Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By James Allan Filed Under: All posts, Brexit Posted:
Climate change is among the challenges that lie ahead for Brexit Britain but should we automatically assume it means the momentum to reduce air pollution will be lost? James Allan doesn’t think so. One of the big questions for the environmental science community arising from Brexit is what will happen to UK environmental policy if […]
By Matteo Dembech Filed Under: All posts, Featured Posted:
Matteo Dembech of the World Health Organisation (WHO) blogs on how WHO is working to improve the health of migrants, including those trying to cross the Mediterranean this summer and how Governments in the EU can help. Seventy-three million migrants are estimated to live in the WHO European Region. Since 2011, particularly those countries closest […]
By Stanley Blue Filed Under: Featured Posted:
The Change4Life campaign just launched by NHS England is the latest attempt to persuade people to adopt healthier lifestyles. But, says Dr Stanley Blue, this type of public health campaign is not enough to tackle fast rising rates of ‘lifestyle diseases’. Current public health policy is focussed on getting people to change their eating, drinking […]
By Julia Segar Filed Under: Featured Posted:
Public health has benefited from four waves of activity. Dr Julia Segar asks what the fifth wave will bring. It is sometimes said that progress comes in waves, with the fifth wave representing a tide of change that cannot be resisted. But it is as yet unclear if this principle will apply in public health, […]
By Danny Fitzpatrick Filed Under: Westminster Watch Posted:
This year’s Budget is further evidence of politicians’ unwillingness to address an ‘inactivity time bomb’ that in time will undermine our economy, explains Dr Daniel Fitzpatrick. Lower unemployment and improved growth forecasts made this year’s Budget a much happier one for George Osborne. He was helped by the surprising news that most people in the […]
By Kathryn Oliver Filed Under: All posts Posted:
Ignore middle managers at your peril. They may be central to development and implementation of policy, explains Dr Kathryn Oliver Middle managers are more important than people often think – and that is very true when it comes to influencing and implementing public health policy. In fact, middle managers without a professional training in public […]
By Jonathan Hammond Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted:
The potential for Care.data to improve the health of the nation is hard to argue with, writes Jonathan Hammond. But he argues that a lack of patient control, security concerns and a lamentable communications strategy have tarnished the laudable aims of the whole scheme. Let’s start with some facts about Care.data. It is a programme […]
By David Springate Filed Under: Science and Technology Posted:
Amid the furore over the delayed Care.data scheme, the reality is that the storage of pseudoanonymised patient data is already common practice, writes Dr David Springate. He argues that a national primary care database will bring big benefits – and says the risk of individuals’ data being de-anonymised by big pharma companies or criminals is remote. […]
By Julia Segar Filed Under: Featured Posted:
The major reforms stemming from the Health and Social Care Act 2012 have permeated Saturday night television, writes Dr Julia Segar. But while Clinical Commissioning Groups may have made it onto BBC One’s Casualty, a recent storyline misrepresented their ability to hold A&E departments to account; although given the complexity of the new system, this is perhaps […]
By Julia Segar Filed Under: Featured Posted:
Dr Julia Segar was one of those out in force during Manchester Policy Week to hear Durham University’s Professor David Hunter and Manchester’s own Professor Steve Harrison ponder whether optimism or pessimism should prevail in the light of recent changes to the way public health is organised. The recent healthcare reforms have seen public health […]