Reducing Health Inequalities Implementation Theme. Briefing paper 1: Why health inequalities matter

This first briefing paper is an account of why health inequality matters and why health inequalities deserve consideration across all areas of CLAHRC (SY) activity. We begin by briefly reviewing the policy landscape and the prominence of 'inequality' as a growing focus of concern over the past 30 years. We then set out the type of philosophical and political considerations that may underpin the view that health inequality is a problem. Next we identify the main axes of inequality with which we suggest CLAHRC (SY) should concern itself. In the next section of the paper we set out the extent of health inequality in South Yorkshire, as far as available data allow. Finally, we show the relevance of health inequality across the CLAHRC (SY) themes and raise for discussion the implications for CLAHRC (SY) activity

Social research for a multiethnic population: do the research ethics and standards guidelines of UK Learned Societies address this challenge?

There is increasing recognition in the UK that social science research should generate an evidence base that reflects the ethnic diversity of the population and informs positive developments in public policy and programmes for all. However, describing and understanding ethnic diversity, and associated disadvantage, is far from straightforward. In practice, the ethical and scientific arguments around whether and how to incorporate ethnicity into policy-relevant social research are complex and contentious. In particular, untheorised or insensitive inclusion of data on ethnic 'groups' can have negative consequences. The present investigation begins to explore the extent to which social scientists have access to advice and guidance in this area of research. Specifically, the paper examines how ethnic diversity is explicitly or implicitly considered within the research ethics and scientific standard guidance provided by UK social science Learned Societies to their members. The review found little in the way of explicit attention to ethnic diversity in the guidance documents, but nevertheless identified a number of pertinent themes. The paper compiles and extrapolates these themes to present a tentative set of principles for social scientists to debate and further develop

Responding to the increased genetic risk associated with customary consanguineous marriage among minority ethnic populations: lessons from local innovations in England.

Populations practising customary consanguineous marriage have a higher incidence of autosomal recessive genetic disorders than those in which reproductive partners are usually unrelated. In the absence of any national-level response, English service developments to address the additional needs of families living with or at risk of such disorders have been locally led. These interventions remain in their infancy here, as elsewhere in Europe, and important questions remain regarding how appropriate, effective and sustainable responses can be operationalised in practice. This formative service review employed four local case studies together with wider consultation exercises over a 4-year period (2011-2015) to document recent responses to this area of need, issues arising and lessons to inform future work. Service components included the following: enhancements to genetic services to provide family-centred, culturally competent approaches to counselling and testing; community genetic literacy approaches; and capacity development among health professionals. Local approaches were, however, very varied in their detail, scope, level of investment and longevity. The provisions of culturally competent genetic counselling services and community-level genetic literacy interventions were generally well received by those who accessed them. Coordinated action across all service components appeared important for an effective service, but healthcare professionals, particularly general practitioners, were often difficult to engage in this agenda. An evaluative culture and engagement in a wider community of practice had supported service development across sites. However, sustaining investment was challenging, particularly where new services were not well integrated into core provision and where commissioning was driven by expectations of short-term reductions in infant mortality and disability

Now the wars are over: The past, present and future of Scottish battlefields

Battlefield archaeology has provided a new way of appreciating historic battlefields. This paper provides a summary of the long history of warfare and conflict in Scotland which has given rise to a large number of battlefield sites. Recent moves to highlight the archaeological importance of these sites, in the form of Historic Scotland’s Battlefields Inventory are discussed, along with some of the problems associated with the preservation and management of these important cultural sites