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The provision of speech-language pathology (SLP) services in youth offending institutions is a relatively new field. While there is international agreement that young offenders have a high prevalence of speech, language and communication needs, there are no papers currently published that explore how SLP services are delivered in this setting. This study investigated how SLP services to young people in custody in England are being delivered, via an online survey. Findings indicate that a wide range of assessment and intervention services are being provided by experienced SLPs. The amount and method of service provision differed significantly between the individual services. Further research would be beneficial to explore the models of service provision that would be appropriate in this environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Operational Research (OR) analysts work alongside other specialists in providing policy analysis for the Department of Health in England. This paper outlines the roles played by OR analysis, taking three different areas of policy for illustration, with examples drawn from projects related to health service operation, health protection and health promotion. In addition to the provision of technical modelling skills, the contributions that OR analysts make to the processes of problem formulation and evidence synthesis are discussed. The paper concludes with some general reflections on what makes for successful OR in this context and on the challenges and opportunities faced by OR in informing health policy over the coming years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, I use a social practices view of literacy to challenge dominant conceptions of health literacy. Health literacy is frequently defined as an abstract skill that can be measured through individual performance tests. The concept of health literacy as a skill neglects the contextual nature of reading and writing in health care settings. It risks ignoring the many ways in which patients access and comprehend health information, make sense of their experience and the resources they draw on. The paper presents findings from a study of forty five literacy and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students' health-related reading and writing practices in the northwest of England. I suggest that health literacy needs to be understood as a situated social practice and that it is a shared resource frequently achieved collectively by groups of people, for example families. I conclude with some reflections on the implications of my research for adult education practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Health literacy is important because of the high proportion of the population with skills below those needed to become and stay healthy, and the resultant negative impact on people's lives. A recent study in England has shown that, as is true in other industrialized nations, a significant proportion of people (43–61%) have literacy and numeracy skills below those needed to fully understand and use health materials. This paper describes a project designed to build on these findings with key stakeholders to develop an action plan to address a mismatch between population skills and the health system complexity. Method The multi-stage project involved an initial meeting of stakeholders that allowed participants to share knowledge and experience, and make suggestions for change. Subsequent web-based surveys enabled widening of the stakeholder group, identification of further potential actions, and participant rating of the impact of the suggested actions on this mismatch. Next, a meeting enabled the group to identify priorities for change that would be feasible and cost-effective. Results Forty-one participants were recruited from a range of patient, health, lifelong learning, civil service, and industry perspectives. Suggested topics for action fell into four areas; improving health services, building health literacy skills in the population and workforce, recognizing the importance of public information developed outside the health arena, and funding for health literacy research and development. Following consideration of likely cost, impact, and feasibility, five suggested areas were prioritized for action, three involving improvements in the health service, and two involving the development of public health literacy skills. The importance of inter-sectoral approaches to this complex issue was identified. Discussion This project recruited key stakeholders with a wide range of relevant expertise and perspectives. It resulted in a clear, coherent action plan to address the population skills: health system complexity mismatch. Next steps include implementation, evaluation, and widening to other areas of life important to public health and well-being such as public safety messages and social care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Today in the England there are around 60,000 children and young people in public care, more than one in 200 of the child population. Over the last 12 months about 100,000 children and young people spent some time in public care, almost one in 100 of the child population and the best estimates are that around 3.4% of adults spent some time in public care during their childhood; this is a relatively common experience. So what are the health and other issues for these children and young people during public care and on into adulthood? This paper uses the Every Child Matters outcomes; being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being to organize the evidence from the UK and abroad to answer this question. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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This paper reports on the efforts carried out by England and Scotland to promote the widespread use of telehealthcare within Personal Health Systems (PHS) for patients with chronic conditions. In each setting, it explains the political drive, the trends in empowering patients, the needs for healthcare systems to treat chronic patients at home, the search for evidence supporting the case for telehealthcare, the reorganisation of services around these technologies and the need to coordinate and/or integrate different tiers of care in order to address the needs of patients suffering from chronic conditions. It details the achievements to-date and building on recent policy developments, it provides an overview on the likelihood of these services becoming a routine form of care. Following the two different approaches on telehealthcare in England and Scotland, it puts into perspective the need for adequate systemic governance and institutional reforms required to address the challenges associated to ICT implementations at organisational level and how the industry may be able to deliver solutions supporting them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the perceived benefits to a local health authority and a district council environmental services department of a joint approach to a health impact assessment (HIA) of a proposed container port development in North Essex, England. The main perceived benefits were: the opening up of contacts within each organisation; the development of local working relationships between the agencies involved; the exchange of knowledge; the sharing of expertise; the opportunity to address a wide range of health impacts; greater credibility of the assessment during discussion with the decision-makers; the pooling of resources; and greater ownership of the assessment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]