May 12

Pre-election health policy debate

Question your local candidates!

CHSS will be hosting a pre-election health policy debate on Wednesday 31st May 2017 at 7pm in the Gulbenkian Theatre.

The following Parliamentary candidates have confirmed their attendance:

• Sir Julian Brazier, Conservative Party
• Rosie Duffield, Labour Party
• James Flanagan, Liberal Democrats
• Henry Stanton, Green Party

The candidates will take public questions from the floor and inform the audience what their policy plans could mean for the future of our health and social care.

This event is free and open to all – no booking necessary.

For directions to the Gulbenkian Theatre and more information about parking and access, download or view this pdf.

You can also watch the debate live at youtube.com/kenttelevision, tune in to CSRfm radio locally via 97.4fm radio or listen online at http://CSRfm.com

Brought to you in collaboration with KTV and CSRfm

Search for #CHSSge17 on twitter for more information

May 05

CLOSING DATE EXTENDED! Fully-funded PhD Scholarship (KentHealth)

NB: closing date for applications is now (midnight) 3 July 2017
interviews take place during week commencing 10 July 2017

 

CHSS (Centre for Health Services Studies) is currently inviting applications for a PhD scholarship in applied health research in partnership with Bexley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), to commence September 2017. This scholarship is provided by Kent Health in the form of a Vice Chancellor’s Research Scholarship administered under the Graduate Teaching Assistant Scheme (GTA). This scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home/EU rate plus a combined maintenance grant and salary, equivalent to the full UK Research Councils rate of £14,553 (rate for 2017/18).

The awardee will work in both community and clinical settings with colleagues in Bexley CCG to evaluate a new social prescribing model, supervised by Chartered Psychologist Dr Sarah Hotham (Primary supervisor in CHSS), Primary Care Transformation Manager Andy Fairhurst (Primary supervisor at Bexley CCG), Chartered Health Psychologist Dr Kate Hamilton-West (Co-supervisor in CHSS), and Chief Clinical Officer Dr Nikita Kanani (Co-supervisor at Bexley CCG).

This unique opportunity will engage the awardee in an ambitious applied health project, working alongside general practitioners, clinicians, health and social care commissioners and voluntary & community sector leaders. The PhD will be supervised by a panel of experts in health psychology and Primary Care. The student will gain a deep understanding of how health services are delivered in primary care; they will be at the forefront of developing new models of care and provide much-needed evidence about the impact of Social Prescribing to inform the efficient, effective commissioning of services by highlighting what works, for whom, in what circumstances and with what outcomes. The position will include time spent in General Practice and wider Primary Care environments. In addition, the student will gain expertise in health service evaluation and have the opportunity to further develop both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. They will also have the opportunity to further develop their research portfolio and publications by collaborating with CHSS staff on other projects within the department through the GTA research position.

More details:
Scholarship details and application process (pdf)
Social Prescribing PhD Outline (pdf)

Full details can be found on the CHSS website.
In the meantime, please direct enquiries by email to Dr Sarah Hotham: S.Hotham@kent.ac.uk

Apr 28

CHSS Newsletter Spring 2017 OUT NOW!

Our latest CHSS Newsletter is now available on our website.
In this issue:

• International news – CHSS Research Fellow Dr Erica Gadsby’s visit to Guinea with University colleagues to identify research priorities around the experiences of Ebola survivors, and Director Prof Stephen Peckham’s work with Canadian colleagues
• Recent and upcoming events, including our pre-election health policy debate on 31 May and a report on the EXCEPT project photo exhibition launch
• projects focusing on environmental health and physical activity
• a profile of our new CHSS Clinical Professor of Palliative Medicine, Claire Butler
• Recent publications – and more!

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

Apr 04

Event – Medication Problems in Older People

Wednesday 7th June 2017

This event will be taking place in the Boardroom (R2-09), Rochester Building University of Kent, Medway campus. This building can be found at reference C6 on the campus map below. The Boardroom  is located on the second floor, through the doors and on the right.

To reserve your FREE place please book here: http://bit.ly/2n6CTF8

Places are limited and available on a first come first served basis.

Please visit this website for directions by road, rail and bus to our Medway campus. If you choose to drive then you will be able to park in any marked bay at the Medway campus without a permit when the barriers are lifted at 5.05pm. Please use sat nav postcode ME4 4AG

For any further information, please email Helen Wooldridge

Feb 24

Clinical professor of palliative medicine appointed at University of Kent

The Centre for Health Services Studies at the University of Kent has appointed a clinical professor of palliative medicine.

Professor Claire Butler, a consultant and clinical lead in palliative care at Medway Community Healthcare, will combine her clinical role with research at Kent into the best care for patients with a terminal illness with working on the NIHR funded Hospice at Home project.

Professor Butler trained in medicine at Newnham College, Cambridge and St. Thomas’ Hospital, London. She qualified as a doctor in 1985 and joined the then new speciality of palliative medicine as a trainee in 1990, becoming a consultant in 1996.

She has worked as consultant and clinical lead in palliative care at the Wisdom Hospice, Rochester since October 2015, and will continue with this role. Previous to that she was a consultant at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and then consultant and director of medicine and research at Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent.

Professor Stephen Peckham, Director of the Centre for Health Services Studies, said  palliative care ‘is an important but under-researched area of health care in the UK’.

Welcoming Professor Butler, he said she ‘will bring a valuable mix of research and clinical expertise in the key area of palliative medicine’.

Feb 22

‘YOU(TH) VISION’ photo exhibition launch event

The Centre for Health Services Studies would like to invite you to the launch of the ‘YOU(TH) VISION’ photo exhibition on Thursday 9th March 2017 at the Templeman Library, University of Kent, Canterbury. The exhibition features the winners of a European youth photo competition. The photos depict scenes of transition from youth to adulthood as seen through the lens of young people, reflecting on what it means and how it feels to become adult nowadays.

The launch event will begin at 12:30pm and will finish at 2.40pm. A buffet lunch and refreshments will be provided. The full agenda for the event is attached.

I hope that you will be able to join us for what promises to be a very insightful event. Please RSVP to Amy Randall (a.randall@kent.ac.uk) by Monday 27th February 2017. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Amy on 07518133567.

Feb 10

EXCEPT photo comp winners’ exhibition: 9 – 30 March, Templeman Library

Winning entries from a photo competition exploring the transition from youth to adulthood as seen through the lens of young people, will be on display in March at the University’s Templeman Library.

You(th) Vision is part of Horizon 2020 research project EXCEPT, which explores social exclusion of youth in Europe. Dr Olena Nizalova leads the UK EXCEPT team in developing effective, innovative policy initiatives to help young people in Europe overcome labour market insecurities and related risks. Young people are the heart and voice of EXCEPT and the project acts as a facilitator to ensure their stories are told and heard by Europe’s policy makers.

Entries from more than 200 young people across Europe reflect on the meaning of adulthood and how it feels to become adult nowadays.

Competition winners include Fillipo, 21 from Italy whose entry (pictured) represents his feelings about becoming adult: ‘I think I will be really adult when I can see my father in the mirror’.

The Templeman exhibition runs from 9 – 30 March.

For more information contact Amy Randall at CHSS A.Randall@kent.ac.uk

Find out more about EXCEPT on the project website: http://www.except-project.eu/

Jan 31

CHSS Newsletter Winter 2016/17

The latest CHSS Newsletter is now available to view on our website.

Included in this issue:

  • our latest research projects, including a major evaluation of Hospice at Home services
  • news and updates about ongoing projects, events and conferences
  • staff profile – we welcome Dr Melanie Rees-Roberts and Ashley Mills
  • CHSS on video – including Director Stephen Peckham’s address to the European Public Health Conference and Prof Jenny Billings on the groundbreaking work of  the SUSTAIN project
  • and more!

 

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

Jan 30

Getting North Kent moving: CHSS evaluation report

A CHSS evaluation report of the effectiveness of 12-week physical activity intervention ‘Let’s Get Moving’ (LGM) has been published. Developed by the NHS and the Department of Health, LGM uses motivational interviewing to promote positive changes in health behaviour.

Not-for-profit body ukactive, delivered LGM through two GP surgeries in north Kent, in partnership with Dartford, Gravesham & Swanley and Swale Clinical Commissioning Groups. CHSS conducted the evaluation on behalf of Kent County Council Public Health.

Dr Sarah Hotham led the evaluation which focuses on the programme’s impact on participants – as well as reach and implementation – using participant questionnaires and interview data. Between August 2015 and February 2016, 242 participants joined LGM. Levels of physical activity were assessed at the start of the project and again at twelve weeks and six months.

Results suggested that participants were doing significantly more walking, moderate and vigorous activity at twelve weeks and six months when compared with their baseline scores. Nearly three quarters of participants returning at twelve weeks reported positive changes in their overall physical activity. This increased to more than 87% in participants returning at six months.

Read the full CHSS evaluation report here.

Jan 25

Stephen Peckham on BBC Inside Out East

Professor Stephen Peckham was on the east region edition of BBC Inside Out on Monday 16th January Talking about workloads in the NHS. You can see Stephen from around the 4 minute mark: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b088p1qm/inside-out-east-16012017