Health and charities
Health charities and their funders make a vast contribution to the public’s wellness—from providing expert healthcare to conducting cutting-edge research.
At the same time, the wider charity sector’s work on social issues helps to tackle the causes of ill-health: by improving housing, and alleviating loneliness and isolation, for example.
Through research, collaboration and convening, we’re working to ensure this contribution is recognised and harnessed.
Key resources and commentary on health
Keeping us well: How non-health charities address the social determinants of health
This report aims to support non-health charities to better understand and use the evidence about the social factors that impact on people’s health and well-being: from housing to relationships, good food to good work.
Good lives, good health: how the voluntary sector helps to keep people well
Stark and widespread health inequalities in the UK represent a striking social injustice. The impact that social factors have on our health mean that even charities that are not explicitly pursuing a health-focused mission are helping to keep people well. Leading expert on the social determinants of health Sir Michael Marmot introduces new research from NPC on the important role the voluntary sector plays in helping us live longer, healthier, lives.
How do non-health charities help reduce health inequalities?
The UK's life expectancy is falling behind other countries in Europe, according to new analysis. There are plenty of things that affect the nation's health, which means even the work of non-health charities may be helping keep people well. At NPC we're working on a guide to help voluntary sector organisations better understand the social determinants of health. Katie Boswell explains.
Freeing up health analysis: Using government data to help improve health services
Based on the precedent of the Justice Data Lab, we argue that relevant government departments should adopt a data labs model to enable charities to better understand the impact of their services on people's health. This would allow the whole health sector learn what works, and would help to build more effective and efficient services.
Health Data Lab: An initiative whose time has come
NPC and 24 leading charities have written to the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt MP, asking for his backing and for a Health Data Lab. Read more about what this means and why it would help improve the impact of services on people’s health.
Untapped potential: Bringing the voluntary sector’s strengths to health and care transformation
Our research for the Richmond Group of Charities and partners to inform their Doing the Right Thing project—which aims to shape health and care system reform by showcasing the voluntary and community sector's value. We assessed the strength of evidence available and developed frameworks to provide a shared language.
Supporting good health: The role of the charity sector
The statutory system is central and hugely important to guaranteeing adequate healthcare across the UK, but conversations about health need to look beyond the doors of hospitals and GP surgeries. In this discussion paper, we present seven key areas in which charities have the potential to improve the quality of UK health services.
Tapping the potential: Lessons from the Richmond Group’s practical collaborative work in Somerset
A learning report, researched and authored by NPC for The Richmond Group of Charities. It captures learning from the initial stages of an approach to building meaningful collaboration between the voluntary sector and public bodies.
Embracing place-based collaboration: Lessons from Somerset
What does cross-sector collaboration in health and care look like in a particular place? NPC has captured learning from the initial stages of the The Richmond Group of Charities' work in Somerset, which explored what new ways of working across sectors in a specific geographic area could look like. Here we share three lessons from the work.
