Variations in health : what can the Department of Health and the NHS do? A report / produced by the Variations Sub-Group of the Chief Medical Officer's Health of the Nation Working Group.

  • Great Britain. Department of Health. Variations Sub-Group.
Date:
[1995]
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Variations in health : what can the Department of Health and the NHS do? A report / produced by the Variations Sub-Group of the Chief Medical Officer's Health of the Nation Working Group. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Specifically, we recommend that: ~ health authorities and GP purchasers should have a plan for identifying and tackling variations, and for evaluating interventions; - the plan should include provision for working in alliance with other relevant bodies; - health authorities, GP purchasers and Trusts should take steps to monitor access to services to safeguard equitable access. A number of aspects of the Department of Health’s work provide an opportunity to tackle health variations, but not all of these opportunities are being exploited. The Department should set specific objectives in relation to reducing variations, and make sure that relevant aspects of policy and practice are designed to help meet those objectives. We identify a number of specific areas in which the Department can take action. Specifically, we recommend that the Department of Health: - should work actively in alliance with other government departments and other bodies to encourage social policies which promote health; - should hold the NHS to account for implementation of the recommendations at para. 6. above; - and should take forward our recommendations on research (See para. 11 below). Given the many and complex factors which contribute to variations in health, the importance of alliances, at both national and local level, cannot be overstated. Genuine progress will depend on the involvement of other government departments, local authorities, the voluntary sector, and individuals and communities themselves. The Department of Health and the NHS have a particular responsibility in drawing attention to the need for such alliances and providing leadership and support. A literature review commissioned by the group showed that the evidence to date on practical public health interventions in which the NHS might engage to reduce variations in health is weak. There were, however, a number of tentative conclusions to be drawn from the review on effectiveness, and these are listed. The relatively disappointing outcome to the review does not support the conclusion that nothing should be done. Rather, it gives added weight to our recommendations on research needs, and on the need for better evaluation of local activities.