core20PLUS5 approach.
Professor Bola Owolabi spoke at the framework's launch event on 12 February, which explored how it can help ICSs identify areas for improvement and take strategic action to support their people and communities.
For further information, please contact icshealthinequalities@cqc.org.uk

Submit evidence for government digital inclusion action plan
The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology is seeking views on its recently published 'Digital Inclusion Action Plan: First Steps', which aims to close digital divisions in the UK.
The call for evidence is open until 9 April 2025.

Royal College of Physicians launches principles for an integrated public health system
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has launched a set of principles aimed at strengthening and integrating the UK's public health system. Developed in collaboration with leading health organisations and think tanks, these principles aim to be a roadmap for more effective, cohesive and equitable public health. 

The King's Fund publishes long reads on 10 Year Health Plan and digital health services 
The King's Fund has published a two long reads. 'The 10 Year Health Plan: What do we know about public perceptions of the three shifts?' examines what the public think of the government's three health shifts. Jointly authored with Ipsos, the read draws on existing data from their work analysing public opinion.
'Designing inclusive and trusted digital health services with people and communities' discusses how digital services should be designed and improved by listening to the voices of people and communities.

BIMA highlights ways to reduce inequalities in cancer screening 
The British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA) has released a video encouraging the use of culturally tailored approaches to increase cancer screening uptake within Muslim communities.
This follows the recent NHS roll out of home testing for bowel cancer to over 50s. The BIMA hopes to conduct a larger-scale study to explore the acceptability and feasibility of culturally tailored interventions.

Black Maternity Experience Survey 2025 launched 
Women's health organisation Five X More has launched its Black Maternity Experience Survey 2025 to address the overall maternity experience and mental health of black women during and after pregnancy.
The survey is designed for individuals who identify as black or black mixed-ethnicity and are currently pregnant, have been pregnant, or have given birth since July 2021. Survey results will feed into meaningful recommendations that contribute to safer, more equitable maternity care for black women in the UK.

Jaundice infographic published to help reduce neonatal ethnic inequalities  
The NHS Race & Health Observatory (RHO) has published an infographic to help healthcare professionals assess babies with dark skin tones, who are at a higher risk of developing jaundice and experiencing delayed diagnosis and treatment.
'Ten Steps to Spot Jaundice in Black and Brown babies' is a vital tool in reducing neonatal ethnic health inequalities and follows the RHO's 2023 Review of Neonatal Assessment and Practice in Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic Newborns, which highlighted the need for educational resources.

Guidance released to support learning disability workforce 
The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has released guidance for the adult social care workforce to help tackle inequalities in care. ‘Tackling inequalities in care for people with learning disabilities and autistic people’ explores how inequalities such as delays in diagnosis, lack of reasonable adjustments, and ‘diagnostic overshadowing’, can be addressed.

Events and webinars

Register for NHS ConfedExpo 2025 
11 and 12 June 2025 | Manchester Central
Book your pass today to join over 5,000 leaders, professionals and sector partners to collaborate, share insights and develop innovative solutions to deliver high quality care for all.
Hear from inspiring thought-leaders, share learnings in interactive workshops and discover the latest tech and innovations that will leave you inspired with new ideas to help transform health and care in your local area. NHS, local authority and wider public sector staff are eligible for a free ticket. 

Learn about health literacy in a free webinar 
Tuesday 4 March and Monday 31 March - 1:00pm to 3:00pm | Online
Did you know that the average reading age of adults in the UK is 9-11 years old? 
If you communicate with patients and members of the public or are interested in improving health communication and patient outcomes, join this free webinar to learn how you can help people understand health information. You'll get practical tips and advice on improving your everyday communications.
Find more information and sign up for the date of your choice.

Register for the UKHSA Conference 2025
Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 March | Manchester Central
Register for the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)'s conference that has an overarching theme of health inequalities. A  number of the sessions will focus on Core20PLUS communities and one of the sessions will further explore the levers and opportunities for change in health equity.
The conference is for public health professionals, researchers and academics, policymakers and industry representatives. You can register for the event here.

Have you seen?

The Red Cell Network's (led by the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) video showing audience members' feedback on their documentary film about sickle cell disorder. See the feedback from members of the audience and find out more about the docufilm. 

 

Other

The Active Practice Charter is an initiative by The Royal College of GPs and Sport England to inspire and celebrate the GP practices that champion the role of physical activity in improving everybody’s health and wellbeing. Become an RCGP Active Practice.
 
Become an Active Practice by making some simple but impactful changes that demonstrate to your patients and staff that movement is medicine, and we can all feel better by moving more. See here the practices that have already achieved their chartership RCGP Active Practice Charter map.
 
The Active Practice Charter is free to join; all you need to do is demonstrate you have taken steps in the practice to:
Reduce sedentary behaviour in staff and patients
Increase physical activity in staff and patients
Partner with a local physical activity provider
 
The initiative can be led by anyone in the practice, and aimee.cadman@energiseme.org from your local active partnership, offers tailored support for practices to achieve the accreditation – get in touch to discuss further.

Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) provides comprehensive support, advice and forensic medical examination services to people who have experienced rape or sexual assault throughout Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Treetops is a 24/7 service operating 365(6) days a year and staffed by Crisis Workers and Sexual Offence Examiners. Most people engage with Treetops through the Police, but self-referrals are accepted.

The team of Crisis Workers offer 24/7 telephone support. The Crisis Worker can talk you through your options and provide information on the support available. In addition, they can refer and/or signpost you to a range of services including the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) service and therapeutic support. A Sexual Offence Examiner is a qualified forensic doctor or nurse, who can provide a forensic medical examination and medical aftercare such as emergency contraception and sexual health advice. 

The service Treetops SARC provides is free to access and confidential. We will only share your details with other services or agencies with your consent unless there is a concern that you or someone else is at risk of serious harm. We have a legal duty to share information with other services if you are under 18.
We are in a discreet and secure location with free onsite parking.

Contact: admin.treetops@solent.nhs.uk

The NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Improving Together platform offers everyone across Hampshire and Isle of Wight a repository of resources and tools that support continuous learning and improvement, including local and national training and development opportunities, links to join learning and improvement networks, and newsletters and bulletins you can subscribe to. 

There is also an internal page on Stay Connected for ICB staff to access which is regularly updated with new training opportunities and improvement resources.

The Making Every Contact Count (MECC) train-the-trainer (TtT) course consists of two half days, and one full day of training. This will prepare you to deliver MECC training within your organisation, and beyond. The training is face-to-face and is not available online. Complete the application form and email to england.mecc.wx@nhs.net

The session will provide information about our service in Hampshire, outline our referral process and treatment options, as well as provide some basic drug and alcohol awareness training.

This session is aimed at professionals working with people who may benefit from drug and alcohol treatment/support, or staff members from our partner agencies who would like to expand their knowledge around drugs and alcohol.

There are four dates availble to choose from:

December 2024

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