Colin Pritchard - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Colin Pritchard
Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 2016
This article explores how higher education institutions in England engage with research in their ... more This article explores how higher education institutions in England engage with research in their access agreements. Through an analysis of access agreements from 2014-15 to 2016-17, a picture of how research is understood, undertaken and documented emerges. A lexical analysis of the texts was used to establish the different ways research is being referred to or funded as part of the access agreement process. The analysis shows a productive relationship between national policy and institutional activity. But there appears to be a lack of infrastructure at an institutional and sector level to join up sustained and rigorous research with widening participation activity and policy. This means that, even after ten years of access agreements, widening participation is not fully embedded into the academic practice of higher education. We argue that research undertaken as part of the access agreement process can provide much needed evidence of impact and situate activity within an institution-wide context. However, we also suggest that widening participation research has the potential to offer productive troubling ideas to dominant rhetoric and, in so doing, shape new ways of thinking about, and doing, widening participation within institutions and across the sector.
The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, 1995
The psychiatric targets set in 'The Health of the Nation' reflect a fundamental change in auditin... more The psychiatric targets set in 'The Health of the Nation' reflect a fundamental change in auditing the psychiatric and social services, and it is argued that suicide levels have become 'Paradoxical indicators' of effectiveness. Based upon mortality rates between 1974-1990, interregional comparative league tables are presented. Changes in age and gender patterns, and the accumulative impact of unemployment 1990-1994, especially in the more affluent regions, suggest that the suicide targets may not be feasible. The implications for the community and psychiatric services are briefly discussed.
International journal of health policy and management, Jan 10, 2016
It is well-established that for a considerable period the United Kingdom has spent proportionally... more It is well-established that for a considerable period the United Kingdom has spent proportionally less of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health-related services than almost any other comparable country. Average European spending on health (as a % of GDP) in the period 1980 to 2013 has been 19% higher than the United Kingdom, indicating that comparable countries give far greater fiscal priority to its health services, irrespective of its actual fiscal value or configuration. While the UK National Health Service (NHS) is a comparatively lean healthcare system, it is often regarded to be at a 'crisis' point on account of low levels of funding. Indeed, many state that currently the NHS has a sizeable funding gap, in part due to its recently reduced GDP devoted to health but mainly the challenges around increases in longevity, expectation and new medical costs. The right level of health funding is a political value judgement. As the data in this paper outline, if the UK '...
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Spine, Apr 22, 2018
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2019
JRSM open, 2014
To explore the occupational backgrounds of English Non-Executive Directors (NED) on Acute Nationa... more To explore the occupational backgrounds of English Non-Executive Directors (NED) on Acute National Health Service (NHS) Trusts. Data extrapolated from Trust websites of NED' occupational backgrounds by gender and occupations, and inter-rater reliability test undertaken. Data were available on all but 24 of the 166 Acute Trusts' from all regions. Trust Chairs and NED were categorised by their dominant occupation. Differentiating NED with and without health or social care leadership experience. The ratings of NED' occupations positively correlated (p < 0.001). Occupational categories were Commerce and Finance from private and public sectors or with Medical or Community leadership experience. Only 4% of Chairs were Medical, 2% from Community - the majority (61%) from Commerce and Finance. Of the 1001 NED, 8% and 6% respectively had Medical or Community leadership experience; most (86%) were Commerce, Finance and non-clinical Managerial backgrounds. Females made up 27% of...
Public Health, 2004
Objectives. To compare changes in 'adult' (45-74 years) 'all-cause deaths' (ACDs) with all neurol... more Objectives. To compare changes in 'adult' (45-74 years) 'all-cause deaths' (ACDs) with all neurological death categories by age and gender in the 10 major Western countries between the 1970s (1979-1981) and the 1990s (1995-1997). Method. World Health Organization standardized mortality data for age and gender (1979/97) were used to examine changes in adult mortality rates per million based upon ICD-9 categories for ACDs, 'neurological deaths' and the special neurological categories of 'other neurological deaths' (ONDs) and 'mental disorder deaths' (MDDs), which include the dementias. Ratios of ratios were calculated to demonstrate how each individual country's pattern changed over the period by age and gender, resolving the problem of cross-national comparisons. Rates of change across the endpoints and between age groups (45-54, 55-64, 65-74 and 75 þ years) were examined using analysis of variance, stepwise regression analysis and cross-tabulation analyses. Results. Meningitis deaths fell substantially, but there was little change in multiple sclerosis or epilepsy deaths. OND rates for the 1990s increased compared with the 1970s rates for males and female, in actual terms and relative to ACDs for almost all countries. Many of the relative rates of increase were substantially higher than 20%. There were significant statistical differences with respect to relative rates of ONDs between the 1970s and the 1990s data, even when the 75 þ years age group was excluded. Significant differences were also found between age groups, but only in the 1990s data. MDD rates showed similar trends. Analyses of actual rates of increase in these causes of death showed that males outnumber females in all ages below 74 years. The extent of this difference remained constant across the endpoints. However, in those aged 75 years and over, females outnumbered males at both endpoints, but this disparity widened significantly in the 1990s data. Conclusions. The 1990s data indicate substantial increases compared with the 1970s data for ONDs (especially amongst 65-74 year olds), and rises in MDDs in 55-64 year olds in five countries, including England and Wales and Germany, and in 65-74 year olds in most countries, suggesting earlier onsets of the underlying conditions. Further country-specific research is required to explain the emerging morbidity and mortality.
Evidence Discovery and Assessment in Social Work Practice, 2015
Psychiatric social work is inherently inter-disciplinary with an interactive bio-psycho-social mo... more Psychiatric social work is inherently inter-disciplinary with an interactive bio-psycho-social model of behaviour. This chapter mainly focuses upon an innovative study in neurosurgery. Sub-arachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is a life-threatening condition and survivors are often left with serious cognitive impairment. Patients and their carers led the design of a two-year controlled prospective study of a patient and family support service, using the Specialist Neurovascular Nurse (SNVN) to speed rehabilitation and family readjustment. Cost-effective measures found the SNVN group gained significant psychosocial and fiscal benefits when compared to the control group, thus highlighting the effectiveness of a social work approach in neurosurgery. Other studies in healthcare, including surgical patient safety, effectiveness in reducing mortality, cultural influence on suicide rates and implications for prevention, and the implications of the changing patterns of neurological mortality in Western nations, are briefly described.
Social Work and Mental Illness, 1983
Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 1990
The gender related suicide and unemployment rates for 1964-1986 from twenty-three Western countri... more The gender related suicide and unemployment rates for 1964-1986 from twenty-three Western countries were reviewed. A statistically significant correlation was found for both genders for the 1974-1986 period, which saw major rises in both suicide and unemployment in many Western nations. This was in contrast to a non-significant correlation for 1964-1973. As unemployment reached a critical level the statistical link with suicide became stronger. This suggests that unemployment is a contributing factor in increased suicide. Major gender changes occurred, in particular rises in female suicide rates, though these were not uniform. Whilst the expected greater male/female ratio for suicide was confirmed, there were significant variations between countries, with the ratio widening particularly amongst anglo phone nations. This indicated differential gender changes in patterns of suicide. The possibility of some 'protective' mechanism against suicide for women in anglo phone countri...
The Protest Makers, 1980
A large proportion of the campaign for nuclear disarmament's (CND) activists believed that th... more A large proportion of the campaign for nuclear disarmament's (CND) activists believed that the movement did not fail in its primary objectives, that its successes far outnumbered its failures, and that its impact on the national and international nuclear scene was profound. This chapter presents three major objectives of the CND policy. The first and most fiercely held proposal was that Britain should take the moral lead and, as the third nuclear power, should unilaterally renounce nuclear weapons. The second objective was that there should be no nuclear bases in the United Kingdom (UK) and that no aeroplanes carrying nuclear weapons should be permitted to fly over the UK territory. The third objective was that Britain should leave NATO and work for the creation of a neutral third force in the world. CND continued through 1961–1964/5 and beyond to press for the adoption of its policies by the Labour Party. However, as the attainment of CND's goals through the Labour Party became increasingly unlikely, the mass support for the movement and the enthusiasm of both leaders and rank and file began slowly but surely to diminish.
The British Journal of Psychiatry, 1992
Within the context of marked increases in suicide rates in the UK among men between 1974 and 1988... more Within the context of marked increases in suicide rates in the UK among men between 1974 and 1988, the rate among those aged 15–24 years rose more than that of any other age band. The UK suicide rate among young men also worsened compared with those of most other countries in the EC. Rises in the general male suicide rate were statistically associated with rises in unemployment in most of the EC.
British Journal of Neurosurgery, 2011
Background. Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is neurological catastrophe, creating major disruption... more Background. Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is neurological catastrophe, creating major disruption for patient and family, hence the importance of considering Patient-Related-Outcome-Measures (PROM). This study uses the National Study of SAH (2006) to explore any fiscal benefits to patients and NHS if they had an enhanced Neuro-Vascular-Specialist-Nurse (NVSN) service compared to Treatment-as-Usual (TAU). Method. Ensuring total confidentiality, clinical data from the National Study (n ¼ 2397) were matched with regional clinical data of a TAU (n ¼ 137) and prospective NVSN service (n ¼ 184) patients. The TAU and NVSN fiscal outcomes were projected onto the National Study patients to provide estimates of the potential benefits that could accrue nationally from a NVSN service based upon length of stay and earlier return to work of patients and carers. Results. There were substantial benefits for NVSN cohort related to shorter time in hospital, reduced family disruption, earlier return to work and fiscal benefits to family and the NHS. NVSN patients and carers potential savings were estimated at £8.097 million and £2.492 million to the service, £10.497 million overall. Practice implications. This PROM approach allows the 'patient's voice' to be heard, which facilitates speedier patient and family recovery, showing that an integrated treatment approach in 'high tech' neuro-surgery is cost-effective.
Psychological medicine, 2007
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 1992
Based upon standardised mortality figures, between 1973–1987, Australian male suicide rose by 39%... more Based upon standardised mortality figures, between 1973–1987, Australian male suicide rose by 39%, and New Zealand male suicide by 53%. In both countries there were even greater increases in male youth suicides (15–24 years), 66% and 127% respectively. The female suicide statistics were more varied with a fall of −24% in Australia, but an increase of 26% in New Zealand. In both countries however, female youth suicide, relative to their general rates, increased. A comparison of youth suicide in the western world demonstrated that Australia and New Zealand were unique as they were the only countries in which male and female youth suicide levels were higher than their average rates.
Archives of Suicide Research, 2002
ABSTRACT
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2002
Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 2016
This article explores how higher education institutions in England engage with research in their ... more This article explores how higher education institutions in England engage with research in their access agreements. Through an analysis of access agreements from 2014-15 to 2016-17, a picture of how research is understood, undertaken and documented emerges. A lexical analysis of the texts was used to establish the different ways research is being referred to or funded as part of the access agreement process. The analysis shows a productive relationship between national policy and institutional activity. But there appears to be a lack of infrastructure at an institutional and sector level to join up sustained and rigorous research with widening participation activity and policy. This means that, even after ten years of access agreements, widening participation is not fully embedded into the academic practice of higher education. We argue that research undertaken as part of the access agreement process can provide much needed evidence of impact and situate activity within an institution-wide context. However, we also suggest that widening participation research has the potential to offer productive troubling ideas to dominant rhetoric and, in so doing, shape new ways of thinking about, and doing, widening participation within institutions and across the sector.
The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, 1995
The psychiatric targets set in 'The Health of the Nation' reflect a fundamental change in auditin... more The psychiatric targets set in 'The Health of the Nation' reflect a fundamental change in auditing the psychiatric and social services, and it is argued that suicide levels have become 'Paradoxical indicators' of effectiveness. Based upon mortality rates between 1974-1990, interregional comparative league tables are presented. Changes in age and gender patterns, and the accumulative impact of unemployment 1990-1994, especially in the more affluent regions, suggest that the suicide targets may not be feasible. The implications for the community and psychiatric services are briefly discussed.
International journal of health policy and management, Jan 10, 2016
It is well-established that for a considerable period the United Kingdom has spent proportionally... more It is well-established that for a considerable period the United Kingdom has spent proportionally less of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health-related services than almost any other comparable country. Average European spending on health (as a % of GDP) in the period 1980 to 2013 has been 19% higher than the United Kingdom, indicating that comparable countries give far greater fiscal priority to its health services, irrespective of its actual fiscal value or configuration. While the UK National Health Service (NHS) is a comparatively lean healthcare system, it is often regarded to be at a 'crisis' point on account of low levels of funding. Indeed, many state that currently the NHS has a sizeable funding gap, in part due to its recently reduced GDP devoted to health but mainly the challenges around increases in longevity, expectation and new medical costs. The right level of health funding is a political value judgement. As the data in this paper outline, if the UK '...
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Spine, Apr 22, 2018
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2019
JRSM open, 2014
To explore the occupational backgrounds of English Non-Executive Directors (NED) on Acute Nationa... more To explore the occupational backgrounds of English Non-Executive Directors (NED) on Acute National Health Service (NHS) Trusts. Data extrapolated from Trust websites of NED' occupational backgrounds by gender and occupations, and inter-rater reliability test undertaken. Data were available on all but 24 of the 166 Acute Trusts' from all regions. Trust Chairs and NED were categorised by their dominant occupation. Differentiating NED with and without health or social care leadership experience. The ratings of NED' occupations positively correlated (p < 0.001). Occupational categories were Commerce and Finance from private and public sectors or with Medical or Community leadership experience. Only 4% of Chairs were Medical, 2% from Community - the majority (61%) from Commerce and Finance. Of the 1001 NED, 8% and 6% respectively had Medical or Community leadership experience; most (86%) were Commerce, Finance and non-clinical Managerial backgrounds. Females made up 27% of...
Public Health, 2004
Objectives. To compare changes in 'adult' (45-74 years) 'all-cause deaths' (ACDs) with all neurol... more Objectives. To compare changes in 'adult' (45-74 years) 'all-cause deaths' (ACDs) with all neurological death categories by age and gender in the 10 major Western countries between the 1970s (1979-1981) and the 1990s (1995-1997). Method. World Health Organization standardized mortality data for age and gender (1979/97) were used to examine changes in adult mortality rates per million based upon ICD-9 categories for ACDs, 'neurological deaths' and the special neurological categories of 'other neurological deaths' (ONDs) and 'mental disorder deaths' (MDDs), which include the dementias. Ratios of ratios were calculated to demonstrate how each individual country's pattern changed over the period by age and gender, resolving the problem of cross-national comparisons. Rates of change across the endpoints and between age groups (45-54, 55-64, 65-74 and 75 þ years) were examined using analysis of variance, stepwise regression analysis and cross-tabulation analyses. Results. Meningitis deaths fell substantially, but there was little change in multiple sclerosis or epilepsy deaths. OND rates for the 1990s increased compared with the 1970s rates for males and female, in actual terms and relative to ACDs for almost all countries. Many of the relative rates of increase were substantially higher than 20%. There were significant statistical differences with respect to relative rates of ONDs between the 1970s and the 1990s data, even when the 75 þ years age group was excluded. Significant differences were also found between age groups, but only in the 1990s data. MDD rates showed similar trends. Analyses of actual rates of increase in these causes of death showed that males outnumber females in all ages below 74 years. The extent of this difference remained constant across the endpoints. However, in those aged 75 years and over, females outnumbered males at both endpoints, but this disparity widened significantly in the 1990s data. Conclusions. The 1990s data indicate substantial increases compared with the 1970s data for ONDs (especially amongst 65-74 year olds), and rises in MDDs in 55-64 year olds in five countries, including England and Wales and Germany, and in 65-74 year olds in most countries, suggesting earlier onsets of the underlying conditions. Further country-specific research is required to explain the emerging morbidity and mortality.
Evidence Discovery and Assessment in Social Work Practice, 2015
Psychiatric social work is inherently inter-disciplinary with an interactive bio-psycho-social mo... more Psychiatric social work is inherently inter-disciplinary with an interactive bio-psycho-social model of behaviour. This chapter mainly focuses upon an innovative study in neurosurgery. Sub-arachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is a life-threatening condition and survivors are often left with serious cognitive impairment. Patients and their carers led the design of a two-year controlled prospective study of a patient and family support service, using the Specialist Neurovascular Nurse (SNVN) to speed rehabilitation and family readjustment. Cost-effective measures found the SNVN group gained significant psychosocial and fiscal benefits when compared to the control group, thus highlighting the effectiveness of a social work approach in neurosurgery. Other studies in healthcare, including surgical patient safety, effectiveness in reducing mortality, cultural influence on suicide rates and implications for prevention, and the implications of the changing patterns of neurological mortality in Western nations, are briefly described.
Social Work and Mental Illness, 1983
Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 1990
The gender related suicide and unemployment rates for 1964-1986 from twenty-three Western countri... more The gender related suicide and unemployment rates for 1964-1986 from twenty-three Western countries were reviewed. A statistically significant correlation was found for both genders for the 1974-1986 period, which saw major rises in both suicide and unemployment in many Western nations. This was in contrast to a non-significant correlation for 1964-1973. As unemployment reached a critical level the statistical link with suicide became stronger. This suggests that unemployment is a contributing factor in increased suicide. Major gender changes occurred, in particular rises in female suicide rates, though these were not uniform. Whilst the expected greater male/female ratio for suicide was confirmed, there were significant variations between countries, with the ratio widening particularly amongst anglo phone nations. This indicated differential gender changes in patterns of suicide. The possibility of some 'protective' mechanism against suicide for women in anglo phone countri...
The Protest Makers, 1980
A large proportion of the campaign for nuclear disarmament's (CND) activists believed that th... more A large proportion of the campaign for nuclear disarmament's (CND) activists believed that the movement did not fail in its primary objectives, that its successes far outnumbered its failures, and that its impact on the national and international nuclear scene was profound. This chapter presents three major objectives of the CND policy. The first and most fiercely held proposal was that Britain should take the moral lead and, as the third nuclear power, should unilaterally renounce nuclear weapons. The second objective was that there should be no nuclear bases in the United Kingdom (UK) and that no aeroplanes carrying nuclear weapons should be permitted to fly over the UK territory. The third objective was that Britain should leave NATO and work for the creation of a neutral third force in the world. CND continued through 1961–1964/5 and beyond to press for the adoption of its policies by the Labour Party. However, as the attainment of CND's goals through the Labour Party became increasingly unlikely, the mass support for the movement and the enthusiasm of both leaders and rank and file began slowly but surely to diminish.
The British Journal of Psychiatry, 1992
Within the context of marked increases in suicide rates in the UK among men between 1974 and 1988... more Within the context of marked increases in suicide rates in the UK among men between 1974 and 1988, the rate among those aged 15–24 years rose more than that of any other age band. The UK suicide rate among young men also worsened compared with those of most other countries in the EC. Rises in the general male suicide rate were statistically associated with rises in unemployment in most of the EC.
British Journal of Neurosurgery, 2011
Background. Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is neurological catastrophe, creating major disruption... more Background. Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is neurological catastrophe, creating major disruption for patient and family, hence the importance of considering Patient-Related-Outcome-Measures (PROM). This study uses the National Study of SAH (2006) to explore any fiscal benefits to patients and NHS if they had an enhanced Neuro-Vascular-Specialist-Nurse (NVSN) service compared to Treatment-as-Usual (TAU). Method. Ensuring total confidentiality, clinical data from the National Study (n ¼ 2397) were matched with regional clinical data of a TAU (n ¼ 137) and prospective NVSN service (n ¼ 184) patients. The TAU and NVSN fiscal outcomes were projected onto the National Study patients to provide estimates of the potential benefits that could accrue nationally from a NVSN service based upon length of stay and earlier return to work of patients and carers. Results. There were substantial benefits for NVSN cohort related to shorter time in hospital, reduced family disruption, earlier return to work and fiscal benefits to family and the NHS. NVSN patients and carers potential savings were estimated at £8.097 million and £2.492 million to the service, £10.497 million overall. Practice implications. This PROM approach allows the 'patient's voice' to be heard, which facilitates speedier patient and family recovery, showing that an integrated treatment approach in 'high tech' neuro-surgery is cost-effective.
Psychological medicine, 2007
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 1992
Based upon standardised mortality figures, between 1973–1987, Australian male suicide rose by 39%... more Based upon standardised mortality figures, between 1973–1987, Australian male suicide rose by 39%, and New Zealand male suicide by 53%. In both countries there were even greater increases in male youth suicides (15–24 years), 66% and 127% respectively. The female suicide statistics were more varied with a fall of −24% in Australia, but an increase of 26% in New Zealand. In both countries however, female youth suicide, relative to their general rates, increased. A comparison of youth suicide in the western world demonstrated that Australia and New Zealand were unique as they were the only countries in which male and female youth suicide levels were higher than their average rates.
Archives of Suicide Research, 2002
ABSTRACT
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2002
It is well-established that for a considerable period the United Kingdom has spent proportionally... more It is well-established that for a considerable period the United Kingdom has spent proportionally less of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health-related services than almost any other comparable country. Average European spending on health (as a % of GDP) in the period 1980 to 2013 has been 19% higher than the United Kingdom, indicating that comparable countries give far greater fiscal priority to its health services, irrespective of its actual fiscal value or configuration. While the UK National Health Service (NHS) is a comparatively lean healthcare system, it is often regarded to be at a ‘crisis’ point on account of low levels of funding. Indeed, many state that currently the NHS has a sizeable funding gap, in part due to its recently reduced GDP devoted to health but mainly the challenges around increases in longevity, expectation and new medical costs. The right level of health funding is a political value judgement. As the data in this paper outline, if the UK ‘afforded’ the same proportional level of funding as the mean averageEuropean country, total expenditure would currently increase by one-fifth.