Mar 09

Coronavirus and our health and social care system

How could COVIDー19 impact the UK health and social care system? 

 

As confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue rising in the UK, CHSS Senior Clinical Research Fellow (Public Health) Dr Lindsay Forbes has commented on the likely impacts on the UK health and social care system.

Lindsay said: ‘The key issues with COVID-19 seem to be that it is highly infectious – more so than seasonal flu – and we have limited natural immunity with no vaccine yet. Many people could get it – if so, there may be major disruption to our health and social care system, which is already bogged down with the usual winter problems: high levels of emergency medical admissions and seasonal flu. Many health and social care workers will get COVID-19 too and will have to isolate themselves.

‘In the UK we have extensive plans for dealing with major outbreaks of infectious disease. These were found to be robust during the swine flu epidemic, which caused about 26,000 additional hospital admissions. The country is covered by a network of Local Health Resilience Partnerships – collaborations of local government and health organisations that set out emergency preparedness plans. Yet, the health and social care system is in a more vulnerable state than in 2009/10, weakened by a long-term funding deficit, difficulties in recruitment and low morale.

‘We need to be prepared for disruption: delays to non-urgent investigations or operations and longer waiting times for appointments with GPs and hospitals, and maybe effects on urgent care for other conditions. There are a lot of uncertainties – not least about how long the COVID-19 outbreak will last. Seasonal flu fizzles out each year as the weather gets warmer – whether COVID-19 will do the same remains to be seen.’

Lindsay is an academic public health physician with special interests in the epidemiology of long term conditions and the design and evaluation of services to meet the needs of the growing population who have these. Her main focus is currently the organisation of general practice. Dr Forbes joined CHSS in January 2016 from King’s College London and Queen Mary, University of London.

 

Mar 03

CHSS Newsletter Winter/Spring 2020

The new CHSS newsletter is now available to read or download on our website. We feature the latest CHSS news and events including an update from the wonderful OPEL project which is seeking to find out what works best, for whom and under what circumstances, when receiving Hospice at Home Services. We are also happy to report on great work by 2018/19 CHSS Visiting Darzi Fellows, James and Philippa.

Our cover features the wide media coverage given to our Ugandan research into the practice of men breastfeeding on their partners’ milk. Dr Rowena Merritt enlarges personally on this theme on p5. ‘CHSS People’ features Research Associate Catherine Marchand who shares her experiences and offers a personal perspective on ‘humanising’ research.

You can subscribe to future issues by email. Our online archive is also available.

We always welcome feedback, suggestions or comments. Contact h.mcgregor@kent.ac.uk

 

 

 

 

T

Feb 24

Prestigious NIHR Award for CHSS Director

Professor of Health Policy Stephen Peckham, Director of CHSS has been appointed NIHR Senior Investigator (SI). The award is one of 28 given to outstanding national research leaders in the NIHR 2020 SI appointments.

Stephen, who is also Founding Director of the new NIHR Applied Research Collaboration, Kent Surrey and Sussex (ARC KSS) said ‘This represents only the second ever Senior Investigator award given in our region, so I’m really delighted to be recognised in this way’.

Senior Investigators are among the most prominent and prestigious researchers funded by the NIHR and the most outstanding leaders of patient and people-based research within the NIHR research community. Collectively, they constitute the NIHR College of Senior Investigators, and are members of the NIHR Academy.

The first south east recipient has moved away, leaving Stephen as the only NIHR Senior Investigator based in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

NIHR Senior Investigators:

  • Contribute significantly to NIHR as a senior leader
  • Lead in training and development of NIHR’s people
  • Act as an ambassador for the NIHR in the wider system
  • Demonstrate research excellence
  • Integrate patient and public involvement in research
  • Play a leading role in NIHR’s Contribution to Growth, for example through attracting, developing and retaining a highly skilled health research workforce, or by supporting collaborations and contract research with the life sciences industry.

Find out more on the NIHR website > 

Jan 31

Breastfeeding Men

Ugandan fathers who demand breast milk;
CHSS Research Fellow Dr Rowena Merritt talks to BBC Woman’s Hour 30/1/20

Rowena joins Jeni Murray and guests to discuss the emotive issue of breastfeeding among Ugandan fathers. In parts of the country men demand that their partners suckle them, often taking milk before baby has fed.

Little is known about this coercive practice, with its worrying implications for maternal and infant health and wellbeing.

Supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund, Rowena and CHSS Senior Research Fellow Dr Sarah Hotham visited Uganda last Summer in a preliminary study of the practice with Kyambogo University in Kampala.

The interview starts at the beginning of the broadcast, ending at 09:24. (you will need to create or sign in to your BBC account to listen).

You can also read this article in the 28 January Guardian.

 

Dec 20

Applied Research Collaboration Kent Surrey Sussex (ARC KSS) Newsletter 1

The NIHR ARC Kent Surrey Sussex (ARC KSS) is one of 15 ARCs across England, part of a
£135 million investment by the NIHR to improve the health and care of patients and
the public.

Led by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Professor Stephen
Peckham at the University of Kent, the ARC KSS will focus on regional challenges.

Read the newsletter here. 

Dec 10

CHSS Newsletter Autumn/Winter 2019

The new CHSS newsletter is now available to read or download on our website.

We hope you will enjoy reading about the latest CHSS news and events, including this year’s Annual Lecture given by Professor Chris Whitty, and our ‘thank you’ tea for the CHSS’ public Opening Doors to Research group. The CHSS/Kent Business School MSc in Healthcare Management is  enrolling for September 2020 and we welcomed a third cohort of students to the NIHR/HEKSS Integrated Clinical Academic Programme (ICAP).

Professor Sally Kendall’s feature on her work with the Murdock University, Western Australia within the Aboriginal community is a fascinating and moving insight into aspects of conducting research as a cultural outsider.

‘CHSS People’ features Professor of Primary Care Tricia Wilson who reflects on highlights of her career. Our featured publication on page 7 is a study exploring stroke survivors’ needs and whether they are being met.

You can subscribe to future issues by email. Our online archive is also available.

We always welcome feedback, suggestions or comments. Contact h.mcgregor@kent.ac.uk

Nov 25

VENUE CHANGE for CHSS HEALTH POLICY DEBATE 7pm, 28/11/19

PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT WILL NOW TAKE PLACE AT 7PM at

THE MICHAEL BERRY LECTURE THEATRE, CANTERBURY CHRIST CHURCH UNIVERSITY,  (campus map)
Old Sessions House, OS.0.01, Longport, Canterbury, CT1 1NX

In advance of election-day a health policy debate involving local candidates will take place at the Sessions House, Christchurch Canterbury University on Thursday 28 November.

Organised and hosted by the University of Kent’s Centre for Health Services Studies (CHSS) with support from the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at Canterbury Christchurch University, the event will take place in Michael Berry Lecture Theatre 1 at 7pm. It is free and open to all. Booking is not required.

Local candidates including Rosie Duffield MP (Labour), Anna Firth (Conservative), Claire Malcomson (Liberal Democrats) and Hannah Temple (Green Party) will explain to the audience what their policy plans could mean for the future of health and social care in the UK. They will also take questions from the floor.

Stephen Peckham, Director of CHSS and Professor of Health Policy, said: ‘As we know from past elections and political campaigns, voters care deeply about health and social care policies, including the future of the NHS. I would therefore encourage anyone who would like to learn more about what each party is doing in these areas to join us for what promises to be an informative event.’

CHSS, part of the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, conducts research into a wide range of health systems and health services issues at local, national and international levels. It also supports and advises health care staff to develop and undertake research projects. CHSS collaborates with a wide range of partners in Kent, the UK and in other countries to improve the links between research, policy and practice.

ENDS

For further information contact the Press Office at the University of Kent

Tel: 01227 823985

Email: pressoffice@kent.ac.uk

News releases can also be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/news

Oct 14

CHSS Open Lecture 11/10/19 draws a crowd

There was a great turnout on Friday evening, 11 October for the CHSS Annual Open Lecture at the University’s Colyer Fergusson Music Hall, Canterbury.

University Vice Chancellor Professor Karen Cox gave an opening address and CHSS Director Stephen Peckham introduced Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Dept. of Health and Social Care.  His subject was  ‘Interdisciplinary Research and Neglected Areas’, followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

More details to follow in our upcoming Newsletter. You can also follow the highlights on Twitter

#CHSSopen19   #KentOpenThinking