Policy briefings for policy makers
Key findings and recommendations to inform policy making
Welcome to our policy briefing repository. These briefings provide an evidence base for policy makers looking to access the latest academic research and expertise.
Reducing Fatherhood Forfeits: The importance of gender equality in parenting
Modern fathers are more actively involved in the caregiving of their children than ever before, which benefits both parents and children. This more active role has a direct and positive impact on children’s wellbeing and their attainment in school.
Policy makers and legislators should note this societal change and consider amendments to legislation to enable fairer opportunities for caregiving fathers.
Similarly, businesses should take action to improve the experiences of caregiving fathers at work to maximise the effectiveness of the labour market and reduce skills shortages, which have a significant impact upon the UK economy and the gender pay gap.
A flexible approach to decommissioning obsolete oil and gas structures
There are more than 1,500 oil and gas installations in the North Sea. An increasing number of them will reach end of production and require decommissioning in the next two decades.
Since the 1990s, legislation in the North Sea and wider northeast Atlantic under OSPAR Decision 98/3 dictates that obsolete oil and gas platforms must be fully removed from the marine environment at end-of-life. As the world transitions to greener energy, wind turbines and wave-energy devices are being added to the marine environment but will also require removal at end-of-life. Options other than removal do exist and are being implemented elsewhere in the world, including partial removal, relocation, or repurposing (e.g. as artificial reefs, dive resorts or mariculture facilities), but are not currently considered in the OSPAR maritime area.
New roles in primary care
How can the implementation and integration of new roles in primary care be better supported?
The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), which aims to add 26,000 new clinical roles within primary care, is a key element of the government commitment to increase GP appointments by 50 million. These roles are made up of established professions, such as pharmacists, physiotherapists and paramedics, as well as new professions such as social prescribing link workers.
Barriers to recruitment of internationally trained doctors to meet skills gaps in the NHS
To meet current skills gaps in the NHS, there is a need to recruit doctors from overseas.
Recent research from the University of Plymouth has identified some of the barriers to successful migration of doctors and offered some recommendations to ensure the transition to work of international doctors is safe, rapid, and supportive.
The importance of mental health in supporting the retention of NHS nursing staff
The COVID-19 pandemic had a big impact on the mental health of nurses with a recent survey showing that 90% of nurses reported a higher level of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic (House of Commons 2020).
This policy briefing summarises work done at
Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research (PIHR) regarding the mental health of nurses in relation to retention of staff within the NHS.
Plastics and microplastic pollution
Evidence comparing the solutions
The magnitude of the global environmental challenge associated with plastic pollution was recently acknowledged by agreement among 175 nations, including the UK, to develop a legally binding agreement by 2024 – the UN Plastic Pollution Treaty.
How to be cyber secure at sea
Protecting maritime infrastructure from digital threats
As the maritime sector becomes more technologically advanced there is an increased threat of critical national infrastructure to be compromised, essential services to be
stopped, and both lives and livelihoods to be affected. The
Maritime Cyber Threats research group is looking holistically at the digital threats that affect the maritime sector.
stopped, and both lives and livelihoods to be affected. The
