On Tuesday @instituteforgovernment.org.uk will publish the first part of Performance Tracker 2025, our flagship annual stocktake of the state of public services
Weβre doing things slightly differently this year, so I thought Iβd do a quick thread explaining some of the changes
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12.10.2025 14:02 β π 9 π 6 π¬ 1 π 0
expert reaction to reports from Politico that the UK government has drawn up proposals to increase the amount the NHS pays pharmaceutical firms for drugs | Science Media Centre
Was in conversation wirh a few innovation and med tec peeps recently
Was all a bit "modern stents and TAVI have saved lives. Itβs cool. Innovation is going to save lives. And if itβs better than what replaced it then allβs ok...."
I mentioned my old friend βopportunity costβ.
Cue tumbleweed
11.10.2025 20:12 β π 5 π 3 π¬ 3 π 0
Only 3 local authorities in England have air quality better than the recommended WHO guideline pollutant level
Search for your local authority
Where we live β and the air we breathe β can shape our health, including how long we can expect to live.
Explore the data on air quality for local authorities across England on our newly updated Local Authority Dashboard β¬οΈ
https://bit.ly/4pNdG1w
11.10.2025 09:30 β π 3 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
In a letter published today in the BMJ, we call for urgent action to correct misperceptions of vaping.
As long as public perceptions of vaping are misaligned with evidence, the opportunity for vaping to further reduce smoking is being missed.
www.bmj.com/content/391/... @ashorguk.bsky.social
10.10.2025 11:53 β π 4 π 3 π¬ 0 π 0
It always surprises me that minimum unit pricing isn't pitched as a plan to save the Great British Boozer.
09.10.2025 16:57 β π 12 π 3 π¬ 2 π 0
How over- and underrepresented are different causes of death in the media?
Another way to visualize this data is to measure how over- or underrepresented each cause is.
To do this, we calculate the ratio between a causeβs share of deaths and its share of news articles.
09.10.2025 17:07 β π 240 π 89 π¬ 7 π 15
I could just be a grumpy old fella though.
09.10.2025 14:59 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
I think it's got more transactional, less free-flowing, more constrained, too task-led. Still great people with great ideas, but the envionments/incentive systems are less fertile. And learning is bitesize/search led/immediate - not about evolving ideas/thoughts/strands over time. #shortcuts.
09.10.2025 14:19 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
NHS - Race and Health Observatory
Health economists: Very interesting research tender from NHS Race and Health Observatory - Calculating the Cost of Racism in Health and Health Care - deadline October 17. nhsrho.org/news/cost-of...
01.10.2025 15:02 β π 1 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
Which MPs showed their support for #MakeHealthEqual at the Conservative party conference? π’
It's been motivating to have Lord Davies of Gower join our champions network, alongside over 100 cross-party MPs, as well as the Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Stuart MP offer his support for our work. π
09.10.2025 12:04 β π 1 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Everything is now much harder to find (govt and civil society stuff). And you only know that if you know about it. Things have submerged.
09.10.2025 12:47 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
Fixing Social Care: The Six Key Problems And How To Tackle Them
Different people have different opinions about whatβs βwrongβ with social care and how to fix it. This long read outlines the six key issues and the options cited to tackle them.
The social care system is not fit for purpose. Many people can't access the care and support they need and others are left facing catastrophic costs. Our new long read outlines the six key issues and the options cited to tackle them. https://bit.ly/3VPOdH3
08.10.2025 07:00 β π 13 π 14 π¬ 0 π 1
Can Tackling Waiting Lists Get Britain's Economy Moving Again? | The King's Fund
New analysis from the Office for National Statistics and NHS England explores whether reducing waiting lists could help more people return to work and boost productivity.
Is a healthier nation a wealthier nation?
For the first time, the ONS and NHS England, have linked millions of pseudonymised patient-level data on hospital waiting lists with individual-level data from HMRC.
Siva Anandaciva explores the findings. https://bit.ly/4gYwkze
07.10.2025 10:52 β π 3 π 5 π¬ 0 π 2
A 2025 review in the Lancet (www.thelancet.com/journals/lan... shows that our current spending on new medicines skews overall health spend away from more effective interventions. But it looks like we are about to spend more on meds, thus depriving our population of more effective healthcare.
08.10.2025 17:23 β π 30 π 18 π¬ 1 π 1
Microsoft Forms
Join the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government for an online webinar: Understanding Awaabβs Law, exploring the link between housing and health.
forms.office.com/pages/respon...
08.10.2025 15:07 β π 0 π 2 π¬ 0 π 1
I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter
Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them
07.10.2025 18:24 β π 1888 π 643 π¬ 37 π 26
NHS England Β» World leading NHS trial to boost health and support people in work
NHS England Β» World leading NHS trial to boost health and support people in work
3/3. That's why its great that the techniques behind this work are also supporting the wider health and growth accelerator programme, more of this sort of stuff please! www.england.nhs.uk/2024/12/worl...
07.10.2025 11:42 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Can Tackling Waiting Lists Get Britain's Economy Moving Again? | The King's Fund
New analysis from the Office for National Statistics and NHS England explores whether reducing waiting lists could help more people return to work and boost productivity.
2/3. The commentary from Siva Anandaciva is as important as the paper inc arguing that these techiniques are welcome, but need to be applied to upstream preventive interventions inc outside the NHS, to balance the 'evidence', this is where the real gains are www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-...
07.10.2025 11:42 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
1/3. A ground-breaking paper, & commentary, on @thekingsfund.bsky.social website today - using linked data on the connection between #health & #economy from @nhsengland.bsky.social & ONS on the economic #payback from meeting waiting list targets. Paper assets.kingsfund.org.uk/f/256914/x/6...
07.10.2025 11:42 β π 4 π 2 π¬ 1 π 1
Policy Modelling for Health lunchtime webinar: What Makes a βGoodβ Policy Simulation Model?
Upcoming lunchtime webinar from Policy Modelling for Health @healthmod.bsky.social on 23 October, midday: What Makes a βGoodβ Policy Simulation Model? www.phiuk.org/news/events/...
07.10.2025 09:50 β π 4 π 4 π¬ 1 π 0
A scene on a busy, beautifully tended allotment. The star of the scene is the wonderfully delicate, slightly hazy October light.
Other work by the Ladybird artists
βOctoberβ
(From a 1958 calendar by the always fabulous Ronald Lampitt)
06.10.2025 18:51 β π 342 π 40 π¬ 3 π 5
An awful lot of "public health" is delivered by staff who dont have those two words in their job title
The workforce really really matters
We can do better on this
Good report from @rsph.bsky.social
06.10.2025 18:03 β π 17 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
Programme Director at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk working on public services
Greater Manchester Work and Skills lead for @vsnw.bsky.social supporting community organisations to help people get to a better position in their life.
English Devolution stuff in the UK Civil Service. Formerly GMCA, Nudge Unit, Solace, and Suffolk County Council. Member of the Grimbarian diaspora.
Political Editor, The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/profile/pippacrerar
Strategic Director at @gmmoving.co.uk π
Economist working on #systemchange & prevention in physical activity, health/NHS, placemaking βͺ Geeky about devolution, housing, social impact βͺ FRSA
β€οΈ cycling & running in the Peak District & on Zwift π΅π»ββοΈπ
Director of policy at the Health Foundation
The UK membership organisation for 'working together to improve the lives of people in debt'. https://malg.org.uk/
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I once put a stick in a non-stick pan
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Weβre the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. We aim to strengthen EUβs defences vs infectious diseases. Here to promote public health.
Head of Health at the IPPR
I research public health things at @imperialsph.bsky.social and
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Bad information ruins lives. We're a team of independent fact checkers and campaigners who find, expose and counter the harm it does. #FactsMatter
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Public health person and charity trustee. Yorkshire. She / her. Interested in all things inequalities, poverty, social determinants, data / intelligence, systems leadership, personal development.
Fueled mostly by tea and existential angst.
The Wellbeing of the People is the Highest Law.
Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the World Wellbeing Movement.
The back catalogue -
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wealthy-73927449/
Deputy Director at the Growth and Reform Network (formerly @centrepropolicy)
Interested in all things economics and policy