What's the big idea?

A BMJ editorial discusses changing perspectives on the big idea that "what matters in determining mortality and health in a society is less the overall wealth of that society and more how evenly wealth is distributed." The article, by Professors Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson highlights a review by Naoki Kondo and others: Income inequality, mortality, and self rated health: meta-analysis of multilevel studies.

Domestic Violence

Primary Care Commissioning provides guidance on commissioning services for women and girls who are victims of violence. This forms part of the Home Office sponsored strategy, Together we can end violence against women and girls. Formal NHS specific guidance will be available in the New Year, when the DH taskforce on violence against women and girls will also report. DH has also published a toolkit for health professionals working with children and young people affected by domestic violence.

Healthy places

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), the government's advisor on all things architectural, has published a report showing how good design and planning "can have a positive impact on public health" and how PCTs and others can help save the planet by co-locating services.

Learning Disabilities

Rather later than originally announced, DH provides guidance for world class commissioning of services for people with learning disabilities. It’s designed to support the delivery of the Valuing People Now commitments, as well as responding to recommendations in the Parliamentary and Health Service ombudsman’s report, Six Lives.

Art for health’s sake

Some innovative outreach by Walsall Borough Council and NHS Walsall is showcased by the IDeA website. As well as setting up drop in health checks in Walsall Art Gallery as part of the annual Wellbeing Festival, the Arts into Health programme has provided health education through theatre and has also created resources to support schools in delivering the Personal Social and Health Education curriculum.

...more equal than others?

The promised consultation on implementing age equality legislation in health and social care has been published by DH. Part of getting the industry ready to comply with the Equality Bill, this follows the publication of Sir Ian Carruthers’ review last month. Responses are due in by 10 February 2010.

Early days

Promoting its new parenting advice site Babylifecheck , DH highlights some research that shows that new parents need most advice and support around eight weeks after the birth, once the family support network has begun to decline.
Meanwhile HSJ provides a useful survey of success in smoking cessation work amongst pregnant women.