JIGSAWNEWS

Summer 2013 Issue 5

A Monthly Newsletter on Public Health for EHPs in Hertfordshire and Beyond
Well this summer is proving a great
advert for the benets of physical activity
even if its only the feel good factor
produced by Andy Murray winning
Wimbledon and the British Lions tour
victory in Australia. Hopefully both will
get more kids out there playing sport as
statistics on childhood obesity continue to
be concerning. A recent study in Wales
found 28% of under ves were
overweight. Sir David Nicholsons bleak
prediction that the NHS budget was
facing a 20billion funding gap is another
alarming statistic. Presented with that
type of information most peoples reaction
is to think of what needs to be cut to save
money. A recent national radio phone-in
concentrated on the usual suspects,
cosmetic treatments, missed
appointments and unused drugs and
while these all play a small part it does
seem we are still missing the point. With
the Government admitting poor air
quality costs up to 20 billion and other
gures showing that Housing
enforcement saves 0.6 billion every
year controlling the wider determinants
of health is surely the answer to long
term survival for the NHS. Quite why this
message isnt getting a wider audience is
a mystery. Directors of Public Health are
doing their best but its services such as
Environmental Health that need to start
speaking up while they still can. The
statistics are all there all we need to do is
present them in front of the right people,
Simples!
.:. +-+/
Simples!
CIEH Annual Meeting
Particulates Linked With Lung
Threat to Health Statistics
Research based on statistics from nine European countries has
concluded that air pollution even at levels below WHO guidelines
can increase the risk of lung cancer. Results showed that for every
increase of 5g/m
3
in PM2.5 levels the risk of lung cancer rose by
18%. The study covered over 313,000 people 2,095 of them being
diagnosed with lung cancer over a 13 year period. Scientists found
no link between the disease and nitrogen dioxide levels. The news
came as research by the Lancet which combined data from 35 studies
across the world on carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide,
ozone and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) showed there was a
strong link between hospitalisation or death from heart failure and all the
pollutants except for ozone.
A programme of cuts being prepared
by the Ofce of National Statistics
could mean that they will no longer
publish health data. Statistics on
smoking, drinking, teenage
pregnancies and infant mortality are
vital to the work of Public Health
Professionals. The ONS is also
looking at its analysis of inequalities
and the ofcial crime survey.
The Time is Now - Social Media for Professionals
10th September 2013
Royal Society For Public Health - London
Book Now: www.rhenvironmental.co.uk
The Annual Meeting of The
Chartered Institute of
Environmental Health
attracted EHPs from across
the country to Chadwick Court
last month. Presentations in
the morning included CIEH
Head of Policy and Education
Tony Lewis and Caroline Day
of consultants Hotfrog
Indicator. There was also a
discussion on the CIEH plans to
launch their own advisory
service in the autumn. The
afternoon programme
consisted of eight workshop
sessions including Jigsaws Social
Media presentation If John Snow
Had Twitter It was a busy day for
us as over the lunch break we
caught up with Chief Executive
Graham Jukes to record an
interview for UK Health Radio. If
you missed it you can download
When Jigsaw Met Graham from
http://jigsawpsph.podomatic.com
You can nd the CIEHs coverage
of the event including video
footage at
http://www.cieh.org/membership/
annual_meeting.html
Jigsaw on-line: Podcast - http://jigsawpsph.podomatic.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/JigsawPSPH
Premature Deaths Data for Hertfordshire
Thanks to Mark Jordan Herts CC JSNA
Manager for the Infographic
Next Meeting of the Hertfordshire
Health & Wellbeing Board
Wednesday 18th September 2013
Venue TBA
Jims Public Health Heroes
We Feature some of the Public Health
Professionals who have shaped the world we
live in.
Marie Helena Martin, 1892-1975
Founder of the Medical Missionarys of Mary
in 1937 her career included nursing the
wounded at the Battle of the Somme and
playing a central part in ensuring women
were allowed to carry out full medical work
in Africa. You can read a full account of her
life at http://bit.ly/1348SSX
Thanks to
Hertfordshire
Director of Public
Health Jim
McManus
The latest premature deaths data from Public Health England around diseases
such as cancer, stroke and heart disease, shows that premature death rates for
Hertfordshire are better than the average across England (fewer people in
Hertfordshire die before the age of 75). You can nd out about this and other
news stories from: East & North Herts CCG and and Herts Valleys CCG
Health & Wellbeing Board News
The Hertfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board met at County
Hall on 26th June. Amongst the items on the agenda were the
Francis Report, re-enablement and social care, as well as the
DPHs Public Health Report. The priority for the year is to
develop the Public Health Strategy which will be taken through
the Public Health and Localism Panel and on to Cabinet. The
strategy will take an evidence led approach to improving and
protecting the health of the population over the next four years.
Development will continue over the coming months including a
consultation with partners.
Carers Contribution Recognised
The essential contribution of Hertfordshires 108,000 adult
carers along with thousands of young carers in the county was
recognised during Carers Week which ran between 10 - 16 June.
Events included the showing of a lm made by carers
highlighting the work of Crossroads Care at the Broadway
Cinema in Letchworth. The charity provides support for carers
as a network partner of the Carers Trust Britains leading carer
support charity. You can nd out more details from http://
crossroadshn.org.uk
JOINT STRATEGIC NEEDS ASSESSMENT NEWS
The New JSNA is taking shape you can see the latest
at http://atlas.hertslis.org/IAS/jsna if you have any
comments send a message to @HertsBingWell
d.m.dixon@stir.ac.uk
JIGSAW WORLD
Jigsaw on-line: Daily News - http://paper.li/JigsawPSPH Public Health Forum - www.rhenvironmental.co.uk
Housing Research Bulletin
A new information source for
Housing professionals was
launched last month. The
Housing Health International
Research Bulletin can be found
at: www.housinghealth.com
Cases of scurvy and rickets have been on
the rise in parts of the UK where some
parents rely on takeaways and microwave
meals to feed the family.
Horsemeat
Report Calls
For More
Testing
Rise in Campylobacter
Fools FSA
Despite making tackling
Campylobacter one of its major
priorities cases of the illness are
still on the rise. A draft copy of the
annual report by the FSA's chief
scientist, Dr Andrew Wadge, reveals
the officially recorded number of
campylobacter cases in humans last
year was 72,571, an increase of 0.4
per cent from 2011. Its thought that
the actual number of cases could be
up to eight times higher as many
people do not visit their GPs with the
illness. Up to 80% of cases are
thought to be contracted from chicken
with around 65% of chickens sold in
the UK being infected. The FSA is
looking at various methods to try to
stop the increase including blast
chilling and using lactic acid to kill off
the bacteria.
Green Deal Could Lead To Overheating
Academics at the University of Reading have warned that insulation
works carried out under the governments agship Green Deal could
lead to properties overheating. Professor Chris Goodier warned "If
you are in the wrong type of house, facing the wrong way, in the wrong
street and you don't deal with heat in the right way, it is a problem,"
Previous studies have pointed to the requirement to provide adequate
ventilation to prevent problems with poor indoor air quality and excess
temperatures.
Stress Absence Soars
A recent survey has found that one in
three absences from work are related to
stress or anxiety. Researchers looked at
58,700 t notes written by GPs
discovering that 35% were for mild to
moderate mental health disorders. Last
year there were 10.4 million days lost to
stress at a cost to the economy of 6.5
billion.With presenteeism also on the
rise, meaning employees coming to
work disengaged, tired, unmotivated
and too stressed to work, businesses
could see these costs rise if they don't
take action.
Back 200 Years as Scurvy &
Rickets Make a Comeback
Dietitians in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales, said they were seeing an
increase in both diseases, which were thought to have been consigned to
history. A recent report has drawn parallels between the start of the credit
crisis and the reduction of vegetable and fruit consumption in the UK. On
average each person in Britain is eating 4kg less fruit and vegetables a
year than they were in 2007 a drop of 3%. Dr Mark Temple, of the British
Medical Associations Public Health Committee, said: Food standards in
the UK are worse now than they were during the rationing during the
war.Rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D and calcium, and can lead
to bone deformities. Scurvy is triggered by vitamin C deficiency, which
causes joint pain and a swelling of the gums.
NHS England is looking to consult with
patients, the public and staff on the
future of the service that recently
celebrated its 65th birthday. A Call to
Action sets out the facts about future
demands on NHS services, how the
budget is currently spent and how
services are delivered. Challenges ahead
include an estimated 20 billion funding
gap, a rise in long term conditions and
an ageing population.
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/about/
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Jigsaw Northern Ireland
Anthony McCloskey
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Stanley Says: In Northern France in
August 2003, unprecedented high day
and night-time temperatures for a period
of three weeks resulted in 15,000 excess
deaths. The heatwave was responsible for
16% of all deaths in England & Wales
that month. As we get older our ability to
regulate temperature decreases. Ten of
the warmest years since records began
have occurred since 2000. The highest
temperature recorded in the UK was
38.5
o
c on 10th August 2003 at Faversham
in Kent.
Did You Know: The Romans
introduced the rst refuse
disposal service to prevent
pollution causing health
problems.
The Month on
Twitter
JigsawPSPH now working with
Delivering quality
services to a wide
range of businesses
and Public Sector
bodies since 1999
http://www.rhenvironmental.co.uk
Did You Know:
The Romans were the rst
civilisation to introduce a Public
Health system.
Coming Next Month.............
We look at the new Public Health
system 6 months on and round up the
rest of the latest Public Health news.
Dont forget if your colleagues havent
seen Jigsaw News why not get them on
our mailing list. jigsawpsph@gmail.com
@StephBullock76: Could
fry an egg on the pavement
it's so hot out there! (Though
I won't test my hypothesis
since it's not sanitary ;))
#DontTryThisAtHome
@C_Barratt_: @EHN_Online
@JigsawPSPH Its about more
than time isn't it? Also about
professional perception,
alignment & recognition. EHPs
do #PH everyday
@CTurbutt: Following advice
at social media seminar
yesterday have created my
professional twitter acc. Hello
to all reading
this.#ciehannualmeeting
I went to see my
doctor today for a
check-up he said
Im lucky.....If I
was a building Id
be condemned.