Things in the Illingworth Library December 2023

 

Library Things

The Illingworth Library Reading group meets once a month for a friendly discussion of a wide selection of books, chosen by members of the group.  The most recent was 'Babel' by R. F. Kuang, which certainly divided opinion! If you'd like to join the group in the New Year, then email illingworth.library.nhs.net 

Things in the News

Parents' use of social media

 

Research carried out by the University of Bangor and Public Health Wales has looked at parental use of technology such as smartphones, computers and other digital devices, and how this may affect the social development of children and adolescents. The bottom line is: "Parents should critically examine their screen use whilst in the presence of children."

The true impact of caring for others

An inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Young Carers and Young Adult Carers, supported by national charity Carers Trust, has published its findings. It uncovered alarming evidence showing 15,000 children, including 3,000 aged just five to nine, spend 50 hours or more a week looking after family members because of illness, disability or addiction.  

Promoting healthy weight in children, young people and families

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has published updated guidance on taking action to reduce obesity in children and young people.  This resource is made up of briefings and practice examples to promote healthy weight for children, young people and families as part of a whole systems approach.

Things to do in December

Yorkshire Carolling

Photo: Soundpost

November and December see the return of Yorkshire and Derbyshire carols, a tradition which has carried on for hundreds of years, as local carols are  sung in pubs around Sheffield and neighbouring villages. Everybody is welcome, you don't have to be a great singer (although the advice is to arrive early!). There's an introduction to the tradition, and its sometimes unfamiliar carols, from Soundpost in the Winter Gardens on Saturday 2nd December. 

 

It's a Sheffield Thing

Handmade for Christmas 

Keeley Traae 3d printed vases image: Grace Marshall

Handmade for Christmas is here! Now at the Millennium Gallery, it  offers gift ideas for everyone, with work available from over 40 artists, designers and craftspeople. All of the work on show has been hand-crafted in workshops and studios across Sheffield, Yorkshire and Derbyshire; every purchase supports home-grown creative talent and Sheffield Museums. 

Things in the library 29th January...

 Things about child marriage... 

Although not primarily a problem in high-income countries this systematic review in the Journal of Adolescent Health is interesting as it  assesses evaluations published from 2000 to 2019 to shed light on what approaches work, especially at scale and sustainably, to prevent child marriage in low- and middle-income countries. The results indicate that enhancement of girls' own human capital and opportunities is the most compelling pathway to delaying marriage. In contrast, low rates of success, scale-up, and sustainability of multicomponent programs requires reconsideration of this approach. This review supports global efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 5.3.1 target of ending child marriage by 2030.

Things to rate... 

If you have read or used one of our library books then you can let others know what you thought about it by rating it and/or writing a review on our catalogue, Simply login with your reader number and PIN to give a star rating. Logging in to the catalogue, whilst not essential for searching, does give you the ability to see what you have borrowed and manage your renewals, create lists and favourite searches, customise the display and share information with others. 

Things that have unexpected benefits... 

For many years we have wanted to enable people to be able to pay for their photocopying, library fines and hot drinks by card and (thanks to a pandemic) we now have the ability to do so. So for those of you arriving at the library counter and unable to pay your dues ("I have no money with me") we are now able to accept cards and other contactless devices!

Things to discuss... 

“Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.” 

This and other quotes from George Orwell's '1984' will no doubt be amongst our discussions at Reading Group on Wed 3rd Feb online at 18:30. If you would like to join us then please contact the library for the link.

Things about social media... 

The results of a study looking at social technology use from the perspectives of adolescents currently hospitalized for a recent suicide attempt or severe ideation. Results reveal both positive and negative social technology uses, with most participants reporting mixed (positive and negative) experiences. Negatives/risks included trouble regulating use, stress related to social media metrics, encounters with "triggering" content, hostility and meanness, self-denigrating comparisons, and burdensome friendship expectations. Positives/benefits included social connection, social support, affect-enhancing content, shared interests, and resources for mental health and coping. Overall, the documented risks and benefits of social technology use correspond with established (offline) risk and protective factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Participants generally valued the break from social technologies during hospitalization, and also viewed them as integral to social re-entry and identified related concerns. Future studies should test well-being focused 'digital hygiene' interventions for maximizing potential benefits and minimizing potential harms of social technologies for at-risk adolescents.

Things to make... 

We have been enjoying watching Rick Stein's Cornwall series recently and many of the recipes he demonstrates are available on his website. This Spiced poached pears sounds lovely - and if like me you are trying not to buy 'out of season' foods then you will be pleased that it uses frozen blackberries. 

Things in the library 17th January...

Things about healthcare systems...

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services published a position paper 'A health care system that works for all children' last year (ADCS is the national leadership association in England for statutory directors of children's services and their senior teams). In their executive summary they state:

"ADCS members believe that now, more than ever, there is a real need for a national commitment to ensure that the NHS of the future has children at it’s heart and children’s health and wellbeing services are given parity with those of older people."

Things about CAMHS...

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has published its Annual Report on access to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). The study examines access to specialist services, waiting times for treatment, and provision for the most vulnerable children in England. The research is based on new data obtained using freedom of information (FOI) requests to mental health providers and local authorities over the course of a year. This data is not published by the NHS. The majority of lifelong mental health problems develop early on, during childhood or adolescence. The wider economic costs of mental ill health in England are vast, estimated at £105bn each year.

Things in the news today...
Sepsis
Global, regional, and national sepsis incidence and mortality, 1990–2017: analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study is the article on which the headlines are commenting. The interpretation of the results from the authors is:

"Despite declining age-standardised incidence and mortality, sepsis remains a major cause of health loss worldwide and has an especially high health-related burden in sub-Saharan Africa."

Social Media
Along with exploring the impact of screen time generally, this paper 'Technology use and the mental health of children and young people' from the Royal College of Psychiatrists also explores the impact of different types of screen use: negative content; how vulnerable groups may be affected such as those with mental health problems and very young
children; potential for bullying and safeguarding issues; as well as the potential for addiction. In addition, guidance is provided for children and young people, parents and carers, clinicians and teachers.

Things about patient feedback...

The National Institute for Health Research published a themed review this week on Improving Care by Using Patient Feedback. There are many different reasons for looking at patient experience feedback data. Data is most often used for performance assessment and benchmarking in line with regulatory body requirements,  making comparisons with other healthcare providers or to assess progress over time. Staff are sometimes unaware of the feedback, or when they are, they struggle to make sense of it in a way that can lead to improvements. They are not always aware of unsolicited feedback, such as that received online and when they are, they are often uncertain how to  respond. 

• Staff need the time, skills and resources to make changes in practice. In many organisations, feedback about patient experience is managed in different departments from those that lead quality improvement. Whilst most organisations have a standardised method for quality improvement, there is less clarity and consistency in relation to using patient experience data.
• Staff act on informal feedback in ways that are not always recognised as improvement. Where change does happen, it tends to be on transactional tasks rather than relationships and the way patients feel. 
• The research featured in this review shows that these challenges can be overcome and provides recommendations and links to practical resources for services and staff.

Things to take part in...
The next Randomised Coffee Trial will be taking place in the SCH Trust in February. Sign-up now via this link . If you previously asked to be included in all future RCTs there is no need to sign up again. If you are new to the Trust - our RCTs run two or three times a year, you sign up and are randomly matched to someone else and you arrange to meet at a mutually convenient time for 30-40 mins to chat about anything you like. It is a good way of meeting new colleagues, taking time out and widening networks. The positive responses we get show how much it is enjoyed. Last time we had a few people who signed up but then didn't make contact with their matchee..please be courteous and inform the library and the other person if you cannot meet so that we can try to re-match the other person.

Things to make...
If you want a nice brunch dish there are some good suggestions here based on baked eggs.

Things in the library 22 Nov...

Things about sepsis...
Research undertaken by Imperial College London, has shown that digital monitoring significantly reduces hospital stays and chance of death related to sepsis. The digital sepsis alert system at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust was introduced in 2016 and monitors a number of symptoms to help identify sepsis before it becomes a problem. Alerts are sent to clinicians via a pop-up warning on their electronic health records and/or on a dashboard, which highlights any patient with an active alert when they open a patient's record.

The study found that the chance of death in hospital due to sepsis dropped by 24%, as well as 35% higher chance of receiving timely antibiotics to fight the infection. Early diagnosis of sepsis is crucial and allows teams in hospitals to determine the best course of action for the patient. Dr Anne Kinderlerer, consultant rheumatologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and co-author of the study, said:

"More patients are surviving sepsis at our hospitals and it is testament to the alert and treatment plans we have working hand in hand to help us ensure that patients are treated with antibiotics and other interventions in order to save more lives.”

Further research will be done in the future to determine whether these results are the same with a larger patient group.

Things about what you eat...
Does it matter what we eat for our mental health? Emerging findings from intervention studies suggest that diet (often combined with lifestyle) modification has potential in the prevention and treatment of mental health and may modify drug treatment effects. This is one of the findings from  an article in European Neuropsychpharmacology on Nutritional psychiatry.

Things about seafood...
The relationship between seafood eaten during pregnancy and neurocognition in offspring has been the subject of considerable scientific study for over 25 years. Evaluation of this question led two scientific advisory committees to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations with the World Health Organization (FAO/WHO), Health Canada, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conclude through 2014 that seafood consumed by pregnant women is likely to benefit the neurocognitive development of their children. This article "An abundance of seafood consumption studies presents new opportunities to evaluate effects on neurocognitive development" provides the history, context and rationale for reexamining these questions in light of currently available data. This article "Relationships between seafood consumption during pregnancy and childhood and neurocognitive development: Two systematic reviews." states

"Assessment of seafood as a whole food integrates inherently integrates any adverse effects from neurotoxicants, if any, and benefits to neurocognition from omega-3 fats, as well as other nutrients critical to optimal neurological development. Understanding of the effects of seafood consumption on neurocognition can have significant public health implications."

Things about an app...

An advert suggesting that children could gain likes and followers to progress through an app has been banned by the UK's advertising watchdog. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the phrase "get likes and followers to level up" could have a "detrimental effect on youngsters' mental health and self-esteem". The ad was "likely to cause harm" and was "irresponsible", it added. PopJam argued that its app encouraged "positive digital engagement".

The ASA said in its ruling: "We considered [the ad] explicitly encouraged children to seek likes and followers in order to progress through the app". It acknowledged that there were other ways of advancing in the app, but said that these were not explained in the ad.

"We considered that the suggestion that the acquisition of likes and followers was the only means of progression was likely to give children the impression that popularity on social media was something that should be pursued because it was desirable in its own right."

According to an Ofcom report, 78% of 12 to 15 year olds feel pressure to look popular on social media.

More things about social media...
An interesting blog about 'sharenting', in this post Professor Stacey Steinberg considers these questions and outlines three categories of risk in relation to ‘sharenting’ that she has identified in her research. She also gives some 'best practices' that can guide parents as they share information about their children online.

Things about DNA...
Plans for the National Health Service to sequence the DNA of every baby born in the UK, starting with a pilot scheme of 20,000 children, were announced by health minister Matt Hancock recently. This article in the New Scientist discusses the ethical issues around this topic.






Things about climate change...

The Lancet Countdown is an international, multidisciplinary collaboration, dedicated to monitoring the evolving health profile of climate change, and providing an independent assessment of the delivery of commitments made by governments worldwide under the Paris Agreement.






Things to eat...
These individual fish pies or Mediterranean fish gratins look like a really nice idea - or you could make one big one.

Things in the library 5th July...

Me...

I am back after a two week break...sorry for the interruption to the blog service.

Things about bringing up children...
In this Policy Statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics provides guidance for pediatricians and other child health care providers on educating parents about positive and effective parenting strategies of discipline for children at each stage of development as well as references to educational materials. This statement supports the need for adults to avoid physical punishment and verbal abuse of children.

Things about chronic illness...

Psychological therapies appear to show promise in helping improve self-reported parenting behaviour of parents of children and adolescents with cancer, chronic pain, diabetes or traumatic brain injury. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and problem-solving therapy (PST) appear particularly valuable in supporting this. Psychological therapies also seemed beneficial in improving the mental health of parents who have children with cancer and chronic pain, but not in studies of children with diabetes. Parenting a child with a chronic illness can pose challenges to family life, causing emotional strain for both the parents and children concerned. Skills for adapting to this can help improve parenting behaviour and the mental health and well-being outcomes for families of children with chronic illness. This Cochrane systematic review analysed 44 trials of varying quality, which included over 4,600 parents. The results may help support healthcare practitioners working with families where children have chronic illness.

Things about refugee & immigrant children...
Immigrant and refugee children are at increased risk for physical, developmental, and behavioral health challenges. This article provides an overview of physical, developmental, and behavioral health considerations for immigrant and refugee children within an ecological framework that highlights family, community, and sociocultural influences. Experiences and exposures relevant to immigrant and refugee children are discussed. Clinical pearls are provided for topics of chronic disease, nutrition, infectious disease, developmental screening, and mental health assessment. Interdisciplinary and community partnerships are emphasized as a means to decrease barriers to care and facilitate family navigation of complex social, educational, and health care systems.

Things about children & social media...
Barnardo's have published a report Left to their own devices: Young people, social media and mental health .
They say:

At the moment, not enough is known about the impact of social media on the most vulnerable children in the UK.
Research
We’re calling on the Government to commission more research on the impact of social media to help establish a solid evidence base. This research should specifically include the experience of vulnerable children and young people.
Education
The Government should ensure that all children and young people are able to access education and guidance on social media use. Advice should also be available for professionals, parents and carers.
Mental health support
A proportion of future funding for the NHS (as detailed in the NHS 10 Year Plan) should be used to deliver mental health support in all schools.
Regulating the internet
The Government should make the internet safe for children, including the most vulnerable - by introducing duties on tech companies and specific guidance on dangers like cyber-bullying. 

Things about prevention...
The RCPCH has published a Prevention vision for child health with five crucial priorities.

• Tackling inequalities with greater focus on the most vulnerable children, young people and families
• Investment in the workforce, in particular in school nurses and health visitors
• Greater coordination of services, strategies, plans and programmes that are designed to prevent negative outcomes
• A moratorium on public health funding cuts
• A life course approach, recognising that good prevention starts before birth

Things about movement...

The National Institute for Health Research have published a themed review Moving Matters - Interventions To Increase Physical Activity This review focuses on National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)-funded research evaluating interventions to increase physical activity for individuals and populations. This features over 50 published and ongoing studies. Evaluations range from programmes in schools and communities to changes in transport and the environment, which are designed to promote greater activity.

Reading Group...

The next book we are reading is 'The Librarian' by Salley Vickers and will be discussing this on Wed 7th August at 17:15 in the Illingworth library - drinks and nibbles provided as normal. Do feel free to join us for casual chat about what we are reading. At last our specialist subject!

Things to eat...

Salad season has finally arrived and we can stop eating warm comfort food. I do tend to make mine up from whatever is available (if the guinea pig hasn't eaten them first!) but this Paul Hollywood recipe for Spicy Squash Salad has some of my favourite foods in it so it's on my regular list of favourites.

Things in the library 7th June...

Things about the NHS App...
The NHS App went into the Apple App and Google Play stores on Monday 31 December, with a web based version due to launch in the coming months.
During testing between September and December, NHS England and NHS Digital teams listened to feedback from patients and practice staff and used this to make improvements to the app and plan the national rollout. Changes included improving the online registration process, how GP appointment information is presented, and changes to the information patients see before accessing their GP medical record.

The app is now being rolled out across England, with individual GP practices needing to review some of their system settings before they can go live and all the functions of the NHS App will be available. These actions and the gradual rollout will ensure patients have the best possible user experience of the app.
When the GP practice is connected patients will be able to use the NHS App to:

• book and manage appointments at their GP practice
• order their repeat prescriptions
• securely view their GP medical record
• check their symptoms using NHS 111 online and the health A-Z on the NHS website
• register as an organ donor
• choose whether the NHS uses their data for research and planning

Until the GP practice is online patients will be able to use the NHS App to check their symptoms using NHS 111 online and the health A-Z on the NHS website.
Most practices will go live between April and June 2019, [I just checked and no Sheffield GPs on yet] the NHS App was expected to be fully rolled out to practices and patients by 1 July 2019 so I don't know if that is still the target. It's not getting great reviews on the App stores at the moment but its something you might need to know about.

Things about opening hours...
We always try to stay open for our core hours of 8:45 - 17:00 Mon - Fri but over the summer there will be occasions when we cannot open in the 17:00 to 19:00 (Mon - Thurs) time slot due to staff holidays. if you are planning to come to the library in the evening do give us a ring to check to avoid a wasted journey. In the next couple of weeks we will be closing at 17:00 on the following days:
Thurs 13 June, Mon 17 June, Wed 19 June,  Mon 24 June, Wed 26 June.

Things to read...
If you are going on your summer holidays don't forget we have a good selection of leisure reading books available for you to loan - fiction and non-fiction. We have just finished reading Stephen Fry's 'Mythos' at our reading group and out next book is Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult discussed at our meeting on July 3rd at 17:15 (drinks and nibbles provided).
 "The warm fall day starts like any other at the Center—a women’s reproductive health services clinic—its staff offering care to anyone who passes through its doors. Then, in late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage. Jodie Picoult is one of the most fearless writers of our time—and tackles a complicated issue in this gripping and nuanced novel. How do we balance the rights of pregnant women with the rights of the unborn they carry? What does it mean to be a good parent? A Spark of Light will inspire debate and conversation." [Goodreads website]

Things about social media...
ScHARR are running a short 1 day course on 27th June "An Introduction to Using Social Media to Communicate Research" the aim of the workshop is to offer an introduction to the many tools you can use to help you communicate research and work smarter. The purpose of the day is to help attendees come away with a variety of tools and artefacts they can use to help communicate and share their work. They will teach you basics of social media in an academic setting and demystify some of the barriers that may have put you off from using these tools in your work.

Things about self-harm...
In the news this week an increasing number of people, especially girls and young women, are turning to self-harm to cope with painful feelings. The full study can be read in The Lancet Psychiatry The following points are made on the NHS behind the headlines site :
 "...the study has some limitations. The overall number reporting self-harm, especially in the 2000 survey, is fairly low (65 men and 105 women in 2000), which means the results may not be an accurate picture of the overall population level of self-harm. Also, although the same questions were asked in each survey, people's understanding of self-harm is likely to have changed since 2000. 
People may be more likely to report self-harm, or see certain acts as self-harm, than they were when the survey began. Also, we do not know whether the people who declined to take part in the survey were more or less likely to have self-harmed than those who did participate. We also crucially do not know how often people were engaging in self-harm. Because they were asked if they'd ever self-harmed, we do not know whether they were reporting a single event or an ongoing pattern of behaviour. Previous studies of self-harm have focused on people who were in contact with medical services as a result of self-harm. As the study discovered, more than half of people who self-harm do not seek help, so this study improves our knowledge of the scale of the problem. Despite its limitations, the study seems to have found a worrying increase in self-harm, especially among young women."

Things to eat...
I rather feel I should be posting salad and cooling drink recipes but with the rain lashing down outside and a colleague off on a UK holiday (always a sign of impending rain) I feel more like hunkering down with something warm and comforting! How about a slow classic ratatouille from Jamie Oliver served with some crusty bread, couscous or rice?

Things in the library 22 March...

Things about opening hours...
We are very sorry to say that next Friday (29th March) the Illingworth Library will be closed all day due to an unfortunate combination of annual leave and attendance at a funeral. We are really sorry if this causes you inconvenience and we did explore all possible solutions before making this decision. As always there will be a book-drop box outside the library for returning items whilst we are closed.

Things to attend...
The next Journal Club will be on 28th March from 8:00 to 9:00am on F floor Stephenson Wing...chance to chat and learn in a friendly environment ...along with muffins of course. The paper next week is 'Prevention of rickets and osteomalacia in the UK: political action overdue' please contact us if you would like a copy of the paper. The following Journal Club will be on the 16th April.

The next Critical Appraisal course is on the 10th April - please sign up for this training via the Intranet. No prior knowledge required.


Things to get excited about...

You can now sign up to take part in the next SCH Randomised Coffee Trial - pair matching will be done before Easter with the intention that you meet your randomly selected buddy during May (too many Bank Holidays at this time of year!). If you sign up and then later find you cannot take part do please notify us as soon as possible as last time a few people were disappointed that their allocated person didn't reply to their emails trying to arrange to meet. The feedback has again been very positive so please encourage your co-workers to take part. If you want more information ask us or sign-up here.

Things to have your say...
A consultation has been opened on how the government can reduce children's exposure to advertising for products that are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) on TV and online. For more information and to take part visit this website. The consultation closes on 10th June.

Things about social media...
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Media and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing has published its report #NewFilters. This is the first national Inquiry specifically examining the impact of social media on the mental health and wellbeing of young people, which ran from April 2018 to January 2019. The report explores the positive and negative health impacts of social media, as well as putting forward recommendations to protect young social media users from potential health harms.


Things to eat...
Yesterday Kate & I were lucky to be able to go to an Indian Family Style Lunch hosted by Cyrus Todiwala OBE & Pervin Todiwala  at the University of Sheffield as part of its launch of the University's race equality strategy and action plan week. Not only was the food fabulous but he was a very entertaining and interesting speaker. You can find out more about him and see a selection of his recipes here. This cauliflower dish sounds similar to one that we had so I will be trying this soon!

Things in the library 21st Sept...

Things about social media...

A briefing paper, Social media, young people and mental health, from the Centre for Mental Health looks at evidence about the impact of social media use on the mental health of young people. It finds that while many studies have focused on the risks and potential harm caused by social media use, there is also evidence of potential benefits. And only by building a three-dimensional picture of the many ways young people interact with social media will we be able to reduce the risks and make the most of the opportunities they present.

The briefing notes that the potential risks to wellbeing include addiction or dependency on social media, often as a substitute for other kinds of social interaction, unhelpful comparisons and jealousy, and bullying. Potential benefits may include the creation of new social connections and opportunities to encourage greater mental health literacy and help-seeking.

The briefing calls on government departments, social media companies and charities to work together to find ways of preventing or mitigating the risks and maximising the benefits to young people’s mental health. This may include changing the way social media platforms work, but also supporting schools and families to help children and young people to navigate social media safely and making greater use of the opportunities to promote good mental health and speedy help-seeking.

Things about CBT...
This study investigated possible predictors of long-term treatment outcomes in youth with mixed anxiety disorders treated in community mental health clinics. Outcomes were loss of all inclusion anxiety diagnoses, loss of the principal inclusion anxiety diagnosis, and changes in youth- and parent-rated youth anxiety symptoms. Predictors encompassed youth, parent and demographic factors, and post-treatment recovery. The most consistent finding was that low family social class predicted poorer outcomes. Higher treatment motivation was associated with better outcome whereas a diagnosis of social anxiety was associated with poorer outcome. Identified predictors extend on previous findings from efficacy trials, and the results indicate a need for more specific treatment protocols.


Things about eating disorders...
This review addresses the question of whether the offspring of parents with past or present eating disorders have adverse outcomes. Given the relatively high incidence of eating disorder history in individuals of childbearing age, research into its potential effects on children is necessary. However, the methodological shortcomings and a limited evidence base caution in drawing conclusions. Nevertheless, mental health services should address the possible problems that these children face and offer tailored programs.

Things about health in England...

The second annual report combining data and knowledge with information from other sources to give a broad picture of the health of people in England in 2018. This report summarises the health of people in England in 2018 and provides an update to the first Health Profile for England (published 2017). A new addition for this year’s report is the inclusion of forecast data for several key indicators, for the 5 years up to 2023 and a separate chapter on the health of children in the early years.  As a society, people are living longer but often in poorer health and stubborn inequalities persist. Good health is about much more than good healthcare – a high-quality education, a warm home, and a good job are just as important to a healthy standard of living.

Things about Artificial Intelligence...

A new ‘state of the nation' report about the use of Artificial Intelligence in health and care has found that we are only beginning to unlock the potential of AI. The report spotlights some of the opportunities AI creates and shows where it is already being used in projects across the country. It also considers some of the barriers to wider deployment of AI and proposes solutions, including the creation of a “code of conduct” for the sector.

Things about a sustainable health workforce...

The toolkit is aimed at policy-makers, human resources for health (HRH) planners and professionals, and other stakeholders, such as education institutions and those implementing policy. It is intended to support 'Towards a sustainable health workforce in the WHO European Region: framework for action', which adapts the Global strategy on human resources for health: workforce 2030 to the context of the WHO European Region. It is framed around four strategic domains mirroring the themes of the global strategy – education and performance, planning and investment, capacity-building, and analysis and monitoring – and proposes policy options and implementation modalities. The toolkit is formulated to provide Member States with information and signpost to practical materials, such as HRH assessment, policy and planning tools, analytical approaches and case studies, to support their efforts to strengthen HRH in a sustainable way, including through investment in capital and recurrent expenditure. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list or compendium.

Things about music...

Sheffield Makes Music this year forms part of the  Festival of the Mind events and celebrates the brilliant musical creators, contributors and talent our city has to offer. As part of the national celebrations for BBC Music Day they will be joined by BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq who will broadcast his 6 Music drive time show live from the Spiegeltent in Barkers Pool. Throughout the day all around the city centre they will be weaving the sounds of our city via a series of acoustic performances, Opera on the Town Hall steps and various brass, strings and voices in the St Paul's Place pop up band stand. Date: Friday 28 September 2018, 1pm-late

Things to make...

A recommendation from Sarah this week for Vegeree a kedgeree without fish but with roasted aubergines. There are two recipes on this link ...scroll down for the Vegeree.