UK Parents Suffer Confidence Crisis

NEW analysis of Google search data suggests that UK parents are experiencing a crisis in confidence about their abilities to raise their children in the wake of the Pandemic.

In 2023, parents are relying on search engines for parenting advice more than ever before. In fact, Google searches from parents across the UK about their children have almost tripled since 2019.

With expectant parents largely cut off from family, friends, and professionals throughout the Pandemic, the data suggests new parents became reliant on technology to answer their parenting questions instead of trusting their own intuition. This trend continues even now the UK's COVID restrictions are a thing of the past.

Children's health is the biggest cause of this anxiety, with searches concerning reflux, burping, and eczema topping the most Googled aspects of parenting this year so far. Searches from expectant mothers about when they should feel their baby move have also increased by 36% since 2019, whilst searches regarding baby's reflux have spiked by an astounding 153%.

The data, analysed by leading name label manufacturer MyNametags.com, suggests that parents' anxiety peaks in the middle of the night, with searches concerning babies crying, coughing, feeding, and breathing all spiking between 1 am and 5 am.

Lars B. Andersen, Managing Director at MyNametags.com, comments:- "At My Nametags, we offer parents advice on preparing their children for School and preventing lost belongings every day, so we were interested to find out what more about the other most pressing questions families have. It's interesting to see how reliance on search engines and online advice has increased since the pandemic when many expectant parents were almost completely cut off from the outside world and how this trend continues even now that we are back to 'normal life'. There is a definite shift in the way parents rely on the internet for advice and what they are searching for which indicates a lack of confidence in modern parents."

Top 10 most Googled new baby questions in 2023:-

• What should my baby wear to bed?
   

• How I cured my baby's reflux?
   

• When will I feel my baby move?
   

• Can I take my baby outside with bronchiolitis?
   

• What if my baby won't burp after feeding?
   

• Does my baby have silent reflux?
   

• How I cured my baby's eczema?
   

• Why won't my baby sleep?
   

• What should my baby wear to bed?
   

• Why is my baby crying so much?

Visit the My Nametags website for answers to parents' most Googled questions about sending their children back to School.

Government takes action to strengthen local care systems

THE Government has committed to a number of measures to support integrated care systems in response to 2 key reports. Responding to the Hewitt Review which reported its findings, on 4 April 2023, and the recent Health and Social Care Select Committee (HSCC) Inquiry into the workings of the local health and care systems, the Government reaffirmed its support for integrated care systems.

In its response, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) outlines the steps it will take working with NHS England and local health and care systems, to support learning and improvement and join up care for patients and communities. As part of this the department will review and streamline national targets to ensure that systems are able to focus on improving health for their populations.

In line with the recommendations of the reviews, the Government has also committed to:-

• Continue supporting local systems to adapt to NHS England's new operating framework, which lays out the new roles NHS England, Integrated Care Systems (ICS) and NHS providers will play in the wider health and care system.
   

• Work with NHS England, local authorities and local health and care services to develop better information around funding for prevention services to inform future investment decisions.
   

• Provide greater certainty over budgets for local health and care systems, by working to ensure reporting for small in-year funding pots is proportionate, freeing up time for planning and delivery of health and care to local people.
   

• The actions from the Government's response will support health and care systems to be more effective, making them a vital tool for improving the speed at which people will receive care in their local areas and in some cases reducing their need to be placed on an NHS waiting list where community support is available.
   

• Government will be looking to take these commitments forward over the coming months, working with national partners and systems.

Minister for Care Helen Whately said:- "Integrated care systems are already making a difference by bringing together local NHS organisations along with social care and the voluntary sector. We know that joined up care benefits patients and that's exactly what ICSs are there to provide. We have listened to the reports and the actions we're going to take, like reviewing how we reduce admin burdens on local systems, will build on the excellent work that ICSs are already doing."

Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said:- "Integrated care systems have the power to change the way the NHS provides care for people while working alongside local Government to ensure people live healthier lives. Health systems across the country are already making a real impact and we will continue to support local areas to improve outcomes for patients."

Integrated care systems bring together:- NHS, Local Government, social care providers, charities and other partners to deliver on 4 goals:-

• Improving outcomes in population health and healthcare.
   

• Tackling inequalities in outcomes, experience and access.
   

• Enhancing productivity and value for money.
   

• Helping the NHS support broader social and economic development.

Each ICS has an integrated care board that includes representatives from local authorities, Primary Care and NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts, who make decisions on commissioning health and care services in their local areas.

The Health and Social Care Committee launched its inquiry into integrated care systems in July 2022. Subsequently, the Health and Social Care Secretary commissioned Rt. Hon. Patricia Hewitt to lead a separate, independent review in November 2022, to examine how the oversight and governance of these systems can best enable them to succeed.

Both reviews covered ICSs in England including considering the NHS targets and priorities for which ICBs are accountable, including those set out in the Government's mandate to NHS England.

Drawing on the insights of leaders from across:- the NHS, Local Government, social care providers, the charitable and the voluntary and social enterprise sectors, the Hewitt review looked at how best to empower local leaders to focus on improving outcomes for their populations.