Health Creation Alliance Newsletter 11 10 16

Health Creation Alliance coverage
The doctor who wants to make his town better – Dr Mark Spencer explains why he is overseeing an ambitious year-long project in his town aimed at improving the health of people in his town. BBC

Housing and health: ships that pass in the night? – We have known for many years that good-quality housing is critical to health. Research evidence tells us this, our common sense tells us this, the NHS and wider health and care sector knows this, and the housing sector knows this. N ew NHS Alliance
Training administrative staff to deal with clinical letters – A new clinical assistant role has helped dramatically cut GP paperwork and shows how GP Forward View funding for training reception and administrative staff will be spent. Medeconomics
Health inequalities: Steps we can take to create health – Dr Mark Spencer, explains how a new initiative in Fleetwood, Lancashire is aiming to improve health across the whole community. GPOnline
This fortnights’ news:

Primary care fund could be reduced by £300m, say commissioners – Commissioners have raised concerns that the £900m estates and technology transformation fund for primary care may be reduced by almost £300m. HSJ
Newly trained doctors set to be tied to NHS for four years, announces health secretary – Doctors will be required to work in the NHS for at least four years upon qualification as part of a £100m plan to make the NHS ‘self sufficient’ for doctor recruitment by the end of the next Parliament. Pulse GPOnline
At least 12,000 new GPs needed by 2020, new workforce data reveals – Health secretary Jeremy Hunt’s pledge to boost GP numbers by 5,000 by 2020 will deliver fewer than half the number needed to fill the UK’s growing workforce deficit, new modelling by primary care researchers suggests. Pulse
RCN offering funding and mentorship to bring best practice ideas ‘to life’ – The Royal College of Nursing is encouraging nurses, students and healthcare assistants to submit ideas to improve practice, with the best receiving mentorship to help implement their innovation. Nursing Times
Engaging people in research and innovation: how the six principles can help – Hilary Newiss, chair of National Voices and Patient Champion on the Accelerated Access Review, explains how six principles for engaging people and communities can help the development of health and care innovation. NHE
Nurse staffing shortages are ‘top priority’ for new regulator’s senior nurse – Staffing is the main issue concerning the senior nurse at the newly-created regulator NHS Improvement, as well as being the “biggest challenge” facing community nursing, she has said. Nursing Times
Javid to unveil £3bn housing fund to tackle ‘moral duty’ – A £3bn fund aimed at boosting housebuilding will be announced by the communities secretary and chancellor today – but it will only make a small dent in the government’s plan to build one million new homes by 2020. LGC

Manifesto for a healthy and health-creating society
Brexit and the troubled state of the NHS call for re-thinking the UK’s approach to health. Health Creation Alliance has joined others in calling for a rethink of the UK’s approach to health in a Manifesto for a healthy and health-creating society.
The Lancet Health Business
Health Creation Alliance wants to hear your Trojan Mice success stories – have you experienced or implemented a change in practice that has led to positive and lasting change in your life, in the life of one of your patients or in the life of the community where you live or work? Deadline for submissions is 31 October. Find out more here