download... - Women`s Health and Equality Consortium

download... - Women`s Health and Equality Consortium

Newsletter
“A consortium of leading women’s organisations providing expertise
on improving the health of all women and girls in England”
JUNE 2014
WHEC
Women’s voices on health: addressing barriers to accessing primary care’ - WHEC
has published ‘Women’s voices on health: addressing barriers to accessing primary care’.
The includes findings from a survey with 300 women as well as focus groups with BME
women, refugee and asylum seeking women, women living with HIV, LGBT women, and
women with learning disabilities. It was produced by Maternity Action with support from
Imkaan, Positively UK, Change and ELOP. Click here to read the report and here to listen to
the podcast.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Care Act Factsheets - the Care Act received Royal Assent on 14th May 2014. These
factsheets have been produced to accompany Part One of the Act and provide an overview
and the duties and powers that local authorities will have in the future. For more information
please visit the DoH website.
Abortion guidance and procedures published – The DoH has published new guidance
for healthcare professionals on complying with Abortion Act, along with updated procedures
for independent abortion clinics. For more information, please visit the DoH website.
Focus on Enforcement review leads to more effective regulation of care homes - The
government has welcomed commitments from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to
improve regulatory enforcement, in partnership with the adult care sector. For more
information, please click here.
Changes to the HPV vaccination programme - From September 2014 the schedule for
HPV vaccination, routinely offered to girls aged 12 to 13, will change from three to two
doses. These changes follow research showing that antibody response to two doses in
adolescent girls is as good as a full course in the age group targeted. For more information,
please click here.
NHS ENGLAND
Guidance published on patients’ choice in mental health care - NHS England has
published guidance for commissioners, GPs and providers to help them support patients to
choose their mental health care. From 1 April 2014 patients with mental health conditions
have had the same rights as physical health patients to choose where they have their first
outpatient appointment. They are able to choose any clinically appropriate provider in
England as long as a CCG or NHS England has a contract with them. For more information,
please visit NHS England’s website.
Mental health staffs to introduce physical ‘MOT’ to reduce deaths - Mental health staff
will soon give lifestyle MOTs to patients to reduce avoidable deaths. Mental health trusts will
receive financial rewards for carrying out checks. For more information, please visit NHS
England’s website.
New organisation looking for people who are passionate about the NHS: NHS Citizen this new organisation aims to give everyone the chance to have a say in decisions about the
NHS in England. In public meetings and on the internet, it is looking at ways for people to
come together to send their thoughts and ideas to NHS England which will be acted upon to
secure improved care for patients. They also have a number of upcoming events including
Liverpool on 29th May and Bristol on 24th and 25th July. For more information, please click
here.
PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND
Blackfriars Consensus Statement calls for new policy focus on brain health to reduce
the risk of dementia - action to tackle smoking, drinking, sedentary behaviour and poor diet
could reduce the risk of dementia in later life alongside other conditions such as heart
disease, stroke and many cancers, according to the UK Health Forum and PHE in a joint
consensus statement. For more information, please visit the PHE website.
CONSULTATIONS
Care Act 2014: launch of care and support consultation (15 August) - this consultation
seeks views on how local authorities should deliver the care and support reforms in the 2014
Care Act. For more information, please visit the DoH website.
Dental contract reform: engagement (31 July) - this engagement exercise seeks views on
changing dental contractual system to focus on improving oral health through prevention and
increasing access. For more information, please visit the DoH website.
New fund to help VCSE organisations become more sustainable (24 July) - The
Cabinet Office is seeking views on a new £40 million fund to help voluntary, community and
social enterprise (VCSE) organisations secure their futures. For more information, please
visit the CO website.
GOVERNMENT NEWS
Introduction of New Forced Marriage Offences – new forced marriage offences will come
into effect on 16 June 2014. The new offences will make forcing someone to marry a
criminal offence punishable by up to 7 years imprisonment (previously a civil offence). For
more information, please click here.
PARTNER NEWS
WRC thought leadership videos - every week, WRC will be offering a critical alternative
feminist viewpoint on a current topic in the form of a short two-minute video clip. To see the
latest video on tackling the issue of gendered violence and how the generalisation "violence
is violence" is highly problematic, please click here.
Passing of Immigration Act reveals new charging system for migrant access to
healthcare - New charges for migrants who access NHS services will now be introduced, as
outlined in the Immigration Act. For more information, please visit the Migrants Rights
Network website.
'Facing the challenge of realising social value' and 'Working together to deliver social
value - NCB and FaithAction have released two short films, aimed at voluntary organisations
and commissioners operating in the health and care sectors to address the needs of
children, young people and families. Click here for more information.
Are children dying unnecessarily in the UK? - National Children's Bureau (NCB) blog
looks at child mortality and its link with living in underprivileged conditions. Click here to read
the article.
BPAS We Trust Women campaign – BPAS have recently launched their “We Trust
Women” campaign to support women in making their own reproductive decisions. For more
information, please click here.
RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS
Domestic Abuse & Mental Health – the Liverpool Mental Health Consortium have
produced a report from the ‘What Women Want Group/Domestic Abuse & Mental Health
Task & Finish Group’. To read the report, please click here.
Debt and women’s offending - Clinks have produced a briefing about the nature of the
relationship between debt and women’s offending and how this impacts women’s mental
health. For more information, please click here.
Health And wellbeing board priorities across England – the LGA have produced an
interactive map which allows users to search the priorities of health and wellbeing boards
across England, as well as view the health and wellbeing strategies for each area. For more
information, please click here.
Part of the Picture: lesbian, gay and bisexual people’s drug and alcohol use in
England - Research carried out by The Lesbian & Gay Foundation (The LGF) in partnership
with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) found there were significant drug and
alcohol problems in the community. For more information, please visit the LGF website.
EVENTS AND TRAINING
Women’s Resource Training – the following trainings are being run by WRC in June and
July:
June
18th – Social Enterprise: Developing Your Ideas
24th – Training Trainers on Equalities and Human Rights
25th – Partnerships: Getting off to a Good Start
26th – North West London Borough Surgery
26th – Social Media, Campaigning and Influencing for Beginners
July
9th – Participatory Methods for Monitoring & Evaluation
16th – Finance Planning for Your Organisation
17th – Social Media, Campaigning and Influencing for Beginners
23rd – Making the Case: Equalities and Human Rights
To register please visit WRC’s website or call 0207 697 3450.