Improved co-ordination is critical to improving care for older people

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Alison Turner presents a new report from the NHS Confederation called ‘Growing old together: sharing new ways to support older people’, which has been produced by the independent Commission on Improving Urgent Care for Older People.

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Probiotics for caries prevention?

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This small trial of probiotics as an adjunct to toothbrushing with a fluoride toothpaste to reduce caries in pre-school children suggests some additional benefit. Further studies are needed to clarify the findings, assess dose response, acceptability and cost effectiveness.

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The impact of community well-being champions in African and Caribbean communities

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Jenny Fisher examines a study seeking to understand the role and the impact of community well-being champions in African and Caribbean communities.

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Fissure sealants – are self-etch sealants more effective?

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This review looked at whether self-etch adhesive sealants were as effective as traditional acid etching. 5 split-mouth studies were included and they found significantly lower failure rates in the acid etch group. Odds ratio 4.46 (95% CI 1.31, 15.20).

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Reflections on Reimagining Social Care

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Sarah Carr takes a look at a new report from Research in Practice for Adults which uses evidence to reimagine social care.

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People who died by suicide are more likely to have been last discharged from a general hospital

Restraint is used widely in inpatient mental health settings both in the UK and internationally, but is linked with multiple adverse outcomes.

Suicide is a significant public health concern in the UK and globally. Recently it was reported that the UK male suicide rate in 2012 was 3.5 times that of women (Siddique, 2014). In 1981, when the data series these reports were based on began, the male suicide rate was 1.9 times that for women. However, overall [read the full story…]

“Inactivity costs the NHS an estimated £1.06 billion…” according to report

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Introduction This guidance has been prepared for commissioners and all staff providing lifestyle advice in primary care, including community health and allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists. It aims to raise awareness of the issues caused by inactivity, not just for individuals, but for the health service and economy as a whole, and provides a [read the full story…]

New Suicide Prevention Strategy published by the Department of Health on World Suicide Prevention Day

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The Government have launched their new strategy for reducing the suicide rate and supporting people who are bereaved by suicide. Care Services Minister Norman Lamb will highlight the existing call for research proposals when he launches the strategy today. The strategy has 6 key areas for action: A better understanding of why people take their [read the full story…]

Find out which mental health services have the biggest impact on reducing suicide rates

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Every year in England and Wales, a suicide occurs in roughly one patient for every thousand in mental health treatment. These numbers make it hard to research what mental health service providers can do to prevent further suicides, so it’s encouraging to see a new cross-sectional observational study published in the Lancet with funding from [read the full story…]

Better information sharing can help prevent prison suicides says new report

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Prison staff need to record and share more information about violence and intimidation to improve prisoner safety, said Nigel Newcomen, the new Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO), publishing a report into the impact of intimidation, violence and bullying on those who take their own lives in prison. The report has been produced as a result [read the full story…]