End of life care

A study from Belgium looks at disparities in end of life decision making, finding that patient inclusion in decision making decreases with age.  End of Life Care Profiles by PCT and local authority are in England have been produced by South West Public Health Observatory for the National End of Life Care Intelligence Network.

On the map

NHS Right Care puts variations in healthcare provision for diabetes and kidney disease under the mapping microscope in two new atlases of variation.  As well as the printed text, there's an online interactive version.  NHS Kidney Care has also published a survey of the evidence base on health inequalities in kidney disease and care amongst adults.

Join Professor Steve Field and others in DH's health inequalities and inclusion webinar on Thursday 7 June 11.30am – 12.30pm.

Best laid plans

Soon after its planning policy for travellers sites was published, the Department for Communities and Local Government has issued a progress report on tackling inequalities amongst gypsies and travellers. Children and Young People Now casts a critical over its provisions as regards education. A report from the Council of Europe considers this population’s experiences within a human rights framework.

School to work

Charlie Taylor, the Government’s Expert Advisor on Behaviour, was asked last autumn by the Education Secretary to review policy on school attendance. His report has now been published and highlights the evidence that children who have had poor school attendance are more likely to be not in employment, education or training (NEET) after leaving school. While trends in attendance continue to improve, there is still a significant minority who regularly do not attend and truancy is not the only reason for this. A paper from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation asks whether changing aspirations and attitudes amongst parents and children can improve educational attainment, finding that the emphasis should rather be on keeping aspirations on track. From the employment side of the NEET question, a discussion paper from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) promotes innovation in engaging employers in tackling youth unemployment. A report from the Work Foundation also highlights the difficulties faced by NEETs: Lost in transition stresses that transition into work for young people is becoming increasingly difficult. The Government’s social mobility advisor, Alan Milburn, has reported on progress towards fair access to professional careers, indicating that there’s still considerable room for improvement.

Out in the cold

Quality in Ageing and Older Adults features a group of articles on inequalities amongst older people in Ireland.  These include studies on the relationship between age and social exclusion in rural areas, the effects of recession on older people in Northern Ireland and the Republic and the relationship between cold housing and health and wellbeing.  A survey for Age UK found that "the number of older people owing money has risen sharply over the last year."  The latest figures on fuel poverty from the Department of Energy and Climate change recently reported a fall in numbers of households in fuel poverty for 2010, but predicted a rise for subsequent years.

Leaves on the line

Ahead of the (now noticeably delayed) Government reponse to the Dilnot report on social care funding, the Centre for Social Justice argues that ministers should clearly prioritize the needs of the poorest elderly people.  Richard Humphires, writing for the King's Fund blog, anticipates the content of the forthcoming social care White Paper (due out by the end of May but also likely to be delayed), in the light of the challenging message about funding offered by Dilnot.