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. The public support for NHS charities during coronavirus, notably via the efforts of Captain Tom, raised awareness of health charities like never before.
At the same time, the wider charity sector’s work on social issues helps to tackle the causes of ill-health, such as by improving housing and alleviating loneliness isolation. This was a key argument of the Marmot review.
Through research, collaboration and convening, we’re helping this contribution become recognised and harnessed. We’re supporting health charities with shared measurement, advocating for a health data lab, and researching the role of non-health charities in improving health outcomes. Contact us to get involved in these projects.
Featured resources on health
Learning together as a sector: NHS charities using shared measurement
NPC has worked with Imperial HealthCharity to analyse the potential for shared measurement among NHS charities.
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.
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
In this paper 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.
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
In this discussion paper, we present seven key areas in which charities have the potential to improve the quality of UK health services.
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.
