Newsbrief
July 2007

Society News

Health News

Health & Safety
News

Events

Consultations

SOCIETY NEWS (6 items) 

1. ROYAL WEDDING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
The Royal Society of Health (RSH) and the Royal Institute of Public Health (RIPH) have announced their intention to merge. The move will create a body able to 'make an impact in a way that would not have been possible as separate organisations'.  Subject to the approval of members, the Privy Council and the Charity Commission, the merged organization will be launched in early 2008. Click here for more.

2. SIR DAVID KING RSH LECTURE NOW ONLINE
Professor Sir David King, Chief Scientific Advisor to the Government, delivered the RSH Lecture at the Faculty of Public Health Annual Conference at the end of June.  The lecture, on climate change and sustainable living, can be viewed in full online here.  Click here for the RSH press release.  Sir David will be attending The Society's Annual General Meeting and Awards Ceremony on 18 July (see below), where he will address Members and guests.

3. RSH Award winners
The Royal Society of Health Gold Medal will be awarded to Dr Ian Banks, President of the European Men’s Health Forum and editor of the Men’s Health Journal, at this year's Annual Awards Ceremony.  The award, made each year by The Society's Awards Committee, is given in recognition of his work in raising awareness of male health issues - from his work as a GP and with the British Medical Association, to his many popular books, including the BBC book 'The Trouble with Men' and his series of humorous Haynes workshop manuals.  This year's Queen Elizabeth II Gold Medal, awarded for services to public health in the Commonwealth, will be presented to Professor Miriam Were, Chair of the Kenya National Aids Control Council.  The Awards Ceremony will take place following our AGM on
Wednesday 18 July, at The Selfridge Hotel, London. For more information, click here.

4. Government urged to resource cervical
    cancer jab
The RSH has called for the Government to provide the necessary resources to roll out a nationwide programme of vaccination against the human pampilloma virus which causes 70% of cervical cancers. The Society's call comes as the Government accepts 'in principle' that all girls aged between 12 and 13 years should be vaccinated, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). For more, visit rsph.org.

5. RSH ANNUAL REVIEW 2006
The Society's Annual Review 2006 is now available online here. Members will of course receive a copy in the post, along with the July issue of JRSH.  Non-members should contact our publications department to request a hard copy.

6. SHAPING THE FUTURE Electronic Network Group
The Shaping the Future of Public Health Project has established an electronic networking group.  Register on the FPH Network Groups website, and subscribe to the Specialised Public Health group under the 'My Groups' tab.
 

HEALTH NEWS (2 Items)

1.  AUSTRALIA ACTS ON ABORIGINAL ABUSE
Australian authorities are to introduce compulsory health checks for children along with prohibitions on alcohol and pornography on Aboriginal land as part of efforts to combat child abuse within indigenous communities.  Prime Minister John Howard's proposals have won support from the leader of the opposition, Kevin Rudd .  However, the Northern Territory Police Association says that the measures merely duplicate laws already in place which have proved difficult to enforce and have not helped to tackle the problem of child abuse in Aboriginal populations.  The Government's plans have also been attacked as being 'racist' and likely to increase violence and suicide rates.  For more on this story, see the Australian Broadcasting Corporation website.

2. Framework for Continuing care
The UK Department of Health published a National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare, and supporting documentation, at the end of June. The framework will come into effect as of 1 October this year.  Documents can be downloaded here.

HEALTH & SAFETY NEWS (3 items)

1.  European Week for Safety and Health at Work 2007
This year’s European Week campaign ‘Lighten the Load’ is dedicated to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The aim of the campaign is to support employers, workers, safety representatives and other stakeholders in improving MSD prevention. As part of this initiative, the UK Health and Safety Executive is working with the Trade Union Council to provide safety representatives with several regional training events on MSDs, together with web-based MSD checklists. European Week itself will run from 22-26 October 2007. For more information, click here.

2. TWENTY PER CENT RISE IN CHILD DEATHS ON UK ROADS
The latest road casualty figures released by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) show that there were 20% more child deaths on UK roads in 2006 than in the preceding year.  The DfT point out, however,  that the 169 child deaths in 2006 is close to the 2004 figure of 166, which at the time was the lowest ever recorded. Overall, the figures show a one per cent drop in road casualties, with 31,845 people killed or seriously injured.  For more, see the DfT website.

3. UKAS warn against unqualified asbestos surveyors
The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is warning that clients could be employing firms who lack suitable accreditation for asbestos surveys, reports Contract Journal. UKAS believes that advice from such firms may be incorrect or biased, with contractors advising clients that unnecessary work needs to done. They then offer to do it themselves, whether they are qualified or not. Click here for more.
 

EVENTS (2 items)

Joining forces across Europe for prevention and promotion in mental health
13-15 September 2007, Barcelona, Spain
This conference is being organized in support of the forthcoming European Commission Strategy on Mental Health, and to build on the mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention components of the WHO Declaration and Action Plan for Mental Health, and will be action-oriented and highly participatory, being structured around a large number of working sessions and discussion panels. Click here for more infomation.

Healthy kids summit
15 October 2007, Radisson SAS Portman Hotel, London, UK
Organised by  EducationGuardian and SocietyGuardian, this summit brings together everyone responsible for the health and wellbeing of children and young people in the UK, ready to explore new approaches, both on a practical and strategic level to ensure their contribution is relevant and valuable. Click here for more information and to register to attend.

Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a global perspective
1-2 November 2007, The Royal Society, London, UK
World Cancer Research Fund International and the American Institute for Cancer Research launch the second expert report on cancer prevention.  If you would like to attend, click here to register.


Please visit rsph.org for more events listings

CONSULTATIONS

For the latest consultations visit our website here.
 

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