Background
In the late 1980s, John Eversley was the trade union nominee to a District Health Authority at the time when the government was introducing the purchaser-provider split in the English NHS, the idea of self-governing (hospital) trusts and discusion of extending and increasing charges for healthcare. John thought these changes were uncessary and undesirable (see Eversley,1997,2000, 2001, 2003). During this time he was also heavily involved in the campaign to reinstate the obstetrician Wendy Savage who had been suspended from practice by people who disagreed with her clinical practice (See Eversley 2007). This period led him to reflect on the issues of accountability in the NHS. Clashes between top-down, bottom up, professional and managerial, internal and external accountability were frequent. He then went to work a as an NHS manager in the NHS between 1992 and and 1996. During that time he was responsible for the development of primary care, user complaints and participation and equalities.
John (in wheelchair behind Dan Jones on rickshaw) on march demanding reinstatement of Wendy Savage in 1986 (See Eversley, 2007)
The uneven quality, availability and accessibility of primary care was a central issue. Fortunately it was at a time when a lot of additional money was available to invest in people, buildings and equipment. It was obvious that we could and should not do ‘more of the same’. We needed to think about how to retain and develop and use optimally existing staff. The discordance between planners and providers and users of services could not be overcome by an internal market or incentivising practitioners with complicated contracts . We also needed to recruit ‘non-traditional’ entrants to clinical jobs who would more closely reflect the communities they served. Both because they might understand the needs of particularly disadvantaged communities and also because they were already trained and keen to work, we also identified refugee doctors and nurses as particular resource we needed to draw on.
In March 2022 John Eversley (together with Bob Pitt) had a chapter on Social Policy and Health published in the 4th Edition of Health Sudies edited by Jenny Naidoo and Jane Wills.
Policy, governance and partnerships
Eversley, J., Pitt, B. (2022). Social Policy and Health In: Naidoo, J., Wills, J. (eds) Health Studies. Palgrave Singapore: Macmillan
Eversley J (2007) The Health Authority: accountable for What, to Whom and How? Savage, W. (Ed) Birth and Power – A Savage Enquiry revisited. Middlesex University Press.
Eversley, J. (2003) Introductory Paper in Isom, M. and Kandhiah, M. [Eds] (2003) The origins and establishment of the internal market in the NHS. London ICBH
Popay, J, and Jee, M, Eversley J. (2000) Evaluation of the London and Northern Health Partnerships. London: Kings Fund
Eversley, J. (2001) The History of NHS Charges. Contemporary British History Volume 15 Summer 2001, Number 2
Eversley, J and Sheppard, C. (2000) Thinking the Unthinkable: Why Charges Don’t Work London: Health Matters. January 2000.
Eversley, J. (1999) Planning for Health in East London Rising East Volume 2, Number 3. January 1999.
Eversley, J and Webster, C. (1997) Light on the Charge Brigade. Health Service Journal. 17 July 1997.
Primary Care
Eversley, J (2012) Continuity in a Changing World London BMA
Greenhalgh, T and Eversley, J. (1999) Quality in general practice: towards a holistic approach Kings Fund, March 1999.
Eversley, J. (1999) Many Rivers to Cross: medical education and general practice and Greenhalgh, T and Eversley, J The impact of the education service partnership on service quality in Gillam, S, Eversley, J Snell, J and Wallace P (Eds) Building Bridges – Education and Service in General Practice Building Bridges – Education and Service in General Practice London: Kings Fund
Eversley J The 1990 GP Contract in context in Ellis, N and Chisholm, J (Eds) Making Sense of the Red Book (3rd Edn). Radcliffe Medical Press, 1997.
Health workforce
Recruitment of local people to healthcare
Projects included designing and evaluating positive action initiatives by City University School of Nursing and Midwifery and Tower Hamlets NHS (PCT) on how to increase recruitment of local people to clinical jobs.
Eversley, J. (2009) Recruitment to Registered Nursing and Health Care Support Worker Roles from the Local Community ppre Limited.
Heynat J, Winkelmann-Gleed A, Eversley, J. and Ullah A.U. (2007) Increasing Participation amongst ethnic groups within nursing, midwifery, and the health care professionals -Final Evaluation Report ppre
Eversley, J. (2000) Final report on Evaluation and Action Research on Pathways to Access London: QMUL: PPRU, July 2000
Eversley, J and Levy, J. (Eds) (1997) J: Aspirations and Achievements: the case of Bangladeshis and the professions London QMUL: Public Policy Research Unit
Eversley, J: Action not Words. Healthcare Today, October 1997
Refugee health professionals
Butler C and Eversley, J. (2009) Refugee Health Professionals Survey – Final Report for the Refugee Health Professionals Programme, NHS Employers
Butler C and Eversley, J. (2007) Guiding their way: assisting refugee health professionals The Clinical Teacher Number 4 pp 146 – 152. Blackwell Publishing.
Butler C and Eversley, J. (2007) Department of Health Refugee Health Professional Steering Group: Writing up the work of the Group London: ppre Limited
Butler, C and Eversley, J. (September 2006) REACHE Final Evaluation Report. London: ppre Limited
Butler, C and Eversley, J. (July 2006) Ready and Waiting. Refugee Doctors in London: their pathways to success London: ppre Limited
Butler, C and Eversley, J. (March 2006) QMUL Refugee Doctors Programme – Final Evaluation Report London: ppre Limited
Butler, C and Eversley, J. (November 2005) Climbing the Ladder: Refugee doctors in London: their numbers, pathways to practice and success in getting jobs London: ppre Limited
Butler, C and Eversley, J. (March 2005) More than you think: Refugee Doctors in London, their numbers and success in getting jobs London: ppre Limited
Eversley, J. (and co-authors for two chapters) (2004): four chapters in Refugee Doctors: Support, development and integration in the NHS Eds: Jackson, N. and Carter, Y.) Radcliffe Medical Press
Eversley, J et al (2001) Refugee and Overseas Qualified Nurses living in the UK London: QMUL PPRU, February
Berlin A, Gill P, Eversley J. (1997) Refugee Doctors a Wasted Resource BMJ 1997; 315: 264.
Specific interventions and conditions
Mental health
Eversley, J. (2014) Is there an Emancipatory Psychiatry? In Moodley, R. and Ocampo, M. Critical Psychiatry and Psychology -Exploring the work of Suman Fernando in Clinical Practice. London: Routledge.
Eversley, J: Smith R; Rifkin, F and Burns, C (2011) Tobacco and mental health: An investigation of beliefs, behaviour and understanding in relation to smoking and chewing tobacco, cessation and the use of services ppre CIC.
Palliative care
Research on access to palliative care for Black and Minority Ethnic communities. ppre was asked to do some research based on some evidence which seemed to show that Black and Minority Ethnic communities in a particular London borough were not accessing palliative care. The commissioners of the research thought it might be because Black and Minority Ethnic communities were unfamiliar with or suspicious of palliative care. The commissioners also thought that the location, practice and ethos of palliative care (often run by Christian charities) might be inappropriate for many people from BME communities. While all these things could be true, the research did not go on to explore these! As part of scoping the project we discovered that the way a particular hospital, which had a high proportion of BME patients, managed its patient records meant that patients were not recorded as having cancer until after they had died or were discharged. This meant that after the event they were identified as patients with cancer who had not been offered palliative care.
Specific conditions and interventions
Sturdy P, Bremner S, Harper G, Mayhew L, Eldridge S, Eversley, J. et al. (2012) Impact of Asthma on Educational Attainment PLoS One 7(11)
Cater, S (Editor, Eversley, J) (2011) Healthy Start and Vitamin D insight Project Report ppre/WHFS NHS Tower Hamlets Women’s Health and Family Services
Immunisation
We completed two projects for Tower Hamlets PCT on immunisation of children. One looked at statistical data to discover which children are not being immunised. It identified that, for example, Somali children were slightly less likely to be immunised. The second project, carried out with Women’s Health and Family Services did qualitative work on barriers to uptake of immunisation. Among the products of this project were two DVDs:
Moarefvand, M (Dir) (2010c) Barriers to immunisation: Question and Answer session with Dr Helen Bedford on YouTube London: ppre CIC.
Moarefvand, M (Dir) (2010b) on YouTube Barriers to immunisation: discussion with mothers in Tower Hamlets London: ppre CIC
Schickler, P & Eversley, J. (2010) Identifying the barriers preventing parents from getting their children immunised ppre /WHFS Women’s Health and Family Services
Harper, G. (Eversley, J. Ed) (2010) Health Equity Audit of Childhood Immunisation London: ppre CIC
Alcohol harm
John was an adviser to the Alcohol Academy, which was set up with the support of the Alcohol Education Research Council . Work with the academy included the development of Action Learning for alcohol harm reduction practitioners.
Health of Black and Minority Ethnic Groups
Eversley J. Ed. (2014) Physical activity from young Somalis’ point of view: a Focus group study in the London Borough of Brent HSF/ppre CIC
Mirza, K. and Eversley J. Eds (2011b) Islam and Health (80-minute DVD) London: ppre CIC.
Mirza, K. and Eversley J. Eds (2011a) Islam and Health workshops on YouTube Islam and Health
Eversley, J and Rashid, T. (1998) Commissioning Culturally Sensitive Services in Hillingdon. London: PPRU QMUL
Public and patient participation
Eversley, J and Skinner, J (June 2006) Access and Quality: The Experience of GPs in Barnet Research carried out for Barnet Patient and Public Involvement Forum 2005-06 Primary Health & Social Care Centre, London Metropolitan University
Training for Patient and Public Involvement BLT; Quality Standards
Joint project with London Metropolitan University on GP’s views of patients undertaken for Barnet Patient and Public Involvement Forum.
Early Intervention With Children In NI
in 2017/18 John Eversley was commissioned by the Health and Social Care Board in Northern Ireland to draft a Professional Development strategy for the workforce involved in Early Interventions with children and young people. This project came to a halt because there is no Executive (Government) to consult on the proposals made.