Adaptation is an essential characteristic of evolution. Without it, survival becomes difficult when conditions change. It’s an analogy worth applying to Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) who have demonstrated an ability to flex and redefine their role over three years …
There are some actions which, once taken, can never be undone. Female genital mutilation is one such action – it changes everything. We owe it to survivors of this terrible practice to provide the best physical and psychological support we …
For expectant parents, there can be no greater trauma, mental or physical, than to lose a baby close to term or to experience complications during birth resulting in death or injury of mother or child. The 2011 Lancet stillbirth series …
Spring may be around the corner but our acute and community care services continue to feel the pressure. One of the privileges of visiting localities in different parts of the country is that I see first hand the resilience and …
When health and care conversations turn to ‘the NHS and winter pressures’, the tendency is to focus on familiar issues: A&E capacity, flu vaccine provision, ambulance response times etc. This year, we want to give equal emphasis to the provision …
One part of my portfolio I enjoy immensely is the responsibility across Government to promote the interests of adults with autism. Through our Programme Board I have the opportunity to engage with service users and advocates to really understand the …
It is a benefit of the modern age of open government and online engagement that we are able to better understand, anticipate and adapt to the concerns and circumstances of those we seek to help and support. Our recently published …
Even the most reluctant of converts to online research must surely see the value of comparison tools and the ease with which they help us make informed choices. Booking holidays, comparing mortgage deals and gathering insurance quotes are obvious but …
One role I am keen for the Department of Health to play is to help organisations understand their performance better and consider what action they might want to take. When it comes to local authorities there is merit in using …
