Research Briefing
The Health and Social Care Levy (Repeal) Bill would repeal the Health and Social Care Levy Act 2021 while maintaining a legislative basis for keeping tax receipts collected under provisions in that act until early November 2022. The House of Commons considered the bill at second reading and all remaining stages on 11 October 2022. The House of Lords is scheduled to similarly consider the bill on 17 October 2022.
In Focus
Loot boxes are rewards within computer games that can be bought with virtual currencies or real-world money. Concerns have been raised about whether they encourage gambling-like behaviours, particularly among children. In July 2022, Boris Johnson’s government published its response to a consultation on loot boxes. It decided not to legislate to bring loot boxes within the scope of the Gambling Act 2005.
In Focus
This article details primary and community care services and examines their impact on patient outcomes. It also considers recent government policy which has sought to improve these outcomes and discusses several proposals for reforming such services.
In Focus
E-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular among teenagers who are not former or current smokers. Young people who use e-cigarettes, or ‘vape’, often use small disposable devices that can contain the maximum permitted nicotine concentration. This article looks at research on the possible adverse health effects of vaping for young people and how the government has said it wants to prevent non-smokers and the young from using e-cigarettes.
In Focus
This article examines the status of women and girls in the UK since 2010. This includes a focus on their economic wellbeing, such as employment rates, earnings and the gender pay gap. It also considers the welfare and safety of women and girls, as well as examining opportunities in higher education.
In Focus
Promoting international health security is a priority area for UK overseas aid. This includes efforts to combat malaria and neglected tropical diseases, working both bilaterally with affected countries and through multilateral organisations such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Reductions in the UK aid budget, along with changes to how it is spent, have led to concerns that funding for such projects will be cut.
In Focus
A recent report by the Royal College of Nursing presented the findings of a survey of nursing and midwifery staff in the UK. It found that recent events, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the UK’s exit from the EU, had both highlighted and worsened long-term problems with workforce supply in health and social care. This article provides a summary of the report and of the UK government’s policy on increasing the number of nurses.
In Focus
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that causes mostly mild respiratory symptoms. However, for higher-risk groups such as very young children and older adults with chronic diseases RSV infection can be serious or even fatal. Measures introduced to prevent the spread of coronavirus also changed the typical seasonal pattern of RSV infection in 2020 and 2021, leading the NHS to adapt its response.
In Focus
Neurology organisations have reported a “neurology workforce crisis” in recent years. The UK has fewer neurology consultants when compared to other high-income countries, recent data has shown. This has led to concerns about the impact on people with neurological conditions receiving timely access to health and care services. This briefing considers the latest neurology workforce and waiting times data, in addition to recent action taken to improve neurological care.
Research Briefing
The Social Security (Special Rules for End of Life) Bill is a government bill that is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 24 May 2022. The bill would amend the special rules to allow those with a terminal illness to receive certain disability-related benefits if they have less than 12 months to live (as opposed to the current six months).
In Focus
The next Queen’s Speech, in which the Government will set out its legislative programme for the new parliamentary session, will be delivered on 10 May 2022. The speech and accompanying briefing notes are expected to detail some health and social care-related initiatives. These could include a draft bill to reform the Mental Health Act 1983 and measures to ban conversion therapy in respect of a person’s sexual orientation.
In Focus
A House of Lords committee on the gambling industry has called for a series of regulatory reforms to reduce the harm caused by ‘problem gambling’. Since the committee’s report, the Government has launched a wide-ranging review of gambling oversight and is due to publish its conclusions shortly. In the meantime, aspects of gambling regulation continue to evolve.
In Focus
The Approved Premises (Substance Testing) Bill is a private member’s bill that would create a statutory framework for drugs testing in approved premises, including testing for psychoactive substances and the abuse of prescription and pharmacy medicines. The bill received cross-party support in the House of Commons.
Research Briefing
The Down Syndrome Bill is a private member’s bill from the House of Commons sponsored by Liam Fox (Conservative MP for North Somerset). The bill would require the secretary of state to give guidance to ‘relevant authorities’ on steps that would be appropriate for them to take to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome when the authority was exercising its ‘relevant functions’.
In Focus
It is nearly two years since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Covid-19 a global pandemic. Globally women make up over two-thirds of health and social care workers, rising to three-quarters of NHS staff employed in England. This placed women at the forefront of the fight against the virus. In the UK and the US, many women have been also leading the search for a vaccine. This article looks at some of these UK and US female scientists and their roles in the global pandemic response.
Total results (page 8 of 23)