The Role of Public Health in Health and Social Care: A Comprehensive Analysis

This assignment delves into the crucial role of public health in the UK's health and social care system. It examines the strategies employed by organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), Public Health England (PHE), and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to measure, monitor, and control disease incidence within communities. The assignment further explores the implications of specific diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and breast cancer, on the provision of health services in England. It analyzes the impact of current lifestyle choices on future healthcare needs and evaluates the effectiveness of strategies, systems, and policies in place to address these challenges. Finally, the assignment discusses potential improvements to enhance health and well-being within health and social care settings, focusing on the importance of behavior change programs.

The Role of Public Health in Health and Social Care
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Table of Contents
Introduction...................................................................................................................3
TASK 1: BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT APPROACHES AND
STRATEGIES USED TO MEASURE, MONITOR AND CONTROL THE INCIDENCE
OF DISEASE IN COMMUNITIES.................................................................................4
TASK 2: BE ABLE TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPLICATIONS OF ILLNESS AND
DISEASE IN COMMUNITIES FOR THE PROVISION OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL
CARE SERVICES IN ENGLAND.................................................................................6
TASK 3: BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE FACTORS INFLUENCING HEALTH
AND WELL-BEING OF INDIVIDUALS IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SETTINGS 7
Conclusion....................................................................................................................8
Reference List...............................................................................................................9
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Introduction
Deterioration of health standards in UK has been a major concern for the
government. Many agencies have taken the initiatives to support the persons who
are physically unfit or affected by diseases and even suffering from natural
calamities. Partnerships between different organizations have contributed to the
development of health and social care sector. In this assignment, the roles of
different agencies have been discussed in details that have contributed in
maintaining the standards of health. The effectiveness of the different approaches to
offer remedies to the individuals is outlined in the assignment.
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TASK 1: BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT APPROACHES AND
STRATEGIES USED TO MEASURE, MONITOR AND CONTROL THE INCIDENCE
OF DISEASE IN COMMUNITIES
1.1 Explain the roles of World Health Organisation (WHO), Department of
Health or Public Health England and local organisations (e.g. Clinical
Commissioning Groups) in identifying levels of health and disease in
communities
In UK many organizations have joined hand to improve the health and social care
(Aveyard, 2014). However, there are three major organizations contributing to
improve the health of the individuals in UK such as World Health Organization,
General Medical Council and National Health Service. Different agencies come
forward to understand the root cause of the decline in the standards of the health in
UK. Research has been conducted to analyse the issues and find solutions to
improve the quality of health. NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical
Excellence) has incorporated policies to maintain the health of the individuals and
prevent from being affected by any kinds of diseases.
World Health Organization is an international agency operating across the world to
deliver better services to the individuals suffering from diseases or are physically
unfit due to lack of proper care and medicines (World Health Organization, 2015).
WHO offers its support to organizations lacking in their performance or need
assistance in worse situation. In natural calamities and natural disasters, World
Health Organization offers assistance to many health and social services. Analyses
have been conducted by the organization to understand the level of diseases and
health issues arising in different communities. With the help of many organizations at
local and national levels, World Health Organization conducts researches by forming
a network with the different organizations to analyse, identifies and offer remedial
assistance to many people across the world.
PHE also known as Public Health England is an agency belonging to the
Department of Health and Social Care in UK. This agency was a developed version
of NHS in England. The purpose of the organization is to address inequalities and
look after the national health.
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The Clinical commissioning groups assists in identifying the diseases affecting
the individuals in the communities. This local organization has the responsibility to
improve the practices and education on various prevention measures to protect
patients from being affected by diseases through proper care.
1.2 Explain, using statistical data, the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS and breast
cancer, OR dementia and Type II diabetes (late onset).
Epidemiology is the study through which individual becomes aware of the root
cause of the disease and the effects on the environment. Breast cancer has been a
common issue in UK and especially among women in the country (Thomas and
Brown, 2015). Depending on the spreading capability, breast cancers are of different
types. Breast cancer includes signs of having a lump in the breast, suffering from
breast pain, swollen lymph nodes. The occurrence of breast cancer can be identified
through self-examination of breast or even through conduction medical test like
biopsy. The treatment is based on the stage of the cancer and how much the body
has been affected. Data collected from reports shows that almost approximately
40,610 women and 460 men dies out of breast cancer globally. In UK, there are
almost over 3.1 million breast cancer survivors. The breast cancer patient’s five-year
survival is near to 90%. Researchers have concluded that men mostly suffer breast
cancer after the age of 60 years.
Researchers have concluded that HIV/AIDS has been caused due to transmission of
infection through blood. Globally, due to HIV almost 1.9 million people dies and
infected about 3.3 million per year (Yin et al., 2014). In UK the prevalence rate of HIV
is 1.6 per 1,000 populations. By the year 2015 almost 280,000 bisexual people was
infected with HIV/AIDS.
1.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches and strategies to control
the incidence of any infectious and non-infectious disease as identified in 1.2
above.
There are mainly two types of diseases, infectious and non infectious. HIV is an
infectious disease while dementia is a non-infectious disease. The government of UK
has permitted to carry on with different approaches to maintain the occurrence of the
diseases. The strategies and approaches are outlined below:
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Education and welfare programs: The UK government organizes many social
welfare programs in the demographics of UK like provision of free medicines and
vaccines to protect the residential from being infected by the diseases. Education
plays a vital role in controlling the diseases at huge rate. Knowledge about the
various techniques to control the disease helps in reducing the incidence of disease
affecting the community. Education of the breast cancer makes both the genders to
understand the importance of breast cancer and that it requires immediate attention
for treatment. Many have a perception AIDs is contagious but education has made it
a wrong perception rather offering remedies to the disease.
Environmental measures helps to control diseases by taking the initiatives to keep
the environment safe and population free from being affected by the disease. Many
diseases occur due to pollution of the environment, so understanding the adverse
impact of pollution will educate the people to maintain their surrounding areas.
Screening helps to examine all blood and blood products which will prevent or
reduce the rate of HIV impacting individuals at a huge rate. Screening can be done
either as universal screening or in the form of case findings.
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TASK 2: BE ABLE TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPLICATIONS OF ILLNESS AND
DISEASE IN COMMUNITIES FOR THE PROVISION OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL
CARE SERVICES IN ENGLAND
2.1 Use relevant research to determine current priorities and approaches to the
provision of services for people with disease or illness, namely HIV/AIDS OR
Ebola OR breast cancer OR Type II diabetes
Some of the chronic diseases need to be prevented and offered treatment on a
priority. It is essential to find the priority before the diseases affects the entire
population. HIV has been considered as one of the chronic diseases having severe
impacts on the population of UK. The social care setting must undertake the
responsibility to prevent HIV before the disease creates a havoc in an individual's
life. The diseases can be prevented following the steps:
Primary measure: It refers to the preventive steps taken to protect the population
from being affected by the disease by giving proper knowledge and making them
aware of the disease and the reason for the occurrence of the disease. In UK, two
vital steps have been taken to prevent HIV through programs like CHAP and NAHIP
(Bowling, 2014). CHAP was a prevention program organized in UK to safeguard the
individuals from spreading HIV due to transmission. The program widely discussed
about the cause and the measures that an individual must take during sex to prevent
HIV transmission. NAHIP was originated to educate the Africans in England. This
program motivates the Africans and educates them to have a safer sex culture.
Secondary measures: The screening and identification of pathogens takes place in
this stage for a specific disease. NHS is one of the agencies in health and social
care sector, has taken the initiative to examine the blood of each pregnant women in
UK. Similarly to prevent HIV a medical technique called PEP (Post Exposure
Prophylaxis have been invented for having long-term treatment.
Tertiary measures: The final step to prevent individuals and this measure aims at
looking after the patients who are suffering from any kind of chronic disease.
Patients often require emotional support to get used so the patients in the last step
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are given medical and emotional support to offer them a better quality of life. Though
the patients are not cured but are provided relief from the illness.
2.2 Explain the relationship between the prevalence of HIV/AIDS OR Ebola OR
breast cancer OR Type II diabetes in relation to the requirements of health
services to support individuals with the above diseases.
Prevalence refers to the ratio or the proportion of the population affected by the
illness. Prevalence acts as data collecting statistics about the number of people
actually suffering from the illness from the number of people taken into account for
research. This data assist in framing plans to provide kinds of services to the
patients. The prevalence ratio or the data assists the social and health care settings
to recognize the needs of the health and services. Programs can be developed to
prevent the population from being affected by the disease in future (Glasby, 2017).
For instance if the individuals of the social care setting are aware of the reason
behind the spread of the disease and data about the area that is going to be affected
likely, then they can immediately target the area to provide assistance through
medical support.
Data ascertains individuals not only require to be prevented but education about the
disease will also help them in preventing the disease at huge rate. For example
knowledge about HIV will educate the people to practice safe sex culture thereby
reducing the chances of the occurrence of the diseases. Similarly an area according
to data if is more prone to be affected by disease like breast cancer, then the social
care setting can educate the female to identify the symptoms through self
examination and immediately takes action to it. Prevalence helps the staffs of health
services to take quick actions and offer remedy to the affected people before it
affects to the population overall. Prevalence of the diseases also helps the
individuals of the health services to allocate quantity of resources for assistance
accordingly and in a prompt manner. Data helps in identifying the task and setting
priority for it. For instance if an area is supposed to be more affected by food borne
disease than the individuals can allocate sufficient resources in that particular area
and preventing the total population from being affected.
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2.3 Analyze the impact of current lifestyle choices (e.g. diet, exercise and
substance use) on future needs for health and social care services
It has been concluded from many researches that present lifestyle of individuals like
using fast foods and soft and hard drinks are creating a demand for the health and
social care services in future. For example consumption of soft and hard drinks will
increase the level of sugar resulting in diabetes and diseases like obesity. The
lifestyle is also influenced by the schedule of working. Due to hectic schedule
individuals are restraining themselves from practicing exercise and this will demand
the health services in future. However, to prevent the negative impact of the diets
and less exercise, individuals at social care setting needs to educate and create
awareness among the individuals about the risks of the routine followed by them and
consumption of junk foods. Education about the impact of soft drinks and alcohol will
help in overcoming issues like diabetes. Substances like junk foods and less
exercise are reducing the immunity of the individuals. The health services should
take steps in educating the individual about the hazards of such activities and
consumption. Individuals in the current era are so much engrossed in their work that
they cannot feel the negative impacts of their lifestyles followed by them. Health
experts have advised individuals to follow 150 minutes of exercise every week.
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TASK 3: BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE FACTORS INFLUENCING HEALTH
AND WELL-BEING OF INDIVIDUALS IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
SETTINGS
In the sections below you need to consider health and well-being of people living in
London.
3.1 Assess the health and well-being priorities for people living in a London
borough (e.g. Brent, Hackney, Haringey, and Hounslow).
Well-being of an individual can be achieved only when the individual is free from
stress and exists in a satisfied environment. Well-being greatly influences the health
of the individuals. Priorities must be enlisted according to the impact of the disease.
For example if an individual is suffering from diabetes due to consumption of soft
drinks, then he must be asked to avoid drinking such drinks and practice exercise to
keep the body fit. For the people living in Haringey, and Hounslow, it has been
observed that they suffer from mental distress. Health service givers must take steps
according to the prevailing data to set priority to cure the individuals of the place. The
public must be emotionally supported and offered medication with the advice of the
health services. Society should also take part in supporting the individuals of
Haringey.
Due to excessive workload, people forget to eat proper diet and as a result suffer
from many diseases. The health care priorities the fact of having exercise regularly
and maintaining a diet for the individuals to keep them physically fit.
3.2 Evaluate the effectiveness of strategies, systems and policies in a health
and social care setting, namely: provision of services, quality of provision,
complaints policies in relation to a particular service.
The government of UK has devised many strategies to prevent the individuals from
being affected by the diseases.
Quality of Provision: The departmental heads of the health and social care setting
oversees that they offer the best service to the patients. The UK government has
invested a lot to improve the standards of the health and social care services and
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have been recognized by the Commonwealth fund. Treatments must be given
properly according to the illness of the patients and the recipients must be safe.
Policies: Care UK has been the best service providers following the regulations and
norms passed by the government in relation to the health of the individuals and in
the settings (Blank et al., 2017). The government has incorporated the regulation
that if any individual is unsatisfied with the provision of services they can immediately
report it to the departmental head and action has to be taken within couple of
working days.
Complaints policies: The patients according to the UK Care Home has the right to file
a complaint against the social care setting if they feel that they have been affected or
harm by any of the providers of health care. Local authorities also have taken
initiatives to deal with the illness and educate the individuals about the illness.
3.3 Discuss changes that could be made to improve the health and well-being
of individuals in a health or social care setting. This should be linked to 3.2.
Changes can be made accordingly in UK care home by allowing the patients to be
taken care of by the family members (Coulter et al., 2014), they can also have the
policy to interact with the carer and inform the carer about the habits and likings and
dislikes. UK care home can ask the families to come and visit the patients to offer
mental support and emotionally relate with the patients, which will help them to get
cured in a better way. Though working efficiently, there are always chances of health
care sectors to improve the quality for the betterment of the patients. Policies made
for adults are not similar with that of children as they are of immature age. For
example, if children are brought in the care home then parents must be involved
being the first caretaker of the children. Parents should be informed of the root cause
of the illness so that they can also take measures to support the children emotionally
(Brett et al., 2014). Staffs must be appointed in health care having apt knowledge of
the systems and technologies used in the sector.
3.4 Evaluate an activity that has been implemented to encourage behaviour
change for maximising health for individuals in a health or social care setting.
One of the following examples might be discussed in your essay: (i) ‘Smoking
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Cessation Programme,’ OR (ii) ‘Breast Cancer Screening Programme,’ OR (iii)
Change4life Programme,’ (iv) Mental Health Services
Behavior change includes better habits and activities incorporated in the lifestyles of
the individuals. Behavior change like ceasing smoking habits proves to be beneficial
both to the smoker and the people surrounding the individual. Behavior change
includes developing exercise habits can contribute in maximizing the health of the
individuals. Smoking Cessation Program initiated by the health services will cover
up the effects of the smoking and the harmful chemical effect due to the inhaling of
the chemicals used in cigarette. The program will target young group people aged
25-35 as they are addicted to smoking at this age more than any other age. Smoking
causes cancer and which can result in death. The program targets the young people
and makes an analysis of the effect smoking has on the surrounding people. The
intake of substances mixed up in cigarette affects the lungs of the individuals leading
to damage of vital organs of the body. Survey must be organized to understand the
numbers of people present are addicted to smoking. It must be necessarily focused
that the smoke causes negative impact to the person sitting next to the smoker.
Smoking not only affects the smoker but also risks the lives of the near and dear
ones.
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Conclusion
This assignment briefs about the various diseases and the preventive steps taken by
the health services in relation to the illness. Education, screening will help in creating
awareness and prevention of the diseases. Diseases can be treated at primary,
secondary and tertiary level offering both medical and emotional support to the
individuals. This assignment ahs shed light on the adverse effects of current
lifestyles like diet, intake of substances and lack of physical exercise. Heath services
must frame policies to protect the patients from being infected and affected by the
current lifestyles.
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