David Buck

Do ICBs have a future? To which question, many of you will respond "of course" and point to the repeated statements by ministers and national leaders that integrated care boards have a vital role to play.

ICYMI: www.hsj.co.uk/comment/do-i...? A super-important qn from @hsjeditor.bsky.social > if they don't or get relegated to just technical commissioning, we lose 10-15 years of progress to help the NHS plug into what actually creates health... (and who will mayors/strategic authorities connect with?)

chart showing Change in the number and proportion of children living in relative poverty after housing costs, by Parliament: UK

Child poverty is set to fall by 3 percentage points in 2026-27, primarily due to the two-child limit being abolished.

But in the following years, the child poverty rate will start rising again.

By the end of the decade, the projected rate is just 0.5 percentage points below last year.

The impact of Brexit on immigration to the UK A new analysis finds that Brexit raised the number of foreign-born workers in the UK by about 200,000, but resulted in a more dramatic shift in the countries of origin.

The impact of Brexit on UK immigration - new research by @johnspringford.bsky.social & me for @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social & @ukandeu.bsky.social

Brexit

a) reduced EU-origin employees by 785K (2.3% of workforce)
b) increased non-EU origin employees by 992K (2.95%)

www.cer.eu/insights/imp...

London doctor carries out first UK remote robotic surgery The milestone procedure went well, with patient Paul Buxton saying he felt

What is the boundary of a national health service now? > BBC News - Surgeon's op on patient 1,500 miles away a UK first
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Sir Chris Whitty: Relying on weight-loss drugs to stop obesity would be 'societal failure' England's top doctor says the drugs should be for a minority and more effort is needed to prevent obesity in the first place.

BBC News - Relying on drugs to stop obesity would be 'societal failure', says Chris Whitty
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

ICYMI: Did you miss or not have time to join the 2026 @adphuk.bsky.social @local.gov.uk #publichealth conference? If so, you can catch up with slides here. Great agenda, so worth a browse. www.local.gov.uk/events/past-...

Too right. A venn diagram, not the same circles.

The Local government Outcomes Framework - one to rule them all (inc the NHS)? ICYMI. Out recently - good indicators in there, of what drives health whether says on the tin or not.

One ring to rule them all? Will the NHS take notice of the Local Government Outcomes Framework? It should if it's interested in populaiton health. www.linkedin.com/pulse/local-...

Report Stage for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill: What happened! - ASH Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is a campaigning public health charity that works to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco.

📢 Don't miss our CE @hazelcheeseman.bsky.social's blog breaking down what happened last night at Report Stage of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the House of Lords.

📖Read here: ash.org.uk/media-centre...

A Prevention Revolution Or Another Missed Opportunity? | The King's Fund The country desperately needs a prevention revolution, and this government should make good on its promise to deliver one, say Sarah Woolnough and Jennifer Dixon.

4/4. But, it's also going to take much more effort/resources and attention from @nhsengland.bsky.social, DHSC, the rest of government and politicians. That attention is missing at the moment e.g. www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-...

3/4. That means mayors and strategic authorities as much as the NHS and how they connect up; and regional growth for a purpose not just for itself @clesthinkdo.bsky.social @healthfoundation.bsky.social and ourselves, and others, have been thinking about this e.g. cles.org.uk/publications...

2/4. Coupled with the recent HLE data showing a drop to 2011-13 levels = a huge challenge. As @healthfoundation.bsky.social say, if govt is going to deliver it's prevention shift & health mission it needs to think 'regional shift' & it's going to have to come from wider determinants, not healthcare

1/4. *New* avoidable mortality data today from Office for National Statistics. A drop, returning to the plateau post-covid probably. Leaves 113,000 deaths that were avoidable through prevention or treatment www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...

Healthy life expectancy at birth in the UK has decreased to its lowest level since the ONS time series began in 2011 to 2013
www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...

Local elections U-turn is welcome – but this saga has been a government fiasco | Institute for Government Elections in 30 local area will now proceed on 7 May 2026.

The government has abandoned plans to delay local elections in 30 areas.

Our devolution team argue that the decision to delay elections was flawed – and reflects a broader challenge for the government's local government reorganisation agenda.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/loca...

No, I think NHSE fund at the moment, but ONS will pull it's support. Tbh, not sure what that means, assume they're involved in technical delivery. But beyond it's pulling horns in across multiple things, and more to come.

Number of years of likely good health in UK falls to new low There is a “clear geographical divide” between local areas with the highest and lowest healthy life expectancy.

🗞️ "Today’s figures show that where you live determines how many years you spend in good health – and that gap isn’t closing." @jamie-ohalloran.bsky.social in the @the-independent.com 👇 www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Refocusing the ONS on its core statistics Permanent Secretary Darren Tierney sets out the next steps the ONS is taking to prioritise quality and strengthen core statistical outputs.

ICYMI: Big shake-up of ONS statistics. Pulling out of support for Health Survey for England, ending place research and 'lifestyles' research amongst others. #turningthelightoff #health #statistics #England #UK blog.ons.gov.uk/2026/02/19/r...

Child poverty figures in the UK expected to be revised down Official figures going back to 2018 are set to take billions in under-reported benefits income into account.

‘From next month, child poverty estimates will use data from benefit records, which is likely to mean figures dating back to 2018 will be lower than previously stated.’
Good to see this improvement in poverty data
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Do the Poor Gain More? The Impact of Secondary-Care Expenditure on Health Inequality - Applied Health Economics and Health Policy Background Quasi-experimental studies of mortality variation and trends among large administrative areas of England in the 2000s and early 2010s have suggested that more deprived populations gain larg...

Does the shape of NHS secondary care spending reduce health inequalities in England (defined by mortality/deprivation at place level)...? link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Good stuff from @healthfoundation.bsky.social on weight loss drugs > New data reveal inequalities in access to private GLP-1 weight loss drugs as demand surges | www.health.org.uk/press-office...

New wave of foundation strategic authorities announced The government has published the expected next tranche of foundation strategic authorities, including Wessex and Kent & Medway, as it published proposed spatial development planning boundaries.

Next foundational strategic authorities, an olympian moment... i'll get my coat www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...

Why isn’t there a setting on @BBCiPlayer that lets you say that you never ever want to see a trailer?

We literally pay the license fee so we don’t have to watch adverts. So stop showing adverts before Every Single programme?

Yes I can press skip it, but why should I have to?

Analyst | The King's Fund We're looking for someone to influence change in health and care policy and practice through conducting independent research and producing thought-leadership.

Looking for a new role?

We have two vacancies at the moment:
✅ Analyst in our policy team: https://bit.ly/4tsm4Fs
✅ Project officer supporting a multi-year partnership https://bit.ly/4qD2fsA (closing tomorrow)

Find out more and apply now.

Good Health For All: Reimagining The Welfare State | The King's Fund A new headline project from The King's Fund that will reimagine what future health and care services could look like.

This conversation marks the launch of our latest project, 'Good health for all: reimagining the welfare state'

This series will examine the big issues shaping our health and care system and explore what a future sustainable model could look like.

👉 Learn more: bit.ly/4rSpCzj

Public Sector Crises, ‘The Welfare Crunch’ And The Future Of Health And Care | The King's Fund What is the 'welfare crunch' and what does it mean for the future of health and care? Luca Tiratelli explores.

What is the 'welfare crunch' and what does it mean for the future of health and care?

New blog from @lucatiratelli.bsky.social out now: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/blogs/public-sector-crises-welfare-health-care?utm_term=thekingsfund&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social

Today - 12/02/2026 - BBC Sounds News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.

‘We need to take really seriously, and I think get quite granular, about shifting more money to preventative health.’

Sarah Woolnough on the Today programme discussing the issue of ever-increasing health spending and what we can do about it (from 48mins).

Listen here: bbc.in/3ZyJyuP

Ta. Obv only scratches surface, deeper stuff to be done with the existing data. CIPFA's work (£ by THF) on better measurement also v good - but couldn't squeeze it in the narrative; or the fairer funding stuff which longer-term should shift distribution if not levels. 1st draft was a medium-read!

Paralysis in public health and policy: when evidence becomes an alibi Public health operates in an era of unprecedented data availability and analytical sophistication, yet action on well-established health challenges is…

#AnalysisParalysis in #PublicHealth and policy: when evidence becomes an alibi

We often say we need more evidence before acting in public health. But what if the real problem is not missing evidence but avoiding decisions?

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

On the Margins of Power: Social Entrepreneurs and Social Change Social entrepreneurs are co-creating community rooted innovations, join fellow Gramscian Mark Swift as he explores these possibilities.

Can community-led ideas really change big systems - or do they get watered down?

Free online talk tonight: social entrepreneurs, grassroots change & working with systems without losing the point.

🗓️ Tue 11 Feb | 6–7pm | Online
🎟️ Eventbrite link below www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/on-the-mar...