Faster, lighter, better?
Introducing two new practical resources to explain how artificial intelligence can support evidence synthesis
Applying a missingness lens to healthcare – missed appointments letters – tear up and start again!
In this guest blog, Professor Andrea Williamson reflects on her previous research into repeated missed healthcare appointments, which links high non-attendance to poorer health outcomes and social disadvantage. Building on this work, she introduces a new approach to appointment letters aimed at better supporting patients and improving engagement with services.
Inequalities in Continuous Glucose Monitoring for young people with diabetes
Your definitive guide: What works to address health inequalities through health care actions
Discover what works to reduce health inequalities with our comprehensive evidence pack, built around four key themes for equity in health and care. Explore proven principles, practical recommendations, and real-world examples to guide action.
Good intentions, risks and missed opportunities: What the NHS plan means for health and care inequalities
In the 10 Year Health Plan there are notable wins for health inequalities advocates, especially in funding and tackling smoking and obesity, but there are risks of inadvertently increasing inequalities in use of digital tools and widening clinical variation. There are also missed opportunities to work cross-government, provide culturally competent care, and leverage the vast resources of the health and care system to help the poorest areas.
Fatphobia: how bias and assumptions harm patients and undermine quality of care – a personal reflection
In this powerful personal reflection, HEEC Citizen Panel member Marianne Rodie explores how fatphobia pervades health care, leading to harmful assumptions, misdiagnoses, and discrimination against fat patients. She calls for a shift toward compassionate, bias-free care that prioritises individual health needs over body size.
The 10-Year Health Plan: Seven key messages from the HEEC Citizen Panel
As the NHS looks ahead to the next decade, what truly matters to the people who rely on it every day? This blog shares reflections from the Health Equity Evidence Centre’s Citizen Panel, offering honest, hopeful perspectives on how the NHS can evolve to meet future challenges with compassion, fairness, and transparency.
GP Contract 2024/25: More Money, Same Problems?
The additional £899m investment in general practice is a welcome step forward, and its positive impact should not be underestimated. The increase in global sum funding is a strong move, reinforcing the importance of capitation as a foundation for an equitable funding system. However, the Carr-Hill formula, which underpins funding allocation, reflects activity rather than need. The additional investment within the current funding streams shows that simply increasing investment without contract reform risks reinforcing existing funding inequalities.
Early intervention, lasting change: Why Sure Start matters
This blog explores the vital role of Sure Start in improving children’s physical health, social functioning, and neurodevelopmental health – support eroded by austerity-driven cuts. It presents findings from the first systematic review of Sure Start’s health impacts, showing how early intervention reduced hospital admissions, childhood obesity, and improved school readiness. The evidence is clear: restoring Sure Start is key to tackling health inequities and giving every child a fair start in life.