David Buck
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davidjbuck.bsky.social
David Buck
@davidjbuck.bsky.social
3K followers 300 following 220 posts

Senior fellow in public health and health inequalities at The King's Fund (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/). Bit of a magpie, don't necessarily agree with those i (re)share. Also over at twitter @davidjbuck.

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Political science 46%
Sociology 39%
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davidjbuck.bsky.social
David Buck @davidjbuck.bsky.social · 6d
1/6. Really welcome Sir Charlie Mayfield's review on #work and #health today in response to this existential reality bbc.co.uk/news/article.... Review link and quick thoughts follow.
Britain sliding 'into economic crisis' over £85bn sickness bill, ex-John Lewis boss warns
The number of people who are out of work for health reasons has grown by 800,000 since 2019.
bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Will Jennings, Steve Peers, John L. Cotter , and 1 more

rolandmcs.bsky.social
Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · 4d
He's going to 'make the case for markets' despite screwing up Britain's place in a very large one, and putting up trade barriers.

Reposted by Ruairidh Milne, David D. Buck

actuarybyday.bsky.social
Stuart McDonald @actuarybyday.bsky.social · 4d
Flu is spiking up unusually early this year. The chart below shows hospital admissions, compared to six recent flu seasons.

Other indicators like flu test positivity paint the same picture.

From today's @ukhsa.bsky.social surveillance update:
www.gov.uk/government/s...

davidjbuck.bsky.social
David Buck @davidjbuck.bsky.social · 5d
Good thread, lots of competing (with different advocates and 'fashions') and shifting meanings of health inequalities (as other concepts such as population health), v evident in English policy and debate too over time.
allybrown.bsky.social Ally Brown @allybrown.bsky.social · 5d
The health inequalities agenda is "tired and risks having run out of road" - not my words, the words of a senior health policymaker in the Scottish Government. But other SG policymakers told me health inequalities were a "huge priority" - so what's going on? A thread... 1/

Reposted by David D. Buck

statsgeekclare.bsky.social
Clare Griffiths @statsgeekclare.bsky.social · 5d
Long covid prevalence is available in OHID's Fingertips tool, am not sure this data is much known about! fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/gene...
National General Practice Profiles - Data | Fingertips | Department of Health and Social Care
Data on patient demographics, satisfaction with GP services, prevalence of common conditions and general practice achievement results.
fingertips.phe.org.uk

Reposted by David D. Buck

healthfoundation.bsky.social
The Health Foundation @healthfoundation.bsky.social · 5d
🎧 Speaking to Emma Vardy on Radio 5 Live, @davefinch.bsky.social​ says, with 1 in 5 working-age people reporting a work-limiting health condition, it is vital that government and employers now act on the Mayfield review's recommendations.

Listen from 2.11 ⬇️
Naga Munchetty - With Emma Vardy - BBC Sounds
Emma Vardy features news, experiences, and big name interviews from around the UK.
bbc.in

Reposted by Ben Barr, Julia Lynch, David D. Buck

allybrown.bsky.social
Ally Brown @allybrown.bsky.social · 5d
The health inequalities agenda is "tired and risks having run out of road" - not my words, the words of a senior health policymaker in the Scottish Government. But other SG policymakers told me health inequalities were a "huge priority" - so what's going on? A thread... 1/

davidjbuck.bsky.social
David Buck @davidjbuck.bsky.social · 5d
Good to be in Leeds today with colleagues old and new, on #devolition and #health. So much potential - tx great panel made it easy to chair on #partnership between ICS/strategic authorities and local authorities for #health. Tx @healthfoundation.bsky.social for support.

davidjbuck.bsky.social
David Buck @davidjbuck.bsky.social · 6d
6/6. We need a coherent health mission form government, urgently and it needs to do these things ⬇️https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/blogs/prevention-revolution-another-missed-opportunity

davidjbuck.bsky.social
David Buck @davidjbuck.bsky.social · 6d
5/6. 4️⃣The challenge is whether it is big enough & urgent enough to turn the tide of ill-health, this needs to be part of a much bigger cohernt health mission that the government has promised but not delivered, it must do so inc fully committing to Sir Charlie’s recommendations.

davidjbuck.bsky.social
David Buck @davidjbuck.bsky.social · 6d
4/6. 3️⃣The prescription for change: a vanguard programme with employers building over time, better evidence and data to drive evaluation and outcomes, and rewiring incentives to improve coordination and learning from other countries who perform far better than we do is right.

davidjbuck.bsky.social
David Buck @davidjbuck.bsky.social · 6d
3/6. My view...
1️⃣It faces head on the challenge that too many people are not in ood work, which brings dignity, purpose and wellbeing as well as economic security.
2️⃣This is true esp for those with disabilities, mental health issues & older people with chronic conditions

davidjbuck.bsky.social
David Buck @davidjbuck.bsky.social · 6d
2/6. Review here gov.uk/government/n... Top level recommendations...

Reposted by David D. Buck

healthfoundation.bsky.social
The Health Foundation @healthfoundation.bsky.social · 6d
Welcoming the final report from Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working Review, @davefinch.bsky.social​ says the only sustainable way to meet the growing workforce health challenge and improve lives is to keep people healthy and in work from the outset.

Read more ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4nz5EH1
'Sir Charlie Mayfield has delivered a landmark report that sets out a fresh approach for addressing the UK’s growing workforce health challenge. Now it needs government and employers to get behind it.' David Finch, Assistant Director of Healthy Lives at the Health Foundation

davidjbuck.bsky.social
David Buck @davidjbuck.bsky.social · 10d
2/2. ...it's up for grabs on whether it will be. The concept of #neighbourhoodhealth is still being defined and there are several models in play, see this excellent @thekingsfund.bsky.social explainer by Leila Morris @annacharleskf.bsky.social @beccya.bsky.social www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-...
What Is Neighbourhood Health? | The King's Fund
The government has put a 'neighbourhood health service' at the heart of its vision for the NHS – but what does that actually mean for staff and patients? And how might it be implemented in different c...
www.kingsfund.org.uk

Reposted by Mel Bartley

davidjbuck.bsky.social
David Buck @davidjbuck.bsky.social · 10d
1/2. Really interesting work from @impurbanhealth.bsky.social on #financial #health, #GPs, #socialprescribing etc. To add to previous examples. This wider concept of helth and wellbeing is what #neighbourhoodhealth service should be about IMHO. But... urbanhealth.org.uk/insights/rep...
Financial Shield project: Supporting health by tackling financial stress
Supporting working-age people with long-term health conditions and financial difficulties.
urbanhealth.org.uk

Reposted by David D. Buck

thekingsfund.bsky.social
The King's Fund @thekingsfund.bsky.social · 11d
'The depth of admin failures suggest that fixing admin is a highly complex area that requires resources, skill, leadership and walking in the shoes of patients and carers'

Julia Cream looks at two areas where they're trying to do admin differently. https://bit.ly/47BI6vq
Who Picks Up The Phone? Different Approaches To NHS Admin | The King's Fund
Improving NHS admin isn’t easy – but some solutions are surprisingly simple. Julia Cream looks at two real life examples of admin done differently.
bit.ly

Reposted by Diane Coyle, Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell , and 20 more

hetanshah.bsky.social
Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 11d
Government has published one of those quiet but important documents that might get overlooked as it is not 'newsy'. The headline finding is that £1 of public R&D investment generates £8 in net economic benefits for the UK over the long term
www.gov.uk/government/p...
The value of public R&D
www.gov.uk

Reposted by Michael A. Clemens, Dirk Pilat, Urška Demšar , and 1 more

sarahoconnorft.ft.com
Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 11d
2nd edition of our The AI Shift newsletter is out. The question today: could AI be making us LESS productive? @jburnmurdoch.ft.com www.ft.com/content/2480... At the individual level, it's clear we're not reliable witnesses on this Q. At an organisational level, it gets even more interesting...

davidjbuck.bsky.social
David Buck @davidjbuck.bsky.social · 11d
Must read from @cipfa.bsky.social on #measurment of #prevention #spending in local government. Glad to have been on ad group. If you don't have some approach to measurement, you don't know where you are and you can't protect or shift spend knowingly. Now for the NHS... www.cipfa.org/policy-and-g...

Reposted by Lawrence Freedman, David D. Buck

samfr.bsky.social
Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 12d
Cutting child poverty is obviously important as per this polling yesterday from @steveakehurst.bsky.social

Child poverty increasing leads to the biggest loss of govt approval by an election in hyopthetical polling.

Reposted by David D. Buck

nao.org.uk
National Audit Office @nao.org.uk · 13d
Government doesn't know how reliant it is on independent adult hospices for the provision of palliative and end-of-life care.

With more people dying in England each year, the sustainability of independent hospices is of national importance.

Read: www.nao.org.uk/reports/the-...

Reposted by David D. Buck

jamesfitzjourno.bsky.social
James Fitzgerald @jamesfitzjourno.bsky.social · 13d
...righto.
Gambling does not cause any ‘social ills’, lobbyist tells incredulous MPs
Head of UK’s Betting and Gaming Council was asked to repeat claim as she spoke against increasing taxes on sector in November budget
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by David D. Buck

healthequals.bsky.social
Health Equals @healthequals.bsky.social · 14d
Our data released today has found that 15 million people in the UK live with damp, mould and cold in their homes. 🔴

No one should have to live in a home that damages their health.

Explore the findings from our survey here. 👉 healthequals.org.uk/data_insight...
New data shows more than 1 in 4 of us live in homes that could harm our health | Health Equals
New data shows more than 1 in 4 of us live in homes that could harm our health, with over 15 million people dealing with damp, mould or cold.
healthequals.org.uk

davidjbuck.bsky.social
David Buck @davidjbuck.bsky.social · 14d
Highly welcomed, and a result of great engagement from @instituteforgovernment.org.uk and others - civil servant connections with civil society are critical to good government👍
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/welc...
A welcome clarification on the rules ‘gagging’ civil servants | Institute for Government
New guidance on civil servants speaking in public is a welcome return to common sense.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Reposted by David D. Buck

healthfoundation.bsky.social
The Health Foundation @healthfoundation.bsky.social · 15d
How can we map and measure preventative spend?

Join us for the launch of CIPFA's new report on understanding preventative investment, which we are pleased to support.

📍The Health Foundation, 8 Salisbury Square, London
📆 Thursday 6 November, 13.30–14.30

Find out more and register ⬇️
Understanding preventative investment: how to map and measure spend
Launch of CIPFA’s report on preventative investment in local government
bit.ly

Reposted by David D. Buck

thekingsfund.bsky.social
The King's Fund @thekingsfund.bsky.social · 17d
We’re proud to join the @healthequals.bsky.social social coalition to support action on the building blocks of health and #MakeHealthEqual in the UK. https://healthequals.org.uk/
UK’s campaign for improving health opportunities | Health Equals
We're shaping a society where each of us has our best chance of good health, no matter who we are or where we are born, work and live.
healthequals.org.uk

Reposted by David D. Buck

victimofmaths.bsky.social
Colin Angus @victimofmaths.bsky.social · 17d
Alcoholic drinks, along with fruit and fish, are the only food and drink category to have got cheaper, in real terms, since the start of the cost-of-living crisis.

Beer has got slightly more expensive in real terms since the end of 2022, but wine and spirits remain at late 2022 prices.
A line chart showing the changes in real-terms prices (i.e. after adjusting for overall inflation) in the 13 separate food and drink categories that ONS reports between January 2021 and September 2025. Oils and fats have seen the biggest increases, by far, of almost 40%, while most other food and drink groups have increased by 5-15%. Only beer, fruit, spirits, fish and wine have seen a real-terms fall in prices over this period.

Reposted by David D. Buck

joesarling.bsky.social
Joe Sarling @joesarling.bsky.social · 19d
"Largest study of its kind shows AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time"

Link: www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...

Report: www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/...

Reposted by Stephen P. Jenkins, Mel Bartley, Karen R. Lips , and 37 more

anavaldi.bsky.social
ana valdivia @anavaldi.bsky.social · 20d
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:

- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%