Death is certain, yet our planning doesn’t reflect this. At the individual level, conversations and preparations are frequently missing or patchy. And at the population level we also don’t plan well for what is coming.

So how do we improve this? How can we make better use of data and analysis that shows what populations need? How can we make best use of individual stories and experiences to inspire change? And what are the best ways of combining data for the head with stories for the heart?

We heard discussions from experts from the NHS, NICE and academia (Andi Orlowski, Gwyn Bevan, Deborah O’Callaghan, Peter Spilsbury) on the challenge of finding value through efficiency and allocating resources appropriately.

Andi Orlowski, from the Health Economics Unit was joined by this exceptional panel as they discussed different approaches in getting the best value in health and care.

The session looked at how we can put insight into action through remarkable stories, working with communication teams, spreading your ideas and standing out from the crowd. Join Tom Parnell and Matthew Grek on their mission to help you maximise action from your insights!

In this session, Andrew Jones presented a new classification system designed to enrich analyses of outpatient activity. The tool labels attendances according to their function, for example diagnostic procedure and pre-operative assessment, and has been created to support both service redesign initiatives and routine queries.  Andrew gave a brief overview of the methods involved in the development of the tool and illustrated the types of questions one might use it to explore. 

This session began with Professor Jon Glasby describing IMPACT – a new £15 million UK centre that he leads for implementing evidence in adult social care, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Health Foundation.

It has been estimated that it can take up to 17 years to translate evidence into practice – how can we change that?

In this session we heard from a diverse panel of speakers who shared their experiences of research and practice across a range of sectors. Learn about what works (and what doesn’t!) in different contexts and what happens when well-conceived plans meet reality.

The COVID pandemic has highlighted the stark inequalities in health that exist in the UK and globally. This session reflected on some of the learning from the NHS frontline in Bradford and how data, science and community engagement was harnessed to protect a city.

There is a second pandemic that is killing far more people than COVID – that of non-communicable disease. There are no simple vaccines or silver bullets for this pandemic. The solutions lie in tackling the wider determinants of health that interact in our complex social and urban systems.

Peter Spilsbury (Director, Strategy Unit) welcomes you to INSIGHT 2021 and introduces the opening event of this year’s Festival.

Good mental health during early years and childhood has a great bearing on health throughout life. By contrast, poor mental health can cast a long shadow. Consequences may include depression, self-harm, and poor physical health.

Services recognise this. They aim to provide access to support in a timely and suitable way. A national target has been set, namely that 35% of children and young people with diagnosable needs should be able to access the necessary services.

Measuring the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on population health

One feature of the pandemic has been the fast-flowing stream of facts and numbers about the impact of Covid-19. At the same time, we’ve had to absorb the meaning of terms that were previously the preserve of epidemiologists and public health professionals.