FPH join with Public Health Scotland and Scottish Directors of Public Health Group to launch new Conference

On 1 May 2024, Public Health Scotland, the Faculty of Public Health, and the Scottish Directors of Public Health Group will join together to host a major public health Conference in Glasgow at the Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde.

This new collaboration between Scotland’s leading public health organisations will bring together Scottish public health practitioners, policymakers, academics, and third sector colleagues to discuss the latest research and practice in public health.

With the Scottish public health workforce leading programmes to tackle major health issues including stalling life expectancy, climate change, rising rates of drug deaths, and child poverty, this Conference represents an opportunity for the entire public health community in Scotland to come together, face-to-face, to share knowledge and drive forward work to protect and improve health for the people of Scotland.

Speakers including Professor Sir Michael Marmot (UCL Institute of Health Equity), Professor Magdalena Harris (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), and Professor Kevin Fenton (President of the Faculty of Public Health) will address delegates throughout the day, alongside poster and parallel sessions showcasing the latest work in public health.

Professor Kevin Fenton CBE, President of the Faculty of Public Health said

“The Faculty of Public Health is so pleased to join with Public Health Scotland and the Scottish Directors of Public Health to host this new Conference.

Given the current challenges and emerging threats to the public's health, the conference is an important and timely opportunity to bring together Scotland's public health community to discuss and develop our practice, and forge new avenues for collaboration.”

Paul Johnson, Chief Executive of Public Health Scotland said

“Public Health Scotland is grateful to be able to work closely with our partners at the Faculty of Public Health and the Scottish Directors of Public Health to deliver this new Conference that will embolden Scotland’s vision for public health.

“The event will enable all who are working to address Scotland’s public health challenges to come together in the spirit of collaboration and innovation, and will provide a real opportunity to align our collective commitment and determination to improving health outcomes across our country.”

Tim Allison, Scottish Directors of Public Health Group said

“Directors of Public Health are delighted to welcome the conference and it is a great opportunity to demonstrate joint working for health improvement, health protection and quality improvement with Public Health Scotland and the Faculty of Public Health. 

The conference will help strengthen work on shared national priorities and enable people from local teams and the wider public health community to meet together, sharing ideas and work from across the regions of Scotland.”

You can register for the Conference and find out more here.

30 October 2023

Faculty of Public Health statement on violence in the Middle East

The Faculty of Public Health has a diverse UK and international membership, many of whom will have been personally impacted by recent violence in the Middle East.

We remain concerned for both the physical and deep psychological distress of millions of people affected by the growing surge in violence.

At this time of great suffering, compassion and support for colleagues and individuals who are experiencing hurt and loss is so important.

The health consequences of this conflict are tragic, and the Faculty of Public Health joins domestic and international health and medical organisations in calling for the prioritisation of the protection of civilians, healthcare workers and health systems across the region.

The Faculty’s Disaster and Humanitarian Response SIG and Global Violence Prevention SIG stands ready to assist international partners with evidence-based public health expertise and guidance to protect health across the region.

19 October 2023

FPH statement on Government approval of Rosebank oil field

The Faculty of Public Health is deeply concerned that the UK Government has approved the development of the controversial Rosebank oil field. Earlier this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) clearly indicated that all governments must say no to all new fossil fuel projects and urgently deliver on a transition to renewable energy if we want a healthy and liveable planet. 

Climate change is our biggest global health challenge of this century, and fossil fuels are its main driving cause. Nationally, the UK is becoming and predicted to continue becoming milder and wetter in winter as well as hotter and drier in summer, with increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather, including severe heatwaves.

Oil and gas extraction, and continued reliance on fossil fuels, have significant impacts on our local communities for example through air pollution, oil spills and fires. The climate change-related health impacts occur at every stage of life including increased risk of pregnancy and birth complications, heart attacks, strokes, asthma and respiratory illnesses, stress, anxiety and death. And we know that climate related health risks, such as those from heatwaves and flooding, disproportionately affect disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, as well as children and older people. The impacts of climate change will get worse if we do not urgently phase out fossil fuels.

There needs to be concerted and consistent investment in, development of, and transition to, renewable energy sources by our Government. An accelerated transition to renewable energy will lead to more sustainable, secure and affordable energy systems for everyone. This transition will also lead to substantial health cost savings, create new green jobs and bring about savings that outweigh the costs associated with transition. For example, analysis by the International Energy Agency has shown a net overall job gain even when taking into consideration the required changes to the fossil fuel sector. Additionally, investment to reduce energy demand for homes, buildings and transport with energy efficiency measures, such as retrofitting, and prioritising active and public travel is vital, and all benefit health, by increasing active travel and reducing air pollution.

In the context of an energy crisis caused by fossil fuel dependency, with widespread health and financial impacts felt by society, the approval of the largest undeveloped oil field in the UK is a decision with far-reaching implications for public health and the wellbeing of our population.

Friday 13 October 2023

FPH welcomes Government announcement on smoking

The Faculty of Public Health welcomes today’s announcement on proposed legislation which will eventually end tobacco sales in England.

Despite progress, smoking remains the single greatest cause of health inequalities in the UK, driving death, disability, dementia and poverty across the whole population, but particularly in the most vulnerable groups where smoking rates remain stubbornly high.

Government proposals to annually raise the legal age of tobacco sale reflect one of the 15 recommendations made in the Khan Review on Smokefree 2030 ambitions, and aligns well with previous Government commitments on additional funding for smoking cessation and enforcement on the sale of illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes to under-18’s.

Whilst there is still much more to be done if Government is to achieve Smokefree 2030 targets, today’s announcement is a significant step in the right direction.

We also welcome consideration on the complex problem of youth vaping, and urge consideration of packaging, sales displays, effective trading standards, and other means to stop young people from vaping.

President of the Faculty of Public Health Professor Kevin Fenton CBE said;

“The Faculty welcomes Government proposals which seek to address the immense harm caused by smoking to individuals, families, the NHS, and our economy.

Stopping people from smoking, and supporting those who already smoke to quit, are two of the most effective interventions we can make to improve people’s health.

The Faculty is keen to see all recommendations within the Khan Review implemented and urges Government to continue to go forward on action to reach Smokefree 2030 targets.”

4 October 2023

FPH statement on Government roll-back of net zero climate policies

The Faculty is very concerned with recent announcements from Government regarding the roll-back of policies necessary to accelerate our transition to a sustainable economy and protect the future health of our population and our planet.

During 2022, temperatures reached over 40c in the UK and there were over 60,000 heat-related deaths across Europe. This summer the impact of climate change was again felt throughout the globe with new record-breaking temperatures, floods, storms, and other climate-related disasters.

The terrible loss of lives and livelihoods as a result of climate change has long-lasting consequences not only for the populations in those countries immediately impacted by these disasters, but to populations across the world due to disruption of global supply chains and a host of other geopolitical issues – we must not fail to understand our interdependence as a global community.

It is our duty as a nation with global influence to lead in climate mitigation by being bold and ambitious in our decarbonisation targets. The devastating events that we are already witnessing should urge us to step up our efforts to reach net zero rather than scrapping those policies which are essential to our future health and prosperity.

The consequences of overshooting the 1.5°C commitment in the Paris agreement is unfathomable. As we teeter on the edge of this commitment we see ever-increasing – but entirely preventable – death and disease, particularly among the most disadvantaged.

Not only do we fail to protect human and planetary health with the roll-back of these policies, but we also compromise our prosperity as a nation. The co-benefits gained for our health and our productivity by decarbonising our economy have been compelling demonstrated, and failure to invest in a green economy will see the UK lag behind other nations.

Therefore, we urge Government to rethink the decision to postpone the implementation of policies that are urgently required to honour our net zero commitments and protect the lives and livelihoods of our population as well as others across the globe.

Friday 22 September 2023

AoMRC publish new report making policy recommendations on child health

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) have launched a new report on child health, developed by the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

The report, titled Securing our Healthy Future: prevention is better than cure, raises concerns about the lack of priority and focus on children in health policy and decision-making.

Health inequalities amongst young people are widening, and children growing up with disadvantage experience more ill-health in childhood and are likely to live shorter, less healthy lives as adults.

The framework that sets the direction and key focus areas of the government’s Major Conditions Strategy emphasises the importance of prevention, but does not outline a clear plan for children’s health. However, it is during childhood (starting from pregnancy) that prevention has the greatest – and most cost-effective – impact.

The report focuses on five indicators of child health (healthy weight, oral health, vaccinations, clean air, and mental health), all of which are highly influenced by the environment where children live.

The report highlights ten opportunities where the UK Government can take immediate action to protect the health of our next generation.

FPH President Professor Kevin Fenton said: “In order to support our NHS, invest in our future economic wellbeing, and protect and improve health for current and future generations, Government must do everything possible to prioritise the health of our children.

“Preventing people becoming ill is better than treating them when they are already sick; but we must also understand that supporting good health for our children is the most effective action we can take to secure a healthy, productive future for our families and our nation. When political focus is on treatment rather than prevention, the cost to society soars. 

“As well as looking at protective factors and prevention, we also need investment in children's health services to support timely access to care, preventing health problems worsening and compounding into adulthood. We need holistic action to support a sustainable foundation for our future health.”

The joint report and recommendations are available here.

Monday 18 September 2023  

FPH statement on earthquake in Morocco and Floods in Libya

A powerful earthquake struck Morocco shortly after 10pm on Friday 8 September, with the epicentre located in the High Atlas Mountains, southwest of the city of Marrakech. Over 3,000 people have died and 1000s injured. Sadly, few days later, a powerful storm, Storm Daniel, in Libya caused catastrophic damage in the north-east city of Derna. More than 5,000 people are reported dead and 10,000s people missing. Once the flood waters recede, there will be a long road to recovery. Sadly, these tragic figures are likely to rise in both countries as the recovery operations continue.

The Faculty of Public Health, and the Faculty’s Africa and Disasters and Humanitarian Response Special Interest Groups (SIGs) would like to express deep condolences for those affected amid the massive loss of life and destruction and stand in solidarity with the health and humanitarian workers for their search and rescue efforts at this desperate time. Prof. Aliko Ahmed and Dr Victor Joseph, co-chairs of the Africa SIG said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and the devastating consequences of these catastrophic events. Our thoughts are with the Moroccan and Libyan people and the families and communities affected”. Ms. Kanza Ahmed, Chair of the Disasters and Humanitarian Response SIG said: “Our thoughts are with all those affected in both countries. It is important that the global community works together to support the local responses and help rebuild in a way that reduces the future risk of harm from similar disasters”.

The immediate impact of these events has been substantial and devastating, and the long-term public health impacts are likely to be equally significant, especially for the most vulnerable populations. Considering the tragic loss of life and infrastructure, it is imperative that the international community comes together to provide adequate assistance. The Faculty of Public Health SIGs are prepared to work with partners to strengthen the public health response.

If you would like to support these vital humanitarian efforts, DEC proposes donating to their member charities which are making rapid assessments and mobilising teams to help. 

Wednesday 13 September 2023

FPH and ADPH welcome Home Affairs Committee report on Drugs

Today, we have welcomed a report from the Home Affairs Committee on the cost of drugs to society in a joint response with the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH).

The report, which looks at illegal drug use and its effects on society and the economy, has made a number of recommendations to Government that supports greater use of public health based drug interventions.

Greg Fell, ADPH Vice President, said:

“We are very pleased to see that some of the Committee’s recommendations reflect the evidence we submitted. While there is still much more that could be done, what is important now is that the Government pay attention to this report and take proactive steps to improve how we tackle drug use that aren’t solely based on punitive actions.”

The report’s emphasis on reducing the harm caused by drug use is particularly welcome and initiatives such as drug checking, overdose prevention centres, needle and syringe programmes, diamorphine assisted therapy and naloxone provision. It is important too that the voices of people who use drugs are heard and that the stigma associated with drug use is reduced.

Fell added, “The current legislation must be reformed to address the widespread harm – both to individuals and the economy – caused by drug use and the current drug policy in this country.

“While today’s report makes some sound recommendations, all too often such evidence-based interventions are overlooked in favour of headline-grabbing quick-fix initiatives that do little to change the overall situation. This can be immensely frustrating to those public health professionals who work together on the ground to improve people’s health and wellbeing as we know that these interventions work.”

Professor Tracy Daszkiewicz, FPH Vice President, said:

“With drug deaths at record levels across the UK we urgently need a sensible, public health approach to preventing harm from drug use.

“Following Scottish Government’s recent report on ‘A Caring, Compassionate and Human Rights Informed Drug Policy for Scotland’, we welcome today’s report from the Home Affairs Committee which takes significant steps to outline an evidence-based approach to drug policy, prioritising harm reduction over punishing vulnerable people who use drugs.

“We are pleased to see the inclusion of several of our recommendations on drug policy in the report, including reforming the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. A comprehensive reform of this legislation is overdue, including amendments to make it easier to pilot overdose prevention centres in the UK.

“We hope that Government will properly consider the advice of the Committee and the voice of the public health experts who support these life-saving interventions.”

Thursday 31 August 2023

FPH welcomes new report from Scottish Government on a public health approach to drugs

The Faculty of Public Health welcomes this new report from Scottish Government on ‘A Caring, Compassionate and Human Rights Informed Drug Policy for Scotland’.

The paper outlines a sensible, evidence-based approach to drug policy with principles of public health and harm reduction at its foundation.

Drug deaths in Scotland and across the UK constitute a public health crisis, with rates increasing substantially in recent years. In 2020, Scotland saw its highest number of drug deaths on record, with 1,339 drug-related deaths.

As this new report notes, “the rise in drug deaths has been significant enough to contribute to the fall in life expectancy in Scotland. From 2017-2019 to 2019-2021, drug misuse reduced life expectancy by 5.9 weeks for males and 2.5 weeks for females.”

Recognising this public health crisis, the Faculty of Public Health, led by our Drugs Special Interest Group and working with cross-sector partners, has called for a progressive, public health approach to drug policy in the UK including amending the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 to make it easier to pilot overdose prevention centres.

We must have an evidence-based approach to drug policy, which has health at its foundation and does not stigmatise and punish. Evidenced, properly funded programmes to reduce harm are a key cornerstone of an effective population health approach. As the Scottish Government has recommended, this should include the rollout of overdose prevention centers, drug checking services, and diamorphine assisted therapy.

The Faculty commends the Scottish Government for their leadership in this area. Without this legislative reform across the UK, people will continue to use drugs – and continue to die – without the services and support that would protect them from harm.  

7 July 2023

London Public Health Forum: the role of the NHS in prevention, equity, and population health management

The London Public Health Forum held a webinar with over 320 attendees on 5 July 2023 to discuss the role of the NHS in prevention, equity, and population health management.

The webinar was a collaboration between UKHSA, OHID, ADPH, FPH, the GLA and NHS England and was Chaired by Julie Billett, Deputy Regional Director London, Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).

Watch the webinar below and hear from guest speakers including Caroline Clarke, Dr Jonty Heaversedge, Marie Gabriel, Sarah Blow, and Will Huxter.

5 July 2023

Public health and poverty statement

In May 2023, the Faculty of Public Health, Royal Society for Public Health, Association of Directors of Public Health, and the Royal Society of Medicine came together to discuss the impact that poverty continues to have on public health and the solutions needed at the local and national level. Based on discussions on the day, we have produced a joint statement which sets out the importance of tackling poverty in order to improve the health of the public.

We are committed to working together in this important area and tackling inequalities is a key part of FPH’s strategy and a key focus of our work.

Public health and poverty statement

Poverty is a long-standing problem in the UK and its impact on health outcomes is stark.

It is clear that the economic and social circumstances we live in have a greater influence on our health than any other factor. Rising poverty levels and widening health inequalities – exacerbated by the current financial crisis – have severe consequences for individuals and communities, the NHS, social care, and the economy. There is now a 27-year life-expectancy divide in men, and a 21-year difference for women, between the least and most deprived areas of the country, and the stark difference in health outcomes between ethnic groups remains.

As the collective voice representing public health, we strongly believe there should be a focus on lifting people out of poverty and supporting them to lead healthier lives, but crucially also action to ensure children are not born into poverty. Long-term bedrock policy solutions from UK governments are needed to ensure people are well enough to work, financially secure, live in good quality housing, and have access to services including childcare and public transport, so they flourish and not just survive.

Those working in public health are doing the best they can with ever-dwindling budgets, but they cannot solve this alone. Collective action is needed from national governments, alongside businesses, NHS, charities, and local councils. A strong public health approach will ensure we are a fair, healthy, greener, and prosperous nation.

28 June 2023

Honorary Fellowship for Mayor of London

The UK Faculty of Public Health is delighted to announce the award of Honorary Fellowship to Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Honorary Fellowship is the highest category of FPH membership and is awarded to those who have made exceptional contributions towards improving the health of the public and/or improving the practice of public health.

Mayor Khan is receiving his award in recognition of his leadership in tackling poor air quality in order to improve health inequality in London. Mayor Khan has called air pollution “the biggest public health emergency of a generation.”

As Mayor, he has implemented the Hopper fare for unlimited bus and tram journeys for an hour, increased the cost and the area covered by the London congestion charge, and introduced new charges for older and more polluting vehicles driving in the city. He has been praised for making London's transport more accessible and reducing the number of polluting vehicles in central London.

Through his leadership, London has advanced approaches on Health Inequalities, the London Health and Care Vision, The London Health Board, and the Mayor’s Six Tests for Health and Care Transformation.

Professor Kevin Fenton, President of the Faculty of Public Health:

“Political leadership for public health is a critical component for improving the health of the population and tackling health inequalities. Mayor Khan has shown his willingness to take on major challenges for London to improve the health, wellbeing and economic productivity of all Londoners. The Faculty of Public Health are pleased to be able to recognise his leadership and impact. “

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am honoured to receive this recognition from the Faculty of Public Health on behalf of all those who have worked so hard in London to improve air quality, save lives and reduce health inequality.

“With around 4,000 people in the capital dying prematurely each year from toxic air pollution we simply don’t have time to waste. As Mayor, I have made it my mission to create a better, greener, and cleaner London for all and will continue to do all I can to protect and improve the health of all Londoners.”

26 June 2023

Faculty of Public Health Statement on the Conflict in the Sudan

Since the first week of fighting in the Sudan, over 500 people have died, thousands have been injured, and tens of thousands are fleeing the country to neighbouring countries. These figures are likely to be underestimated and the final toll is expected to rise due to disease outbreaks, impacts on the health and care system, and lack of essential services amidst fighting.

The Faculty of Public Health and its Special Interest Groups for the Sudan, Africa and Global Violence Prevention condemn the fighting, particularly the systematic attacks on health facilities and the weaponization of health. We stand with our colleagues in the country and will continue to work with our international partners to support the immediate and long-term Public Health response.

The Sudanese people already face an unstable humanitarian situation, with the World Health Organisation estimating that 1 in 3 of the population of Sudan were in need of humanitarian assistance in 2023.

The immediate impact of the crisis has been substantial, and the long-term impact is likely to be equally significant, particularly for refugees and the most vulnerable populations in the region. The mental health impact on individuals and children from the distress, displacement, bereavement, and trauma will remain both in the immediate and long-term. Continued loss of homes, livelihoods and infrastructure could turn this country from being the potential food basket for Africa into desolation, with a risk of the conflict spreading to other parts of the horn of Africa.

Considering the extent of the impact of the fighting, it is imperative that the ceasefire is sustained, to allow safe passage for patients to receive care, dignity and burial for deceased, and so that basic needs are restored to avoid further loss of life.

The UK Faculty of Public Health is partnering with the Sudan Doctors Union UK to raise funds for the healthcare and humanitarian needs in the Sudan. To show your support, please donate here.

28 April 2023

FPH statement on achieving Smokefree 2030

The UK Faculty of Public Health welcomes the intent behind today’s announcements on smoking, tobacco and nicotine addiction but is deeply disappointed by the unrealistic funding package announced to support it.

Since responsibility for Stop Smoking Services moved from the NHS to local government in 2015, the budget has been systematically stripped by 45%.

£80m a year investment is needed to merely return funding back to where it was in 2015, with today’s announcements of £45m over two years to fund the new activity of Swap to Stop inadequate to support service delivery.

Despite progress, smoking remains the single greatest cause of health inequalities in the UK, driving death, disability, dementia and poverty in the most vulnerable groups where smoking rates remain stubbornly high.

Today’s announcement gives some hope towards the smoke-free generation that the last 2017 tobacco plan aimed for. Since then, the excellent Khan Review has urged a number of actions, and a follow-up Government Tobacco Plan is still awaited.

11 April 2023

Association of Directors of Public Health and the Faculty of Public Health respond to the Hewitt Review

Following on from the Association of Directors of Public Health’s (ADPH) joint response, in partnership with the Faculty of Public Health (FPH), we welcome the publication of the Hewitt Review: An independent review of integrated care systems, which recognises the importance of ICSs being based on equal partnerships between the NHS, local government the voluntary and community sector.

ADPH and FPH echo the calls for shifting the focus of health upstream to prevention, which is essential for improving public health and reducing pressure on our health and care system.

The review also recognises the need for a cross-government approach to health and wellbeing, with all Whitehall departments promoting health and wellbeing. These are essential steps that we require from the Government to improve the health of the nation.

It recommends an increased share of the total NHS budget at ICS level, at least 1% over the next five years, goes towards prevention and is delivered through a working group of local government leaders, including DsPH, and national health bodies. It is crucial that there is a shared understanding of prevention to ensure funding is targeted and achieves effective outcomes. Local leaders in public health possess crucial knowledge and experience which means they have a significant role in defining what we mean by prevention.

We are clear that greater funding and investment in preventative programmes and interventions is required to allow DsPH and local leaders to achieve their goals, so these calls for an increase to the public health grant are well received.

Recommendations have also been made for a greater focus on locally developed priorities, with stronger collaborative links between NHS England, local government and other NHS providers. As well as giving greater focus to the voices of local leaders in public health.

Data sharing amongst these groups, as well as ICSs and CQC, should be equitable to allow accountability and improvement, and should increasingly include outcomes rather than solely inputs and processes.

ADPH and FPH encourage the Government to implement the recommendations from the Hewitt Review so that the full potential of ICSs can be realised to improve public health and reduce health inequalities.

4 April 2023

FPH statement on IPCC Report 'Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaption and Vulnerability'

The Faculty of Public Health welcomes today’s report ‘Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability’ from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The report clearly highlights the ‘increasingly severe, interconnected and often irreversible impacts of climate change on ecosystems, biodiversity, and human systems’ and identifies how we can work to reduce these impacts for current and future generations.

The evidence laid out in the report shows that international agreements and actions by individuals, communities and countries to date have not been enough – and that we continue to face unprecedented consequences as a result of the climate emergency.

The report recognises that climate change is directly impacting the health of populations, particularly affecting those already facing disadvantage – who are also the least likely to have contributed to the climate emergency we face. This is true on a global scale, as well as across our own country and local communities.

The Faculty’s Climate and Health Committee and Sustainable Development Special Interest Group have been leading work in raising awareness and summarising the evidence for interventions on climate change, and will be using this latest report in supporting our workforce and health sector in taking further actions to reduce the impact of the crisis and protect our health.

You can read the Faculty’s Climate and Health Strategy 2021 – 25 here.

20 March 2023

FPH Statement on the Public Health Grant Allocations 2023/4

The Public Health Grant announcement, delivered just two weeks before the start of the financial new year, represents an inadequate investment in essential public health services at a time when populations across England are in desperate need of support to protect and improve their health.

The 3.3% increase in funding for 2023/4, and planned increase of 1.3% for 2024/25 leaves local public health teams struggling to maintain essential services such as mental health support and specialist community public health nursing with limited resources.

Despite the serious threats to public health in recent years including the COVID-19 pandemic and current cost of living crisis, Government has consistently failed to invest in critical services delivered by local authorities which are in place to promote health, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Research from the Health Foundation shows that the Public Health Grant has been cut by 24% on a real-terms per person basis since 2015/6, with some of the largest reductions in spend falling for tobacco control, drug and alcohol services, and sexual health services.

Local public health teams have worked tirelessly to deliver for the populations they serve despite this chronic underfunding, but without proper investment Government risks delivery of these services becoming unsustainable.

The Faculty has called for a £1 billion increase in funding to support local public health teams as they deliver vital work to protect and improve health, and has joined with the Association of Directors of Public Health and the Local Government Association in calling for an adequate multi-year settlement for public health.

15 March 2023

 

Delay to Public Health Grant will cause ‘avoidable and unacceptable’ harm

With just one month to go before the new financial year, over 30 leaders of public health, NHS bodies and health charities are calling on the Government to urgently publish next year’s public health grant allocation.

The coalition, led by the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH), the NHS Confederation, the Local Government Association (LGA), the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) and the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH),  are also urging ministers to increase investment in public health and prevention – a strategy which although known to have a long-term benefits to individuals, communities, the NHS and wider economy, has been repeatedly overlooked in recent years.

In the joint statement, leaders across the sector have said:

The Government’s delay in publishing the Public Health Grant allocation for 2023/24 is putting public health services at risk and adding unnecessary strain on an already pressured system.

In addition to not yet knowing what the public health budget will look like for the coming year, we are extremely concerned that the delay will be exacerbated by either only a small increase or another flat cash settlement.

Despite several important Government strategies being sidelined or delayed, including the health disparities and gambling reform white papers and Khan review, there have been a series of promising announcements giving a commitment to public health initiatives. However, these initiatives are not being adequately – or consistently – funded.

Instead, funding has been cut in real terms by almost a quarter since 2015. While the current investment is of course welcomed, anything less than inflation is in effect a cut and, as a result, it is impossible for providers to keep up, either with policy ambitions or the growing demand on these vital public health services. We simply cannot keep delivering more for less.

Without investing in evidence-based measures that are proven to prevent and reduce physical and mental ill health, demand on the NHS will continue to rise, sickness in the workforce will continue to increase and the economy will continue to suffer as a result.

Read the full statement here.

1 March 2023

FPH Statement on Industrial Action

Junior Doctors in England, represented by the British Medical Association, have voted in favour of industrial action.

The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) is not a trade union, and has no mandate to advise our members or the wider public health workforce on industrial action.

However, the Faculty understands the frustrations of doctors and public health professionals who have worked tirelessly within a chronically under-funded health and care system to support patients and populations before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

FPH respects the right to take action amidst the profound pressures and challenges facing all those working within the NHS workforce. The decision to strike is never easy, and FPH support those who choose to do so knowing it is the last resort for many. We call for all parties to work together to reach a negotiated settlement for the benefit of staff, patients and the public.

Alongside resourcing challenges faced by Junior Doctors and the wider NHS workforce, the pressures facing the public health workforce have been exacerbated by year-on-year cuts to budgets and services.

The Public health workforce’s role and contribution has been consistently under-valued, especially considering its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, recovery work to re-build our health, and leadership role in planning and preparing our response to the next major threat to population health.

Government must make the health workforce a priority, training more public health specialists and doing more to invest in the public health and NHS system now and for the long-term.

22 February 2023

 

Joint statement from public health leaders on Free School Meals for all primary school pupils in London

Following our call with cross-sector partners for Government to support the health and development of our children by expanding access to Free School Meals, the National School Breakfast Programme, and the Healthy Start Scheme, we are pleased to see today’s announcement on free school meals from the Mayor of London.

The extension of free school meals to every primary school child in London will benefit all children and families living in the city, particularly those facing disadvantage and insecurity as the rising cost-of-living crisis continues to stretch inequalities across London and the UK.

Whilst the scheme will support an extra 100,000 children in London who live in poverty but do not already receive free school meals, there are over 700,000 additional children across the UK who are living in poverty but will still not have access to this vital lifeline.

With all primary school students in Scotland and Wales to be provided with free school meals by the end of 2024, Government must end the postcode lottery for families in England and expand access to free school meals for all children in households receiving Universal Credit, removing the £7,400 income cap.

Faculty of Public Health

Association of Directors of Public Health

British Association for Child and Adolescent Public Health

School and Public Health Nurses Association

Royal Society for Public Health

 

20 February 2023

 

FPH Statement on Welsh Government’s Response to the Roads Review

The FPH welcomes climate change being placed at the heart of decision making as part of Welsh Government’s response to the Roads Review on 14^th February and the potential this has to maximise the population health benefits of climate action.

Policies that reduce carbon emissions, support a shift to active travel and improve community connectedness will in turn lead to a number of direct and indirect benefits to physical and mental health, including through improved air quality, higher levels of physical activity and increased social capital.

Ongoing advocacy around the climate and ecological crises is at the core of the FPH’s mission, not only because of the dire consequences of climate change on population health - particularly for the most vulnerable at national and global levels - but also because adaptation and mitigation strategies have many health co-benefits. Economic and social policies to tackle the climate emergency will also substantially improve population health. If appropriately implemented, these strategies have the potential to reduce health inequalities by ensuring that support is commensurate to need and placing equity and sustainability at the heart of policy.

Further information

The FPH is committed to tackling climate change as a global public health threat, with an established Climate and Health Committee which co-ordinates and leads the FPH’s response to this urgent issue. As a credible and respected voice on the health impacts of the climate and ecological emergencies, FPH is in a unique position to advise on strategies to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of current and future generations.

FPH urges governments to adopt the following recommendations:

1. Implement measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions. FPH urges governments to take immediate action to limit global warming to 1.5°C, by accelerating the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies; shifting to low-carbon transport systems (e.g. active travel, public transport, and zero emissions vehicles); and transitioning to sustainable, affordable plant-based diets.

2. Embed consideration of the impact of climate change on health in all policies and reinforce co-benefits of mitigation and adaptation strategies, so that action on climate change protects both planetary and population health. It is our responsibility to enable everyone worldwide to live a healthy and fulfilling life within planetary boundaries to avoid compromising the lives of future generations.

3. Increase access to green and blue space for health and wellbeing, and support measures to increase biodiversity. The climate emergency is further compounded by an ecological emergency. FPH calls on governments to take action to protect, preserve and recover our ecosystems both nationally and internationally.

16 February 2023

FPH statement on earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

Millions of people are at risk after devastating earthquakes and dozens of aftershocks hit South-East Turkey and Syria on 06 February 2023. Current official estimates are of 18,991 deaths and 75,523 injured in Turkey, and 3,384 deaths and 5,245 injuries in Syria.

These figures are likely to rise significantly as recovery operations continue. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, displacing families and their livelihoods at a time of year when temperatures regularly drop below freezing. 

While the search and rescue operations are still ongoing, infrastructure damage in both countries has been extensive, with many medical facilities destroyed or damaged. The immediate impact of the disaster has been substantial and devastating, and the long-term ramifications are likely to be equally significant, particularly for refugees and the most vulnerable populations in the region. 

Victims in Syria continue to face one of the most complex humanitarian situations in the world, after 12 years of grinding conflict, mass displacement and public infrastructure destruction. Humanitarian access in the North West of the country has been challenging for some time, and unless solutions are rapidly found, this will exacerbate the immediate effects of the earthquake.

The risk of communicable disease outbreaks - always significant in crisis-affected settings - is high in Syria, where a nationwide cholera outbreak is already ongoing. The priority now is to work around the clock to save as many lives as possible, with many people still trapped under the rubble. The Faculty will work with global partners to provide and support further assistance to meet the needs of the Turkish and Syrian people at this terrible time.

FPH President Professor Kevin Fenton said “We are saddened by the devastating impacts of the earthquakes that have hit Turkey and Syria this week. Our hearts and thoughts are with the people of these nations, and the families and communities affected across the globe, especially those who have lost loved ones.

Many of our members are providing expertise to support the response to this disaster, and the Faculty will continue to work with our domestic and international partners to strengthen the public health response.

Considering the extent of the loss of life and damage in the region, it is imperative that the international community comes together to provide adequate assistance to meet the needs of the Turkish and Syrian people during these testing and sad times.”

The Syria Research Group recommends donating to this list of organisations operating in the region. Additionally, UK charities have launched an urgent Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal.

10 February 2023

FPH statement on the Public Health Grant 2023/24

The Faculty of Public Health echoes calls from the Local Government Association for Government to urgently publish the Public Health Grant funding allocations for 2023/24.

As local services respond to multiple concurrent threats to health, exacerbated by the mounting cost-of-living crisis, councils desperately need clarity on funding allocations to make critical decisions on frontline services including drug and alcohol treatment, mental health support, and health visiting.

Research from the Health Foundation shows that the Public Health Grant has been cut by 24% on a real-terms per person basis since 2015/6, with some of the largest reductions in spend falling for tobacco control, drug and alcohol services, and sexual health services.

The Faculty has called for a £1 billion increase in funding to support local public health teams as they deliver vital work to protect and improve health, and has joined with the Association of Directors of Public Health and the Local Government Association in calling for a multi-year settlement for public health.

8 February 2023

UK Public Health leaders call on Government to take urgent action to tackle child food insecurity

The UK’s public health leaders have written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak outlining three key actions to tackle child food poverty and help support a healthy population and productive economy.

The letter, headed by the Faculty of Public Health, the Association of Directors of Public Health, the Royal Society for Public Health, and the School and Public Health Nurses Association, has received widespread support from Parliamentarians and third-sector organisations.

Over 30 MPs and 20 members of the House of Lords have signed the letter, which calls on the Prime Minister to support the health and development of our children by expanding access to Free School Meals, the National School Breakfast Programme, and the Healthy Start scheme.

In September of 2022, over a quarter of households with children experienced food insecurity, and the current cost-of-living crisis will increase this number. Childhood food insecurity contributes to increased anxiety, poor mental health, poor social and emotional development, and a reduced level of achievement in school.

This is a serious public health issue that requires a co-ordinated and sustainable response. The 100+ signatories of the letter make three key asks of Government to tackle this crisis and help provide children and families with the safety net they desperately need;

1. Expand access to Free School Meals for all children in households receiving Universal Credit, removing the £7,400 income cap.

2. Increase funding to the National School Breakfast Programme to expand delivery initially from 2,500 schools to 5,000, with a long-term plan to provide coverage to a higher percentage of disadvantaged pupils.

3. Promote access to the Healthy Start scheme, and expand access to all families with young children who receive Universal Credit.

To deliver on these asks, signatories recommend the creation of new targeted levies on unhealthy food and drink, such as an expansion of the proven and effective Sugar Drinks Industry Levy, or for government to adopt the National Food Strategy recommendation of a new salt and sugar levy.

These new levies would be paid directly by manufacturers of unhealthy food, and would bolster the health of families across the UK through reformulation leading to reduced sugar and salt intake, saving the NHS billions of pounds and supporting a healthy workforce. This is a solution that would generate revenue and improve children’s diets and physical health now and into the future.

Professor Kevin Fenton CBE, President of the Faculty of Public Health said “As the cost-of-living crisis bites, many families across the UK are currently struggling with the reality of food poverty, unable to meet even their most basic needs.

Initiatives such as Free School Meals, the National School Breakfast Programme, and the Healthy Start scheme are a vital lifeline, but with too many children and families unable to access these services Government is missing an opportunity to firmly address the reality and impacts of child food poverty, which impairs the lives and life chances of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

To protect and improve the health of disadvantaged communities across the UK, and support a healthy, productive population, we call upon Government to fully implement our recommendations to expand access to these vital services for those who need them most.”

Sharon White OBE, Chief Executive Officer of the School and Public Health Nurses Association said “School nurses are witnessing and being asked to support a worrying number of families who cannot feed their children adequately due to the cost-of-living crisis; children are turning up to school cold, tired, hungry, worried, sad and, as a result, unable to learn.

Free school meal provision would go a long way to addressing this rising public health emergency; this a basic right and urgent need.”

Professor Jim McManus, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health and Director of Public Health for Hertfordshire said  “Poverty is the most important determinant of children’s health in the UK and, as local leaders for the nation’s health, Directors of Public Health see first-hand the impact healthy food has for a healthy, thriving population.

It is vitally important therefore that the Government acts on the evidence and expands access to Free School Meals and Healthy Start. Only then can we start to address the inequity in outcomes we are seeing in children’s health.”

William Roberts, Chief Executive of the Royal Society for Public Health said “School meals were originally brought in to help support children to learn, in the belief of creating a healthy and productive nation.

Sadly, we’re in a situation where many children are going hungry, we’re facing a tough economic future and record numbers of people are out of work because of ill health.

Now is the time to ensure we invest in the future of the country by ensuring that our children don’t go hungry, and schools can provide meals free of charge so that every child can have the freedom to flourish.”

Sign the letter here.

2 February 2023

Faculty of Public Health and International Academy of Public Health partner to support global public health

The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) and the International Academy of Public Health (IAPH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the 16th of January, 2023.

This International MOU establishes a framework for cooperation between the two Parties on promoting population health and strengthening public health capacity to address global challenges and realise the promise of public health as advancing the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and protecting and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of all in society.

The MOU involves collaboration strategies and joint work on training and capacity building for the public health workforce, promoting professional standards and leadership, and strengthening public health practice and research.

Prof Kevin Fenton, President of the FPH, and Dr. Mohannad Al Nsour, Chairperson of the IAPH Board of Directors, signed the MOU on behalf of both parties, respectively.

Professor Kevin Fenton, President of the Faculty of Public Health said ‘I am pleased that the Faculty of Public Health and the International Academy of Public Health have formalised a shared agenda and framework for collaborative working as we join together to protect and improve health for populations across the globe.

This International Memorandum of Understanding represents a commitment between our two organisations to work together to advance the science, knowledge, and standards of public health practice, strengthen international public health systems, reduce global health inequalities, and advocate for prioritisation of public health policy at national and global level.

I look forward to collaborating with Dr. Mohannad Al Nsour and colleagues in the coming years to support better health for populations across the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean regions and beyond.’

Dr. Mohannad Al Nsour, Chairperson of the IAPH Board of Directors said ‘I am optimistic about the collaboration between the two partners and the expected positive impact on the public health education and practice in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.’

The MOU comes at an opportune time when the lessons of the global pandemic and considerations for global health security further emphasise the importance of public health.

Based on the long and outstanding experience of the FPH and its international influence, and considering the unique positioning and potential of IAPH as a regional institution, the implementation of this MOU is expected to support public health capacity in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean Region where health systems and public health challenges are unprecedented.       

The MOU contains a detailed framework for cooperation in line with the stipulated areas for collaboration, with both parties outlining the necessary structures and mechanisms to ensure effective implementation.

17 January 2023

Journal of Public Health publishes collection of papers marking FPH's 50th anniversary

This special supplement of the Faculty's Journal of Public Health — a journal which first entered publication over 100 years ago as the Journal of State Medicine — brings together a collection of papers reflecting on the journey that the Faculty, and the public health profession, has been on over the past 50 years.

'Public Health Professionals Delivering Better Health for all: 50 Years of the Faculty of Public Health' includes papers from professionals working across the entire public health system, with contributors delivering work at local, regional, national and international level across all areas of public health practice; health protection, health improvement, in health services, in academia and elsewhere in civil society.

FPH thanks all authors who have contributed papers to this collection, and a particular thanks to Dr. Farhang Tahzib for his work in drawing together this important reflection on 50 years of the Faculty of Public Health.

We also thank Faculty members for your support and dedication over the past 50 years, particularly those who have volunteered their time and expertise to work directly with us; the Faculty would not be in the strong position it is today without your generosity and commitment to improving the public’s health.

14 December 2022

London Public Health Forum on air quality

The London Public Health Forum recently held a webinar with over 350 attendees to discuss ways in which air quality in London and beyond can be improved to protect health.

The webinar was a collaboration between UKHSA, OHID, ADPH, FPH, the GLA and NHS England and was Chaired by FPH President Professor Kevin Fenton.

Watch the webinar below and hear from guest speakers including Professor Chris Whitty, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Dr Dagmar Zeuner, Sir Stephen Holgate, Dr Josephine Sauvage, and Chair of FPH’s Climate and Health Committee Professor Sue Atkinson.

Global Violence Prevention SIG statement on the policy decision to increase UK stockpiles of nuclear warheads

The threat to public health globally of a conflict involving nuclear weapons is difficult to overstate. The Faculty of Public Health calls on the UK government to make clear its commitment to global nuclear disarmament and intensify negotiations with nuclear weapon states to reduce global nuclear stockpiles.

The population health impact of the deployment of nuclear weapons would be catastrophic. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed in the aftermath of atom bombs detonated in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, however a true estimate of the death toll is impossible to calculate due to the sheer chaos and destruction of these events.¹ If detonated, a nuclear weapon will vaporize everything within range and subsequently release high doses of radiation.² Initial loss of life would be accompanied by devastation to vital infrastructure including hospitals, water, sanitation and communications.² Serious psychological and social harm to populations including significant population displacement would be highly likely.³ Long-term health effects of the atom bombs deployed in Japan have been demonstrated and include increased rates of cancer and cardiovascular disease.⁴ Additional long-term effects include the possibility of a “nuclear winter” affecting the global climate.⁵

The devastating results of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine have brought into sharp focus the potential for weapons to inflict immense suffering on populations. Preventing the detonation of nuclear weapons is therefore of enormous public health importance, and the UK government states it is “committed to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons”.⁶ However, the policy decision to increase the UK’s nuclear warhead stockpile limit from a goal of no more than 180 by 2025 to the current policy of no more than 260 warheads is at odds with this long-term vision.

Therefore, the Faculty of Public Health urges the UK Government to direct renewed energy towards the de-escalation of nuclear stockpiles globally to prevent a public health catastrophe.

1. Hiroshima and Nagasaki Death Toll. http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/cab/200708230009.html.
2. Boulton, F. & Dunn, T. Nuclear war and public health: preparedness, protection and the case for prevention. J Public Health (Oxf) 42, e316–e322 (2020).
3. Ohtsuru, A. et al. Nuclear disasters and health: lessons learned, challenges, and proposals. The Lancet 386, 489–497 (2015).
4. Kamiya, K. et al. Long-term effects of radiation exposure on health. The Lancet 386, 469–478 (2015).
5. Turco, R. P., Toon, O. B., Ackerman, T. P., Pollack, J. B. & Sagan, C. Nuclear Winter: Global Consequences of Multiple Nuclear Explosions. Science 222, 1283–1292 (1983).
6. Global Britain in a Competitive Age: the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-britain-in-a-competitive-age-the-integrated-review-of-security-defence-development-and-foreign-policy/global-britain-in-a-competitive-age-the-integrated-review-of-security-defence-development-and-foreign-policy.

22 November 2022

FPH response to the Autumn Statement 2022

As the Government delivers the Autumn Statement it must recognise that economic recovery is impossible without investing in the public’s health and the system which supports it.

Whilst raises to the National Living Wage and some benefit payments are welcome we know that these are not matching the real-terms increase in living costs, with the end result being that millions of households across the UK will continue to struggle to meet even basic needs.

Cuts to public services will further compound the impact of this crisis, particularly for those already facing disadvantage. Unless Government offers proper resources for essential public health services at local and national level we will see already stretched health inequalities further exacerbated.

We cannot treat our way out of the current healthcare crisis. If Government wishes to deliver a true economic recovery and deliver on the ‘levelling up’ agenda it must invest in improving and protecting health.

As Andy Haldane, former Chief Economist of the Bank of England recently commented, “having been an accelerator of wellbeing for the last 200 years, health is now serving as a brake in the rise of growth and wellbeing of our citizens.”

Failure to invest in public health is a false economy. Compared with other wealthy nations, a strikingly high proportion of our health spending goes on hospitals, whilst comparatively little is spent on prevention activities that offer a huge return on investment and are the key to long-term, systemic and sustainable improvements in the health of the British people and economy. Government should not forget the central role played by public health in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the key role of public health as part of a national health service, including the need for a resilient health protection function.

FPH calls on Government to make additional investment into public health, including an increase in specialist training places, in order to;

• Support communities as they struggle with the cost-of-living crisis, and the wide-ranging impacts this has for health

• Strengthen the health protection workforce to deal with current and future pandemics

• Increase focus in the NHS on population health and prevention delivered through Integrated Care Systems to ensure the NHS can meet demand

• Enable public health professionals to lead on the health impacts of climate change

We hope that Government will support critical public health programmes as well as the specialist workforce tasked with ensuring their prioritisation, delivery and quality.

This investment is essential to protect lives and livelihoods, stimulate economic growth, and keep communities safe through these most challenging of times.

17 November 2022

FPH support new report calling for investment in sexual health services

The Faculty of Public Health welcomes the report from the Local Government Association and English HIV and Sexual Health Commissioners’ Group, ‘Breaking point: Securing the future of sexual health services’. The report describes trends since 2013 when councils took responsibility for commissioning sexual health services. Awareness and use of sexual health services have increased over the last 10 years. They have undergone significant modernisation and innovation, increasing the use of online consultations, apps, home testing and home sampling. While it is positive that more people are using sexual health services and testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), this means that the pressure on services has greatly increased. This has been coupled with a cut to the public health grant used to fund the services between 2015/16 and 2020/21, with consequent reduced spending on testing and treatment for STIs and contraception.

The report warns that, without appropriate funding for prevention, there is a risk of the decline seen in some STIs and unwanted pregnancies being reversed. It is also noted that despite new diagnoses of HIV recently falling, late diagnosis, associated with premature death and disease among people living with HIV, remains problematic and sexual health services remain crucial to tackling this. Underfunded sexual health services are a risk for individuals’ health; have the potential to widen health inequalities; will hamper the ability of services to respond to unexpected challenges, such as Monkeypox; and have important implications for large scale public health issues, such as antimicrobial resistance. Furthermore, the under-resourcing of services will jeopardise the Government’s ambition to achieve zero HIV transmissions by 2030. To commit to such ambitious targets while reducing funding for the services that are key to helping deliver them is contradictory.    

The Faculty of Public Health supports the Save Local Services campaign that calls for the Government to sufficiently fund frontline local services, including sexual health services, to meet the needs of their local populations. Public health services have been shown to save money, and cuts to their funding will only serve to increase the financial burden on the wider health system in the future.

15 November 2022

Differential Attainment and Fair Training Culture in Public Health Training

Public Health is a specialty committed to reducing population-level inequalities, and our workforce must represent and reflect the diversity of the communities that we serve.

Currently, there are clear inequalities in public health recruitment, with this article in the BMJ identifying a large gap between the proportion of candidates deemed appointable from ethnic minority backgrounds (15%) compared to those from white backgrounds (36%).

Recognising the urgent need to tackle these disparities, and support an inclusive public health workforce, the Faculty has worked through its Board, Education Committee, Equality, Diversion and Inclusion Committee, and Equality and Diversity Special Interest Group to outline actions to tackle inequalities across the public health career pathway.

We must be transparent about the problems we face, and the first output of this work has been a report to investigate differential attainment in recruitment to public health specialty training, delivered by Imperial College London and commissioned by the UK Recruitment Group of Health Education England and the Faculty of Public Health. The report, written by Fran Bury and Richard Pinder, shows that the recruitment process unacceptably disadvantages candidates from several groups, particularly those from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Identifying the scope and scale of differential attainment is an important step in tackling these inequalities and is necessary to inform our work with Health Education England, who are responsible for the delivery of the recruitment process, to assure a fair training culture in public health.

The report, representing the first full investigation from a UK medical specialty into bias in its recruitment process, identifies that assessment centre tests for numeracy, critical reasoning and situational judgement are a primary driver in differential attainment. The Faculty has worked with Health Education England to recruit a more diverse group of assessors and improve the availability of support materials, and will look to explore alternatives to the current tests.

The Faculty will identify where support or interventions must be targeted to minimise disadvantage,  learning from, and sharing, best practice in delivering an equitable training programme and workforce. We will ensure that training, working, and learning environments are flexible and inclusive, collaborating our partners to advance equality of opportunity in the design of education.

The Faculty will also continue to monitor and evaluate differential attainment in public health specialty training, including collecting and publishing demographic data from all candidates and reporting on progress to improve diversity and inclusion in the public health workforce.

Reflecting on the challenges we face as we commence on this work, and the actions that the Faculty will take, Faculty President Kevin Fenton and Academic Registrar David Chappel have written this joint blog to accompany the Imperial College London report.

Solving these problems will take collaborative effort, and as the Faculty continues to prioritise issues of equity we invite members to engage with us on this work through our Special Interest Groups and Sub-committees.

2 November 2022

The Importance of System Working - Opportunities in the New Public Health System in England

Following a series of workshops with leaders from across the public health system, the Faculty of Public Health has published a new paper 'The Importance of System Working - Opportunities in the New Public Health System in England'.

This paper summarise leadership perspectives on priorities and ambitions for system working in the new structure.

Key priorities explored in the paper include; systems leadership, workforce development, emergency preparedness and response, evaluating and communicating impact, and standards.

2 August 2022

Faculty of Public Health Statement on the US Supreme Court decision to revoke abortion rights

The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) joins more than 100 global healthcare organisations in condemning the US Supreme Court decision to overturn the 50-year-old landmark Roe v. Wade ruling on the constitutional right to abortion. We stand with The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH), who have issued a joint statement with a global list of organisational signatories.

In June 2022 the Supreme Court effectively ended the constitutional right to an abortion for millions of women and pregnant people across the US meaning that abortions can now be banned or effectively banned by individual states. This has now become the case in at least nine states and several more are expected to follow in the coming weeks.

Access to safe and legal termination of pregnancy is an essential part of reproductive health care and a staple of the human right to bodily autonomy. This ruling will cost lives.

In 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) published guidance on essential health services to maintain during the Covid-19 pandemic and comprehensive abortion care was included on this list in recognition of its vital importance. Abortion is safe when it is carried out using a recommended method by a professional with the skills to provide the care. When people are unable to access safe abortion care, for reasons such as discrimination, affordability, or legal restriction, they often have little choice but to resort to unsafe methods. Globally, unsafe abortions are a leading cause of preventable maternal death and morbidity. 47,000 women across the world die each year as a result and many more suffer serious mental and physical consequences.

This ruling will undoubtedly widen health inequalities. Women and pregnant people in the most deprived groups in society will suffer disproportionately from the lack of safe abortion care. Whilst the US ruling has far-reaching implications for all, it is likely that those from less deprived backgrounds will still be able to access abortion despite state bans, since they have the resources to travel and pay for care. However, those living in deprivation, who we know need to access abortions more frequently, will have far more limited options, and may resort to unsafe abortion practices with their attendant risks. The greatest burden of the consequences of this ruling will fall upon those who are already most disadvantaged in society.

Furthermore, by criminalising the provision of essential abortion care, health care workers will be at risk of harm or prosecution, and the safe management of miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies and other obstetric emergencies will be impacted. In the US, there have been incidents of health care professionals being murdered for supporting abortion care. These new bans will further increase the risk to those who strive to support reproductive healthcare and fight for human rights.

While abortion is legal in the UK, issues accessing services remain, particularly in Northern Ireland and for second trimester abortions in Scotland.  Patients seeking abortions and the staff providing them continue to be subject to harassment and intimidation by anti-abortion campaigners who position themselves outside abortion clinics. This has led to a call for the widespread implementation of so-called buffer zones, the first of which was set up in Ealing in 2018. However, only two more have been set up since. There is a concern that the US ruling will embolden anti-abortion protesters in the UK.

The FPH recognises that we must stand together with global organisations to urge all governments to allow the provision of safe, affordable, and accessible abortion care because it is an essential part of healthcare that saves lives. In addition, the right to reproductive and bodily autonomy is a fundamental human right which must be preserved at all costs.

The FPH welcomes blogs from our members on their opinions and any work related to abortion care as well as comments or recommendations for how we can support and raise awareness of this issue.

Faculty of Public Health Sexual and Reproductive Health Special Interest Group

Laura French, Public Health Consultant

2 August 2022

Professor Kevin Fenton CBE begins term of office as President of the Faculty of Public Health

Following the 50^th Annual General Meeting of the Faculty of Public Health (FPH), today Friday 1 July 2022, Professor Kevin Fenton CBE begins his three-year term of office as President.

Professor Fenton takes up the office of Faculty President having held a variety of public health executive leadership roles and is currently the Regional Director for London, Office for Health Improvement & Disparities and Regional Director of Public Health for NHS London. He is also the Statutory Health Advisor to the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority. Professor Fenton is the Government’s Chief Advisor on HIV and is overseeing the implementation of the new HIV Action Plan with an ambition to eliminate HIV transmission in England by 2030.

Professor Kevin Fenton said, “I thank Faculty members for electing me to work with you and to serve you as President of the Faculty of Public Health.

Building on the excellent work of my predecessor Professor Maggie Rae, I look forward to working with Faculty members to drive forward meaningful work to tackle the big public health challenges of the present and future.

As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic to a changing and complex landscape, now more than ever we need a strong Faculty which is able to advocate for sustained improvements in the public’s health, clear about our contribution to tackling new and emerging threats, and ready to play our role alongside others as an effective systems leader for the profession in the UK and overseas.

As I start my first 100 days in office, I arrive with a clear commitment to support a high quality, inclusive UK public health workforce. I will be connecting with Local Board Members and FPH members in every part of the UK, hearing your hopes, priorities and opportunities. We must support the public health leaders of the present and future through a robust framework of training, appraisal, revalidation, and CPD arrangements, and I am committed to building upon the excellent work accomplished thus far.

I also take up office with a resolute focus on developing the cross-system leadership role for public health professionals. This includes deepening our current partnership working and engaging with a broader range of actors including in healthcare, business, education, academia, and other key areas. It is my sincere hope that these partnerships will lead to further innovation in our field, opening new opportunities to help address societies challenges.

Most importantly, I will ensure that the Faculty is fully engaged with our membership and is responsive to members’ priorities and concerns from across the UK and overseas. The Faculty exists to support our members as they work to protect and improve the public’s health, and in achieving this goal it is essential that we foster effective, two-way communication with all our membership.

It is truly an honour to have been elected as President by such excellent, committed colleagues. I am confident that in the years ahead we will work effectively together as public health leaders to safeguard our profession and promote better health for all.”

Read Kevin’s full welcome message here.

1 July 2022

Call to amend Misuse of Drugs Regulations to make it easier to pilot overdose prevention centres

In the United Kingdom, in 2020, there were 4,517 deaths related to illicit drug use; the highest rate of drug related deaths since records began. It is necessary to provide the full range of evidence-based drug treatment and harm reduction interventions to prevent these deaths.

Overdose prevention centres are healthcare facilities where people consume their own drugs under the supervision of trained staff who intervene in the event of an overdose. These sites are provided in at least 13 countries, but not the UK. International evidence demonstrates they reduce drug related deaths, encourage safer injecting practices to prevent infections and increase engagement with wider drug treatment and support services.

In December 2021, the Faculty of Public Health published an open letter calling for pilot overdose prevention centres in the UK. This call was supported by 84 leading organisations, including Royal Medical Colleges, public health bodies, drug service providers, academic and third sector organisations; and numerous individual signatories.

In response, the Government argued that there is no legal framework to run overdose prevention centres in the UK. Although there is no law which specifically bans such services, offences such as drug possession would be committed within them. Under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, some acts that would otherwise be controlled by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 are already exempt from criminalisation, in order to enable services that reduce harms.

Over the past year, the Drug Science Enhanced Harm Reduction Working Group has been researching the feasibility of setting up pilot overdose prevention centres in the UK. This work has demonstrated there is a clear need for the services in areas with high levels of drug related harm, and cross-agency support for their introduction.

We call on the Government to amend the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 to make it easier to establish pilots of overdose prevention centres. This is an easy step that would not require primary legislation. It would help local agencies to build the evidence base and save lives.

Read the letter and view the full list of signatories here.

20 June 2022

Protecting the public from being harmed or exploited by gambling and the gambling industry

Professor Maggie Rae, President, Faculty of Public Health and Greg Fell, Vice President, Association of Directors of Public Health have written to the Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy) ahead of the publication of the Gambling Act review with recommendations for protecting the public from being harmed or exploited by gambling and the gambling industry.

Read the full statement and recommendations here.

FPH welcomes Khan review recommendations to meet Smokefree 2030 target

 

The Faculty of Public Health welcomes the independent report “Making Smoking Obsolete” by Dr. Javed Khan OBE, and urges Government to take immediate action to implement the report’s recommendations.

 

Drastically reducing smoking rates is one of the most effective public health interventions that Government can deliver to ‘level-up’ health and reduce inequalities.

 

The report outlines key actions that Government must take in order to meet the Smokefree 2030 ambition for England, without which the target will be missed by at least 7 years.

 

The report sets out the case for a comprehensive investment of £125 million per year in Smokefree 2030 policies, including an extra ringfenced £70 million per year in stop smoking services.

 

FPH calls on Government to immediately make this investment, and follow the report’s recommendation that if Government cannot fund this themselves they should introduce a tobacco industry levy or generate additional corporation tax.

 

FPH also supports other key recommendations to raise the age of sale year-on-year until no one can legally buy tobacco in England, and for Government to support a greater role for preventative activities in primary and secondary NHS settings to reduce the £2.4 billion that smoking costs our health service every year.

 

Alongside these recommendations, Government must also deliver the delayed Tobacco Control Plan by the end of this year, following the recommendations of the APPG on Smoking and Health to match the ambitions of the review to make smoking obsolete.

 

FPH President Professor Maggie Rae said “This report from Dr. Javed Khan sets out a clear roadmap for Government to meet the ambition of making smoking obsolete in England.

 

FPH have joined with partners such as Action on Smoking Health to call on Government to re-focus and re-invest in order to meet its Smokefree 2030 target. This report confirms that unless determined action is taken we will miss this target, and we will continue to see more preventable deaths from smoking.

 

We support the recommendations outlined in this report and urge Government to follow them to save lives and reduce health inequalities.”

 

FPH Smoking Lead Dr. Helen Waters said "I welcome this evidence-based report which clearly lays out the magnitude of the problems caused by smoking alongside practical, achievable mitigations that will save lives and level-up health inequalities.”

 

9 June 2022

Physical punishment ended for children in Wales

From today, children in Wales will enjoy the same legal protection from assault that adults are currently afforded. This means that smacking, hitting, slapping, or any other sort of physical punishment of children in Wales is now illegal.

The Faculty of Public Health has previously led calls to offer protection from assault for children in Scotland, and The Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill passed through Holyrood in October 2019.

Research is clear that physically punishing children can damage their health and well-being. As well as injuries sustained from being hit harder than intended, physical punishment can lead to an increased risk of the child developing aggressive, antisocial behaviours themselves or suffering low self-esteem, depression or anxiety which can continue into adulthood.

Whilst children in Wales and Scotland are now protected from physical punishment, this is not the case for those living in England or Northern Ireland.

Evidence shows us that laws protecting children from violence lead to a better future for families, removing doubts about whether hitting a child can be justifiable, and empowering families to give their children the best start in life.

It is now time for England and Northern Ireland to follow the examples of Scotland and Wales by delivering legislation which will stop the long-lasting consequences of violence against children.

21 March 2022

 

Global Violence Prevention SIG position statement on the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation

We strongly condemn the actions of the Russian Federation for their unprovoked invasion of the democratic state of Ukraine. This attack violates international law and will inevitably lead to devastating humanitarian consequences for the civilian population of Ukraine.

The cost of this unjustified attack in terms of casualties and human suffering will be immense, creating a humanitarian crisis in Europe. Damage to infrastructure and utilities caused by indiscriminate warfare will lead to loss of essential services for those remaining in Ukraine. The health system is already fragile due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a recent outbreak of poliomyelitis.[1] It is likely that many will struggle to access the healthcare they require if the violence continues to escalate.

In the first week of the invasion the United Nations Refugee Agency reports that over one million Ukrainian refugees have fled the country.[2] It is estimated that this figure could rise to as many as four million, the majority of whom being women and children. This displacement, enforced encampment and lack of access to health care will affect both the physical and mental health of those involved with the potential for long term morbidity and mortality.[3]

The European Union (EU) has relaxed its visa rules on refugees as it tries to cope with the sheer numbers fleeing the violence. Within the EU, Ukrainian refugees will receive access to housing, medical treatment and schooling for up to three years. It is imperative that there are easily accessible, safe and legal routes for Ukrainian refugees to enter the UK.

We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people during this terrible time and call on the Russian Federation to end the invasion and acknowledge the wishes of the population of Ukraine to be an independent and sovereign nation.[4] This is an essential time for the UK government to welcome those who are displaced from Ukraine and to ensure that a comprehensive support system is in place to best support their wellbeing.

[1] WHO/Europe statement on Ukraine (24 February 2022)

[2] https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine

[3] Documenting the Effects of Armed Conflict on Population Health Barry S. Levy and Victor W. Sidel Annual Review of Public Health 2016 37:1, 205-218

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Ukrainian_independence_referendum

9 March 2022

 

Letter to the public health community

Dear colleagues,

As we mark two years since the first confirmed domestic case of COVID-19, we wanted to express our profound thanks and gratitude to the whole public health community.

The pandemic has been difficult and demanding for all–both professionally and personally. The commitment to your work and the skilful way in which you have delivered it in a rapidly changing environment amid considerable uncertainty has saved countless lives.

Public health teams have been under a spotlight like never before. Across the country, you and your teams responded with integrity, skill, and determination. The long hours, personal and professional sacrifices were all for the public good. This has been widely recognised by the public.

As we know, the pandemic is not over; we need to remain responsive to new events, provide expert advice as appropriate and build on the responses of the past. Our collective expertise on COVID will continue to develop for years to come, and work needs to continue to increase vaccination rates and advance research.

As is always the case with public health, the work is never done and much of the most important work is never noticed. We need to look after each other, rest and support others to take leave before returning for the next challenges – of which there are many important ones.

The indirect effect of COVID and the necessary societal response to it has left many medium and long term public health issues in addition to major pre-existing ones. It has shone a light on the repeated effects of deprivation on health which existed before the pandemic and will continue to. Many of you will focus on health improvement and the significant non-communicable disease burden, some exacerbated by the pandemic. Some of you have continued to progress this important work over the last two years. These are not easy problems with quick fixes, but they are very important and we need to reduce health inequalities significantly. That is why most of you do what you do.

Your expert knowledge, local insight, leadership and collection and use of data have been outstanding. We have been immensely proud to work alongside you and are profoundly thankful for all you and your teams have done.

Professor Maggie Rae
President of the Faculty of Public Health

Professor Jim McManus
President of the Association of Directors of Public Health

Professor Sir Chris Whitty
Chief Medical Officer, England

Sir Frank Atherton
Chief Medical Officer, Wales

Professor Sir Gregor Smith
Chief Medical Officer, Scotland

Professor Sir Michael McBride
Chief Medical Officer, Northern Ireland

 

31 January 2022

 

You can download a copy of the letter here.

 

FPH Election results

FPH thanks all those who stood in the recent elections and are pleased to announce the results for a new FPH President, Vice President and three General Board Members. The successful candidates are:

• President – Kevin Fenton

• Vice President – Tracy Daszkiewicz

• General Board Members – Rachel Flowers, Paul Johnstone and Meng Khaw

The formal voting report from Civica Election Services can be found here. The successful candidates will all take up office from the FPH AGM in June 2022.

FPH President Professor Maggie Rae said "I would like to thank all candidates who stood in these elections for their commitment to the Faculty and our members.

I congratulate Professor Kevin Fenton on his election as FPH President, and Professor Tracy Daszkiewicz on her election as Vice President. 

During my time as President of the Faculty I have worked closely with both Kevin and Tracy, and am certain that the Faculty will continue to grow and develop under their leadership.

I also congratulate our three new Board Members who bring a wealth of experience to their roles and will help provide strategic leadership for the Faculty"

FPH President-elect Professor Kevin Fenton said “I am absolutely thrilled to have been elected to this important post for the Faculty of Public Health and privileged to serve our profession at this critical time.

I want to acknowledge and thank the excellent field of candidates that stood in this election and congratulate those elected to serve on the Board. They all represent the very best of our specialty and confirm the depth of inspiring public health leadership across the United Kingdom.

I look forward to working with the FPH Board, Officers and Members across the UK and globally to continue the organisation’s dynamic and impactful leadership in the months and years ahead.

Working together, we will ensure the Faculty remains a consistent and authoritative voice on the public health challenges of our time, advocating for the public’s health, tackling inequalities, and ensuring a workforce fit, prepared and capable for the future.”

Monday 20 December 2021

 

FPH lead cross-sector call to pilot Overdose Prevention Centres in the UK

FPH have lead a cross-sector call signed by 70 organisations and an additional number of individual signatories for Government to pilot Overdose Prevention Centres in the UK.

As public health and healthcare professionals, we the signatories can no longer accept the UK’s record number of drug-related deaths without implementing all available evidence-based interventions to save lives and protect health.

Urgent action is needed to tackle the spiralling rates of drug deaths across the UK. Last year there were 4,561 deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales, whilst in Scotland there were 1,339 drug related deaths; the highest rates we have seen since records began. 

We welcome Dame Carol Black’s recent independent report on drug treatment, recovery, and prevention, which concluded that despite the best efforts of health and care professionals, current services are unable to deliver results to match the scale of the challenge we face.

Whilst the Government has recently issued a new 10-year strategy to tackle harms from drug use in England, these plans fail to go far enough in implementing a full public health approach as they do not include setting up Overdose Prevention Centres (OPCs).

Drug deaths are avoidable, and it is unacceptable that we see evidence-based actions to prevent harm such as OPCs go unutilised in the UK. OPCs are healthcare facilities where individuals consume their own drugs supervised by trained staff who can intervene if they overdose.

Available evidence demonstrates that OPCs are effective in preventing drug deaths, with reviews highlighting that there has never been a fatal overdose reported in the over 130 sites available globally. Evidence reviews also highlight the benefits of OPCs in facilitating patient referrals to treatment services and the adoption of safer injecting practices to reduce blood borne virus transmission. 

In addition to the substantial body of evidence demonstrating that OPCs reduce drug deaths and related harms, we also see no evidence linking OPCs to increased drug use, criminal activity, or associated policing problems.

Indeed, the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee on drug policy, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce, and the Independent Working Group on Drug Consumption rooms have all recognised the clear evidence in support of Overdose Prevention Centres as an effective public health intervention.

With numbers of drug deaths consistently rising for the past seven years, it is clear that current strategies to tackle this crisis are failing to deliver for populations across the UK. Unless the Government follows the evidence to take further action, we are likely to see these rates of preventable deaths continue to rise.

With evidence supporting the effectiveness of OPCs as a harm reduction measure, we call on Government to take steps towards funding pilots on their implementation to save lives and reduce harm.

12 December 2021

Download the statement including signatories and references here.

Add your name to the list of signatories here.

 

Public Health professionals publish letter on Vaccine Equity

We are in the race against COVID-19 and we are losing - once again it is our failure to think globally that is holding us back. While new variants of COVID-19 are to be expected, as we know from other viruses, vaccinating the world is the best chance we have in staying ahead of the virus and avoiding a situation in which our vaccines no longer provide us with protection.

Despite the success of the UK vaccination programme, the emergence of the omicron variant reinforces that the control of the pandemic relies on the effective management of COVID-19 in all countries. As public health professionals we recognise that this is fundamentally an issue about equity - in particular, vaccine equity. In the UK over 80% of the population is fully vaccinated and almost 30% have received a third booster dose whilst only 6.6% of the population in Africa are fully vaccinated. So far, wealthier nations have monopolized vaccine procurement and have secured enough supplies to vaccinate their entire populations several times over. However, this is neither an effective nor an ethical use of a scarce resource. It is essential that vaccines are distributed fairly and prioritised for regions who have yet to vaccinate their at-risk populations. The consequences of not doing this will only result in more dangerous variants emerging, which may escape our current vaccines and therapies - presenting a very real threat to the UK. 

To improve global vaccination efforts, we must also ensure that all countries are able to produce and deliver their own vaccines to their own people. Not only are we in wealthier nations hoarding vaccines, but we physically limit the expansion of vaccination programmes in low-income countries through enforcing intellectual property protections and import restrictions. This is grossly unjust as well as detrimental to the overall international effort to combat COVID-19. Now, more than ever, we need global solidarity to tackle the pandemic and fight back against new variants. We urge all national leaders to back a waiver for intellectual property protections related to COVID-19 vaccines, to ensure that all countries have the tools to effectively vaccinate their populations. Pandemics are by definition global threats. As a global community we have fought it together thus far, sharing information, solutions, resources and hope. The pandemic - and its impact on the UK - does not end until everyone is safe.

29 November 2021

Full list of signatories: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.17088896.v2

Add your signature: https://forms.gle/xJ4qcECMc2zCLCwF8

 

FPH-led joint statement on COP26

Although climate change is widely recognised as the greatest health threat facing humanity, until this year’s COP26, health has not featured in COP programmes.

In the intergovernmental negotiation process of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), non-governmental organizations admitted as observers to the COP can affiliate with UNFCC recognised Constituency Focal Groups. There are nine of these groups, covering a range of organisations from industry and business, to research, to women and gender. Notably, there is no health-focused constituency.

Despite this, and the historic lack of health as a feature in COP discussions and negotiations, an active network of health observer organisations formed at COP26, and came together to collaborate on shared messaging around the health argument for climate action and lobbying for health to feature more prominently in the negotiations and wider conversation.

In lieu of a formal health constituency group, FPH submitted a health-focused statement to the UNFCC secretariat to represent the health voice, working with other health observer organisations at COP who endorsed / were signatories to the statement.

COP26 Health Organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations High Level Statement

This statement, developed by the UK Faculty of Public Health in collaboration with other health organisations, represents a group of Health Organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations.

We speak on behalf of both current and future generations of health and public health professionals, knowing that this will be one of the greatest challenges we face in our careers.  Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity that undermines human rights; but it is also an opportunity. Delivering the necessary mitigation and adaptation actions to keep the 1.5 target alive will not only protect from further catastrophic health impacts and millions of deaths, but will also result in improvements in current population health. A better future is achievable. A healthier climate and planet for all communities across the globe and future generations is possible.

We see two potential futures. Imagine the date is 12th November 2050. 

1. Due to the effects of climate change and environmental breakdown there are annually hundreds of thousands of deaths and many more people living with the health impacts. Ecosystems in all parts of the world have been affected. Millions of people have lost their homes, jobs, and had their lives disrupted. Hospitals are flooded. Health systems and economies have broken down. Food scarcity and infectious diseases have increased dramatically.

or

2. Due to the efforts at COP26, the worst impacts of climate change and environmental breakdown have been reduced. The annual death toll and disruption to people’s lives is gradually decreasing. We knew in 2021 that our efforts would be critical to the lives of future generations and we took the necessary action to ensure that our impact on the environment would be no more than an average of 1.5 degrees increase in temperature. We learnt lessons from indigenous peoples and are now on the road to rebuilding our lives and environments in sustainable ways that support ecosystems and human populations. Delivering the necessary mitigation and adaptation actions to keep the 1.5 target alive not only protected us from catastrophic health impacts and millions of deaths, but also resulted in improvements in population health.

Sadly, as things stand, the world is on track to see the catastrophic version 1 of the future, with ever increasing deaths, unless immediate actions are taken.

We urge world leaders and representatives at COP to:

• take immediate action to limit global warming to 1.5° in order to protect the health of your citizens, including large-scale change to energy and finance systems;

• maximise health co-benefits when developing NDCs, long-term strategies and other climate policies;

• build resilient and sustainable health care systems;

• foster community resilience to the health and climate crisis, including through increased action on and finance for adaptation.

This must include accelerating energy efficiency measures and the transition to clean, renewable energy; shifting to low-carbon transport systems with safe active travel and zero emissions vehicles; and transitioning to sustainable and plant-rich diets. These actions will immediately improve health, save lives, increase work productivity and school performance, and save money in avoided healthcare costs and premature deaths. Many such considerations are included in NDCs. Net zero targets should be founded on real emissions reductions in order to also yield the health benefits of improved air quality, nutrition, and physical activity.

We urge leaders from high-income countries to:

• Recognise the scale of climate injustice and your responsibilities to the communities in other countries (and those within) who suffer the most impact from climate change and who are the least responsible and to act on this by providing financing both for adaptation and to respond to health losses and damages.

Health and equity must be placed at the heart of the response to this emergency. A better, healthier, and fairer future is possible. We still have time to act to save millions of lives, communities, and our shared planet, but we MUST ACT NOW.

Thank you.

 

Signatories / endorsers:

UK Faculty of Public Health

Global Climate and Health Alliance

US Medical Society Consortium for Climate and Health

University of Wisconsin-Madison Global Health Institute

University of California Center for Climate, Health, and Equity

George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication

The Climate and Health Network of Latin America and the Caribbean

Centro Latinoamericano de Excelencia en Cambio Climatico y Salud

PlaHNet - Planetary Health Network of Young Professionals

Sustain Our Abilities

Médecins du Monde International Network

Irish Doctors for the Environment

International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA)

Centre for Sustainable Healthcare

Global Youth Health Caucus, UN Major Group for Children and Youth

Commonwealth Youth Health Network 

CPIHD (Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists Special Interest Group in International Health and Development.)

World Medical Association (WMA)

Public Health Foundation of India

Rete Italiana Medici Sentinella per l’Ambiente (RIMSA)

501CTHREE.ORG

Malawi National Youth Network on Climate Change (NYNCC)

Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER)

Climate and Health Alliance (Australia)

Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education

 

12 November 2021

 

FPH reaction to the 2021 Spending Review

The 2021 spending review has once again Failed to deliver adequate public health funding.

This spending review represents a dereliction of duty from Government to honour commitments to level-up health inequalities and deliver on the prevention agenda.

The public health grant in England has faced a 24% real-terms cut since 2015/16.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the public health workforce has delivered for the populations they serve under immense pressure and with limited resources. It is unacceptable that Government has failed to raise public health funding, or restore the cuts they made. What is particularly astounding is that all of this is happening during one of the most significant public health crises in a generation.

FPH is also concerned by the lack of green financing and the apparent inconsistency in the spending review by halving air passenger duty for domestic flights and the freezing of fuel duties just as COP26 gets underway in Glasgow.

If Government hopes to restore services, level-up health inequalities, prepare for the next public health threat and build a more prevention-focussed health and social care system, there must be proper funding for public health.

You can read Faculty’s representation to the Comprehensive Spending Review here.

28 October 2021

Joint statement on rising COVID-19 rates

As we enter the winter period, COVID-19 cases are rapidly rising to above 52,000 daily cases this week, and research from the Office for National Statistics shows that the number of people infected with the virus is at its highest point since January.

If Government does not take stronger action to prevent the spread of the virus we risk seeing COVID-19 death rates rising beyond predicted levels and an NHS overwhelmed by demand on its services.

COVID-19 remains a significant threat to public health in the UK, and that it is vital we continue our efforts to tackle the virus to protect our health and our economy, and prevent a further widening of the health inequalities that we have seen exacerbated by the pandemic.

These messages now hold even greater urgency as we see deaths from COVID-19 consistently rising to their highest point since March. Unless we strengthen public health measures such as wearing face masks, avoiding travel, and isolating when unwell, we risk seeing these rates continue to rise exponentially over the winter months.

Most vitally, Government must now re-double efforts to support vaccine uptake amongst those yet to receive their first and second dose. This approach must include better engagement with those communities where uptake has been low, and an offer of financial support for those prohibited by childcare, travel, and lost earnings costs.

Government must also act to bolster the vaccination programme for 12 – 15 year olds as we are now seeing reports of schools facing severe staffing pressures, and the latest figures showing that over 200,000 children were not attending class due to COVID-19.

If urgent action is not taken to strengthen public health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we risk entering the winter months with spiralling infection rates and an NHS in crisis.

Faculty of Public Health

Local Government Association

Royal Society for Public Health

Chartered Institute of Environmental Health

Solace

The British Medical Association

25 October 2021

FPH Statement on the Government’s Autumn and Winter COVID-19 Plan

Regarding COVID-19, the UK enters the autumn and winter months of 2021 in a far more hopeful position than was faced 12 months ago. However, we must remember this improved potential to tackle the pandemic is only due to the commitment of the UK population to get vaccinated, wear face masks, restrict travel, and follow other important guidance. Without these measures, and the collective efforts of all in society to follow them, we would face a starkly different situation.

COVID-19 remains a significant threat to public health in the UK and globally, and we are still learning and adapting our approaches to manage the impacts of the virus. Public health professionals continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 variants and deliver appropriate guidance to protect the health of local, regional, and national populations across the UK.

As we enter the latter months of the year and see an increase in seasonal viruses, it is vital that the public continues their efforts to tackle COVID-19. Guidance on isolating when necessary, restricting travel where possible, wearing face masks and washing hands, all remain important in mitigating the continued threat posed by COVID-19. We must of course also continue to support those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so, and follow updated guidance on vaccines and booster jabs.

Our recovery from COVID-19 is not yet over, and if we are to protect our health, our economy, and tackle the inequalities that we have seen exacerbated by the pandemic, we must all continue to take concerted action to limit the spread of the virus.

15 September 2021

Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Statement: Vaccination of 12-15 year olds

Representatives from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the Scottish Academy the RCGP, RCPCH, RC Psychiatrists and Faculty of Public Health were invited by the four UK CMOs to advise them, as part of their process for making a final decision and recommendation to their respective Governments on whether to extend COVID-19 vaccination to healthy 12-15 year olds.

This follows the suggestion from JCVI, agreed by health ministers, that the Government might wish to take further advice, including on educational impacts, from the Chief Medical Officers of the four nations.

In providing their advice Colleges were acutely aware how complex an issue this is and the range of views on the topic. However, the general consensus from the College representatives was that there are wider benefits in vaccinating people in the 12-15 year old age group which augment the marginal health benefit to individuals identified by JCVI.

In essence these are in helping to reduce the potential disruption to the schooling of 12-15 year olds through COVID related infections, which is recognised to be detrimental to the well-being and mental health of all children but with a disproportionate impact on the most disadvantaged.

The four CMOs having considered advice from various sources, made their recommendation to ministers that 12-15 year olds are vaccinated.

Medical Royal Colleges will support this decision and work to ensure that the vaccination programme for 12-15 year olds is rolled out as efficiently and smoothly as possible ensuring the highest possible uptake.

Original statement available here.

13 September 2021

Professor Sir Stephen Holgate delivers FPH Bazalgette Lecture

Following FPH's AGM on 30 June 2021, Professor Sir Stephen Holgate delivered this year's FPH Bazalgette lecture.

FPH President Professor Maggie Rae introduced Professor Holgate as the winner of this year's Bazalgette Professorship. He delivered his Bazalgette his lecture entitled "Everyone has a right to breathe clean air as they do to drink clean water".

The Bazalgette Professorship recognises a Fellow of FPH for major contributions to public health policy and/or practice through research translation for the benefit of UK population health.

A full recording of the Bazalgette lecture is available to watch online here. FPH thanks Professor Carol Brayne and Professor Jonathon Sheperd for their support in judging the entrants. We also thank all entrants for their applications for the Bazalgette Professorship, including runners-up John Mooney and Professor Martin White.

6 July 2021

Joint ADPH/FPH Statement on the COVID-19 Roadmap

Whilst the Roadmap is coming to an end on the 19th July, COVID-19 is not.  

Learning to live with COVID-19 cannot mean simply allowing infections to spread unchecked causing hospitalisations, illness – including Long COVID, and deaths; and increasing the possibility of new variants of concern. Evidence shows carefully selected public health messages and measures both limit transmission and provide the foundation for a sustainable economic and social recovery, rather than being a roadblock. 

ADPH and FPH continue to argue for a combination approach to protecting our communities. The vaccination rollout is a huge success and allows us to move closer to normality, but it is far from complete. Therefore, handwashing, ventilation, testing, isolating and face coverings in high-risk settings remain vital tools.  

Balanced measures, clear communication and the collective effort of everyone are key to easing restrictions and keeping cases at low levels. This is a challenging moment and caution is crucial.

5 July 2021

Greta Thunberg elected as an Honorary Member of the UK Faculty of Public Health

The UK Faculty of Public Health (FPH) is pleased to announce that climate and ecological activist Greta Thunberg has accepted an Honorary Membership of the Faculty.

Greta Thunberg’s activism to raise awareness of the climate and environmental crises we face has supported a paradigm shift in the urgency with which the world seeks to tackle climate change and ecological degradation.

First challenging Swedish Parliament to take stronger action on climate change and then addressing world leaders at the United Nations climate conference in 2018, Thunberg has come to represent the voice of a generation which recognises the need for immediate collective action to protect planetary and human health.

More recently, as populations across the world have fought COVID-19, Thunberg has recognised the need for worldwide equity of access to COVID-19 vaccination, understanding that no single nation can tackle this global pandemic alone.

Greta Thunberg said…

“I am proud to accept this Honorary Membership of the Faculty of Public Health, and happy that public health professionals recognise the need for immediate and drastic action to protect our environment.

World leaders must start to realise how the climate, ecological and health crises are interlinked. Right now we are creating the perfect conditions for diseases like Covid-19 to spill over from other animals to us. Protecting our environment is protecting nature and all animals, and protecting ourselves.

I thank the Faculty of Public Health for their support of our greatest mission – to safeguard our present and future living conditions.”

 FPH President Professor Maggie Rae said…

“I am pleased that the Faculty of Public Health has been able to recognise the achievements of Greta Thunberg by bestowing her with an Honorary Membership of the Faculty.

Public Health professionals recognise the great threat of climate change, and it is this that led the Faculty of Public Health to declare a climate emergency in 2019.

Human activity is changing the planet’s biosphere, bringing disruption to planetary health through climate change, air pollution, ocean acidification, deforestation and loss of biodiversity.

Unless we act with urgency to protect our global ecosystem it is both human and planetary health that will suffer the very worst consequences.

It is voices such as Greta’s that are driving this necessary change, and I thank her for her internationally recognised work.”

30 June 2021

FPH consultation response - Transforming the public health system: reforming the public health system for the challenges of our times

The Faculty of Public Health has issued a consultation response to the Government policy paper on transforming the public health system. The full response is available to view here.

27 April 2021

Enhancing UK action and promoting equity of access to global COVID-19 vaccines

The Faculty of Public Health has produced a statement urging further action from the UK Government to ensure global access to COVID-19 vaccination.

Endorsed by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the statement says that whilst commitments from the G7 to share surplus doses are welcome, the UK should go further to ensure global vaccine equity.

We call on the UK Government to 

1. Release 30% of its pre-purchased COVID-19 vaccine orders to countries least able to secure supply

2. Invest in and support scaling up local manufacturing capacity, including in low and middle- income countries to boost vaccine supply

3. Support health system strengthening to ensure countries can cope with vaccine roll-out

The full statement is available to read online here.

FPH President Professor Maggie Rae said “Whilst it is right that we should celebrate the progress the UK has made on our COVID-19 vaccination programme, we must use our resources and expertise to support global access to vaccination.

We are a globally interdependent society, and cannot tackle COVID-19 in isolation. Without equitable access to vaccine for all countries, we will continue to face the severe health and economic costs of the virus.

I thank the Chair of our Global Health Committee Professor Neil Squires and the PH Specialty Registrars who helped produce this statement. I also thank Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard and the Presidents of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges for supporting this important message.”

Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard said "We should all be incredibly proud that the UK has led the way in vaccine development and roll-out. We have done a remarkable job in protecting the most vulnerable in our society, far ahead of the vast majority of countries.

Now though, as this statement makes clear, it is time to turn our attention to helping people in countries not as fortunate as we are. This is not a big ask, it’s entirely achievable, it will not put any of our own citizens at risk and frankly it’s just the right thing to do."

26 April 2021

FPH statement on the Leaders Summit on Climate: Health and equity must be at the heart of the UK’s climate policy

As the UK joins leaders around the world this week at the Leaders Summit on Climate, the Faculty of Public Health calls on government to ensure that health and equity are at the heart of the UK’s climate policy.

While the UK’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement makes some reference to the health implications of climate change, we are disappointed that health and equity are not strongly featured in these plans.

It is important that planetary and human health are understood as interlinked, with climate change impacting on a range of health outcomes, and measures to protect planetary health often co-benefiting human health.

President of the Faculty of Public Health Professor Maggie Rae said “As the world continues to respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, international leaders must seize the opportunity to commit to ambitious emissions reductions targets, aligned with the Paris Agreement, and place health and equity at the heart of climate policy.

The FPH is committed to tackling this global public health threat, declaring a climate emergency in November 2019 and establishing the Climate and Health Committee which co-ordinates and leads the FPH’s response to this urgent issue.

We will continue to work with our members and partners in the UK and overseas to promote and protect human health and its wider determinants for everyone in society, leaving no one behind and ensuring the health of people and the planet are prioritised in these challenging times.”

The Climate Leaders’ Summit, held to mark Earth Day (22nd April), was hosted by the United States, which recently just re-entered the Paris Agreement. The Summit brought together governments from around the world to generate international momentum on ambitious climate action in the lead up to November’s UN climate negotiations (COP26) taking place in Glasgow from 1 - 12 November 2021.

23 April 2021

FPH Statement on the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities Report

FPH and our Equality and Diversity Special Interest Group, on behalf of the FPH Equality & Diversity Committee, are concerned by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report of 31 March 2021.

Racism and discrimination against minority ethnic groups remains prevalent in today’s society, and we are disappointed that this unacceptable injustice is not properly reflected in the Commission’s report.

PHE’s recent disparities review made it clear that minority ethnic populations are experiencing severe inequalities in relation to COVID-19, with the report showing that “people of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Other Asian, Black Caribbean and other Black ethnicity had between 10 and 50% higher risk of death when compared to White British”.

The experiences of these groups in relation to COVID-19 are illustrative of the wider problem of systemic inequalities, with the Government’s 2018 Race Disparity audit making clear that “there are disparities between ethnic groups in all areas of life affected by public organisations”.

As FPH made clear in our statement on racism and inequalities, these societal injustices manifest adversely not only on health outcomes, but compound intersectionally through limited access to education, jobs, housing and other fundamental needs which we recognise as the wider determinants of health.

Despite these findings, and the wide body of robust evidence demonstrating the deep inequalities experienced by minority ethnic groups in society today, the Commission’s report has failed to recognise the severity of this public health crisis. Additionally, there are concerns about the selective use and interpretation of evidence in the reports conclusions.

Determined action is needed to tackle the fundamental causes of racial and ethnic disparities, and FPH is concerned that this report may damage this important work, and is committed to addressing these issues through continuing work by the committee and SIG. 

1 April 2021

FPH in Scotland publish briefing ahead of Scottish Parliamentary Election

The Committee of the Faculty of Public Health in Scotland has published a briefing for prospective MSPs ahead of the Scottish Parliamentary Election which will be held on 6 May 2021.

This briefing has been sent to political party leaders in Scotland, with a request to cascade to their prospective MSPs.

The briefing highlights that whilst Scotland has shown public health leadership on issues such as a smoking ban in public places, Minimum Unit Pricing for alcohol and the Child Poverty Act, there is still much work to do to tackle health inequalities in Scotland and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.

30 March 2021

FPH statement on the future of the English public health system

Following last week’s announcement of the new UK Health Security Agency, the Government has produced a new policy paper "Transforming the public health system: reforming the public health system for the challenges of our times".

This includes the establishment of a new Office for Health Promotion which will sit within the Department for Health and Social Care and holds the ambition to deliver "more joined-up, sustained action between national and local government". 

FPH has advocated for a strong local system, with a key leadership role for DPHs, which is supported by an effective regional and national system with clear lines of communication and accountability.

We congratulate FPH Fellow Dr. Jenny Harries on her appointment as Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, and look forward to working with her and UKHSA’s Chair Ian Peters on protecting the public’s health into the future.

The Faculty hopes that the new organisations will be able to partner effectively with local public health leaders, and we welcome the announcement of a new cross-Government Ministerial board on prevention to co-ordinate action on the wider determinants of health and level-up inequalities.

Whilst we are pleased to see Government recognise the importance of embedding public health across all areas of policy, separating the different functions of public health poses significant challenges.

We are also concerned about the lack of clarity on responsibilities for Healthcare Public Health, including screening and immunisation, and we ask the Government for further information on where this important area of expertise will sit within the new public health system.

FPH will be responding to the consultation on the new Policy Paper, and encourage members to read the paper and submit their views on the future of the English public health system.

31 March 2021

FPH & ICHG Statement on Impact of Aid Cuts on Yemen Crisis Child Health

Joint Statement of the International Child Health Group (ICHG), Faculty of Public Health Global Health Committee and the Faculty of Public Health Yemen Special Interest Group

The government's decision to halve total aid spending to Yemen during the world’s ‘worst humanitarian crisis in decades’ is, in the words of the UN secretary general, a ‘death sentence’. Preventing children from starving to death is the absolute minimum that could be expected from the most powerful governments in the world at this time of crisis. We believe the UK should be demonstrating leadership at this time.  

The United Nations (UN) warned in February 2021 that nearly 2.3 million children under the age of five in Yemen are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2021, including 400,000 who may die as a result without urgent action from donors. At the same time, health services are already suffering due to reduction in funding or diversion to covid-related activities, and preventable infectious disease are spreading, causing unnecessary deaths. As we warned last year, the collateral impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruption to preventive and curative health services in the poorest settings. Children globally are bearing the brunt of this shock. 

While the pandemic has affected all economies, now is the time that the UK should be providing leadership in the world’s humanitarian crises, especially as we lead up to hosting the G7 summit in June this year. The current government has been elected on a manifesto commitment of spending 0.7% of GDP in overseas aid, which already accounts for reduced income, and any further cuts to the budget should only be passed by a vote in the Commons. Such a vote has not taken place. The prime minister has said that the British people would support the aid cuts. Considering the real impact on children and the lives that will be lost, we disagree. 

As one of the world’s richest economies, this is not the time to step away from our responsibilities to the world’s poorest children. We urge the government to immediately commit to increasing support and ring-fencing commitments which have been made in their manifesto to the poorest and most fragile settings.  

20 March 2021

 

FPH Response to Select Committee call for evidence on Health and Care White Paper

Following our February statement on the Health and Care White Paper, FPH have now submitted a response to the Select Committee call for evidence on the Paper.

The public health measures that are in the white paper are generally welcome and will contribute to the health and wellbeing of the population.

However, it is also a missed opportunity to place public health in the centre of the nation’s healthy recovery from COVID-19 and to start addressing in a systematic and comprehensive way the iniquitous inequalities in health that have been exposed and exacerbated by COVID-19.

There is an urgent need to address these inequalities, through a balanced, well-funded and well-resourced public health system.

19 March 2021

 

Faculty of Public Health response to the public health grant announcement

The announcement of an allocation of £3.3bn in public health funding for councils during 2021-2, 1.4% on last year’s budget, does not go far enough in providing local public health teams with the resource they need to tackle the challenges of the year ahead.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, local public health teams have performed key leadership roles in the pandemic response, and we have seen the importance of a properly funded public health system at local, regional and national level.

Whilst at national level we have seen huge investment in programmes such as NHS Test and Trace, the announcement of this small increase in public health funding for local teams is inadequate at a time when protecting and improving the public’s health has never been so important.

FPH President Professor Maggie Rae said

“After years of austerity and budget cuts, populations across the UK were already facing stalling life expectancies and widening health inequalities before COVID-19 hit. The result of the pandemic has been to not only expose these problems, but also to exacerbate them. 

If the Government truly holds ambitions to ‘level-up’ , tackle health inequalities and recover from the wide-ranging impacts of COVID-19, it must recognise the importance of public health leadership at local level and provide these teams with the proper funding they so desperately need.”

The Faculty of Public Health repeats our call for a £1 billion increase in funding for local public health, and joins with the Association of Directors of Public Health and LGA in calling for a multi-year settlement for public health.

17 March 2021

 

FPH Response to Health and Care White Paper

FPH welcomes the acknowledgement of Public Health as an essential part of the health and social care system in the Government’s new White Paper ‘Integration and Innovation: Working together to improve health and social care for all’.

Local leadership and greater collaboration across public health and health and social care is key to tackling the unacceptable and deep-seated health inequalities that we have seen exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, to realise the preventative ambitions of the paper, address health inequalities, and protect and improve the public’s health as we see the re-structuring of the English public health system, Government must reverse the years of cuts to public health services.

FPH has long-called for a £1 billion increase in the public health budget and join with the Association of Directors of Public Health in calling for a multi-year settlement for public health.

11 February 2021

 

FPH Statement on COVID-19 Vaccine Equity

As the UK’s COVID-19 vaccine programme rolls out, guided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s list of priority groups, it is of vital importance that those from marginalised and disadvantaged groups are afforded equitable access to the vaccine.

It is right that those at greatest risk are prioritised in receiving the vaccine. But in order to do this, barriers to access for disadvantaged and minority ethnic communities, such as the requirement to register with a GP, must be removed.

Recent research from the Royal Society for Public Health for example, showed that UK respondents from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are over 20% less likely to accept a COVID-19 vaccine than White respondents. The same research also found that whilst 84% of the highest earners would accept a COVID-19 vaccine, this number dropped to 70% amongst the lowest earners.

This research, when considered alongside last year’s PHE report showing that those from minority ethnic communities are at significantly higher risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19, demonstrates the importance of dedicated efforts to support vaccine uptake amongst marginalised communities.

The Royal College of General Practitioners has also raised concerns about vaccine uptake amongst minority ethnic communities, suggesting that the elevated risk resulting from ethnicity, geographical socio-economic indicators and other related factors should be considered in prioritising vaccine delivery.

We must support the marginalised communities facing barriers in accessing the COVID-19 vaccine to save lives and prevent the health inequalities widened by the pandemic stretching even further.

FPH’s Sudan Special Interest Group for example, is working to engage with marginalised UK communities to promote knowledge about the vaccine through engagement sessions, discussions with community leaders and through mixed-media online communications.

FPH echoes calls for concerted action to ensure that marginalised and disadvantaged communities are provided with equal opportunity to access the COVID-19 vaccination. Equitable access to the vaccine must be at the very foundation of the UK’s roll-out, and we must work with our international partners to ensure global access to the vaccine. Only through this approach can we hope to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and protect our health into the future.

01 February 2021

 

Professor Donal O’Donoghue OBE 1956 – 2021

We are very sad to hear that RCP Registrar Professor Donal O'Donoghue died last night from COVID-19. Donal was a great supporter of FPH and our sincere condolences, on behalf of the President and our Members, to his family and friends.  Please visit the RCP website for further details https://bit.ly/3rQMFfE

Joint Statement from the Association of Directors of Public Health and the Faculty of Public Health on Targeted Community Testing

The Association of Directors of Public Health and the Faculty of Public Health share the Government’s determination to see prevalence and transmission of COVID-19 reduced rapidly, effectively, and sustainably. Testing and contact tracing will continue to be part of the solution, alongside the daily efforts of everyone to maintain physical distance from others, wash our hands regularly and wear a face covering, until vaccines are rolled out and beyond.

The advent of rapid localised testing technologies offers real opportunities to improve our response to the pandemic, striking a better balance between health protection and social, economic, and personal liberty. However, the technology and real-world application are at a very early stage and pilots have yet to be fully evaluated.

The ambition to deliver a further substantial increase in testing is important, but the key priority needs to be targeted community testing where it can be both effective and safe, such as in hospitals, universities, and schools. We support our members and colleagues who are working constructively with the Department of Health and Social Care on the focussed deployment of lateral flow testing for individuals in settings or locations of higher risk of transmission and/or where the consequence of infection is higher. Extreme caution will be required in settings with vulnerable people, including care homes.

Our understanding of how asymptomatic testing using lateral flow tests can reduce transmission, how communities and groups engage with these types of programmes and the considerable operational, capacity, and clinical processes required, is still emerging. We must be up front about what is not yet known and the significant challenges that remain. Issues range from concerns that the sensitivity of the test may reduce considerably if training is inadequate, to whether a negative test might offer false reassurance and lead to less compliance with the basic measures we all need to take.

There is an enormous price tag attached to this programme, and the resources and capacity needed come at a time of overwhelming and competing priorities, including making sure all those who are symptomatic get tested and self-isolate to planning and rolling out vaccines.

Improving the existing Test and Trace Service so that people who have symptoms are rapidly tested and supported to self-isolate, and their contacts reached, must remain the top focus in relation to testing. A high performing Test and Trace Service needs to move fast, be led by local intelligence, and prioritise those groups and settings where COVID-19 can either spread quickly and/or harm the most vulnerable. 

Pilots are at an early stage; we need to be open and responsive to the insight and lessons that are emerging daily from Directors of Public Health and others who are involved in local communities. As lateral flow tests become more widely used, we urge the Government to be mindful of three main considerations.

Firstly, substantial resources – human and financial - are needed to deliver lateral flow testing at scale. The additional logistical capacity provided to Liverpool to set up and manage testing sites alone has been enormous, and it is difficult to envisage how or even whether this could be replicated at the pace being proposed across the country. This threatens to be a distraction from other activities, like planning and rolling out vaccines.

Secondly, communities need to be engaged and supported to participate in lateral flow testing. Encouraging appropriate groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas already deeply affected by health inequalities or high-risk settings, where the prevalence and consequences of COVID-19 may be higher, is a challenging task and requires extensive communication and messaging. 

Thirdly, the science and evidence around the reliability and accuracy of lateral flow tests in different circumstances is evolving. Risk will be higher without the appropriate training, guidance, and clinical governance – and without roles and responsibilities clearly articulated.

Rapid testing capability provides a valuable addition to the public health toolbox, but it must be deployed in a targeted, effective, and safe way, as part of the overall response to COVID-19.

27 November 2020

FPH Seminar: Embedding anti-racism into Public Health Practice

A group of public health registrars worked with the Faculty to host a well-attended online anti-racism event on 29 September.

After a welcome from Fatai Ogunlayi, Beth Smout, Helen Johnston and FPH President Professor Maggie Rae, delegates heard a keynote address from Professor Kevin Fenton and a plenary session from Dr Nisreen Alwan. There were breakout sessions filled with rich and challenging conversation hosted by a number of our Specialty Registrars and Dr Samia Latif.

Presentations from the day are available here:

• Embedding anti-racism in public health practice
  Professor Kevin Fenton
   
• Antiracism in public health: (my) reflections on language and actions
  Dr Nisreen Alwan

At the close of the day FPH's new Equality and Diversity Special Interest Group was launched. The Group look forward to drawing on the inspiring conversations heard throughout the day to drive forward the anti-racism agenda.

1 October 2020

FPH welcomes the introduction of NHS net zero targets

The Faculty of Public Health welcomes the report outlining the intention for the NHS to become carbon zero, with a target of 80% emissions reduction by 2028 and a 100% reduction by 2040. The NHS is the first major health system in the world to propose a net zero target.

FPH declared a climate emergency in November 2019 and we applaud the steps the NHS is taking to address this emergency in these challenging times.

FPH President, Professor Maggie Rae stated that the 'NHS has shown real leadership in this field, and the net zero goals are an important part of a healthy recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Everyone has their part to play in creating and protecting a healthy environment, and this is a huge challenge for public health. The Faculty will work with our partners in public health and the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change to ensure that the health of people and the planet are both recognised and prioritised as we recover from COVID-19’.

1 October 2020

Faculty of Public Health echo today’s message from the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Advisor for the public to follow guidance on Covid-19

The Faculty of Public Health fully supports the urgent message delivered today by the Government’s Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Advisor.

It is imperative that all in society follow guidance on Covid-19 to protect themselves, their friends, family and other members of the public.

Cases of Covid-19 are beginning to rise once again, and with this comes further deaths and suffering for individuals and families across the UK and overseas.

As we enter the winter period, we also run a very real risk of Covid-19 cases overwhelming an already stretched NHS, which will lead to many patients being unable to access care which they desperately need.

We have already seen that if we work together and take appropriate action – social distancing, washing our hands, covering our face and isolating where necessary, we can stem the spread of this virus, save lives and protect the NHS.

The public has done outstanding work already to prevent the spread of the virus, and FPH do not underestimate the significant sacrifices people have made to play their part in preventing the spread of this virus.

We must continue these efforts, and we echo today’s call to the public to continue to follow guidance to protect themselves and fellow citizens from this terrible disease.

21 September 2020

FPH President Professor Maggie Rae reacts to today’s announcement of a new National Institute for Health Protection

Public health professionals across the UK have been working with dedication, whilst under extreme pressure, to protect the populations they serve from Covid-19 and from other threats to health which are no less diminished because of this pandemic.

With a huge strain already placed upon the public health system, the leaked announcement over the weekend has caused further stress and uncertainty for an already exhausted workforce.

With Matt Hancock today officially announcing the formation of the National Institute for Health Protection, we hope that the successful aspects of PHE’s response to Covid-19 are retained and strengthened, that public health leaders will be at the centre of shaping the forthcoming reforms to the public health system and that public health will now face investment rather than the cuts of the past decade.

Whilst the new organisation will exist to protect the public from external threats to health, it is so important that we have an effective, well-resourced, public health system which will improve health as well as protect it. Government needs to recognise the importance of all functions and domains of public health - not just health protection.

- Professor Maggie Rae, President of the UK Faculty of Public Health

18 August 2020

 

FPH, ADPH and RSPH thank our members for their continued commitment to the public’s health as they face uncertainty and further pressures

The Faculty of Public Health (FPH), the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) and the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) stand in solidarity with our members, the public health workforce, who now face further uncertainty following the leaked report regarding the reform of Public Health England (PHE).

Throughout the current pandemic, the public health workforce have acted with upmost professionalism; committed to protecting the health of the populations they serve at national regional and local level, delivering exceptional work in the most pressurised of circumstances.

With a huge strain already placed upon the public health system by Covid-19, this decision, and the nature of its announcement will cause further stress and uncertainty to the public health workforce in England and across the UK.

It is vital that successful aspects of PHE’s response to Covid-19 are retained and strengthened, that the invaluable expertise of those working within PHE is not lost, and that public health leaders are at the centre of shaping the forthcoming reforms to public health, remembering that PHE holds a wide range of responsibilities aside from pandemic response in communicable disease and other areas of public health.

FPH, ADPH and other stakeholders have recently issued a guiding principles document for effective management of Covid-19 at a local level, emphasising the importance of local and national public health systems working in congruence.

As we await further clarity from Government regarding the future of PHE; FPH, ADPH and RSPH thank the public health workforce for their continued dedication to the populations they serve as pressures upon them continue.

Further statements will follow as we learn more of the forthcoming reforms.

17 August 2020

Covid-19 law briefings for health professionals

Within the context of Covid-19, better understanding of law, regulation, and professional and social ethics has become increasingly important for health professionals.

FPH, in collaboration with legal scholars at the University of Bristol, Cardiff and Edinburgh, and Queen’s University Belfast, has published a set of briefings for health professionals on laws, regulations and guidance on the Covid-19 pandemic for each of the four Nations in the UK.

These reports provide health professionals with an overview of key legal and regulatory responses to Covid-19, and how they affect important areas of health and social care. They explain the laws and links to further sources related to professionals’ rights and duties to help guide their decision-making.

29 July 2020

Faculty of Public Health welcome new Obesity Strategy

The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) welcome today’s announcement of a new obesity strategy for England.

Obesity is a key risk factor for poor health, and we have seen rates of both childhood and adult Obesity in England rise significantly over the past twenty years.

With the threat of Covid-19 still present, it is more important than ever that families and individuals are empowered and supported in making choices which will help them stay fit and healthy.

Research led by FPH in 2019 demonstrated that NHS leaders thought that new regulations to prevent obesity and its risks – such as diabetes and hearts disease – was amongst the most important Government interventions to positively impact the health of populations across the UK.

Whilst FPH supports the measures announced today which hope to ‘empower adults to lose weight’, it is important to remember that obesity is experienced from childhood and is a disease of poverty. Systemic change is needed to combat the disease, and we see a sliding scale of obesity rates in England, with prevalence in the most deprived areas more than twice that of the least deprived.

Today’s announcement is a step in the right direction, FPH hope that Government will go further and demonstrate a sustained commitment to a comprehensive, well-resourced and evidence-based plan to tackle the root causes of deprivation and poverty which are inextricably linked to obesity.

27 July 2020

Faculty of Public Health Statement on COVID-19

This statement has been produced by the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Board in relation to the UK’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement draws on the experiences across the UK and highlights the key areas on how best to tackle COVID-19 and save lives.

These key areas identified in the statement should be urgently considered by Government.

19 June 2020

Statement on the easing of lockdown and on test and trace

A consensus statement from Peter English and Maggie Rae as co-Chairs of the joint PHMCC (public health medicine consultative committee) on the easing of lockdown and on test and trace during COVID-19

1. There has been a significant reliance on testing for the presence of COVID-19, and the implications of negative test results in particular, in the UK Government’s policy response to COVID-19. However, this has been without a clear idea of the purpose of testing and of the level of confidence one can have in a negative result, and the policy implications of that level of confidence.

   We need scientifically consistent guidance and clear advice that COVID-19 symptoms are also an indication to self-isolate for seven days, regardless of test results. We, therefore, welcome the recent changes to the national guidance in response to this concern.

2. We support the statements by the Association of Directors of Public Health, the Faculty of Public Health, the British Dental Association and the BMA on the risks of easing lockdown too soon. We share the concerns raised by the ADPH that the UK Government is “lifting too many restrictions, too quickly” ahead of all the Government’s own five tests being met.

3. We echo the important message about the role of directors of public health in developing and implementing local outbreak plans in partnership with other stakeholders, including national and local government, health services and public health agencies and others.

   We also highlight the need for support and engagement by the UK Government with several pressing issues such as:

   - workforce capacity

   - funding

   - timely access to relevant data

   - the unequal impact of COVID-19 on Britain’s communities.

4. Furthermore, we urge the UK Government to commit to a renewed drive to promote the importance of handwashing, social distancing and self-isolation of individuals and their households if symptomatic.

5. We recognise that the app has a role to play as a possible means of helping with the concerns around workforce and system capacity. We note that it requires high take-up and a national public information campaign to be fully effective. There are also potential health inequalities issues arising from its use that should be considered.

6. With all that in mind, it is not yet appropriate to implement all phase 2 measures. The number of new cases and of deaths is still too high meaning that the NHS test and trace service as it stands is not capable of following up the contacts of all new cases either because of workforce capacity limitations or because the app is not yet fully functional.

18 June 2020

Faculty of Public Health statement on racism and inequalities

In recent weeks we have seen populations first in America, then across the world, come together to protest against the unacceptable injustices faced by minority ethnic groups - injustices which are still prevalent in today’s society.

The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) condemn those responsible for the death of George Floyd, and we condemn discrimination and violence in any shape or form. At this time it is important that communities are able to express their desire for change in a safe manner which respects the threat of COVID-19.

The Black Lives Matter movement reminds us that we cannot remain indifferent to societal injustices in any section of our population. We know that these injustices hold severe consequences for public health, and for people in these communities who are LGBT, have disabilities, or are old, the discrimination and the inequalities they face are compounded.

These societal injustices manifest adversely, not only on health outcomes, but through limited access to education, jobs, housing and other fundamental needs which we recognise as the wider determinants of health. FPH, through its members, stands at the forefront of challenging and addressing these injustices, and is committed to tackling the health inequalities prevalent in today’s society.

Not enough is being done to rectify the inequalities experienced by Britain’s minority ethnic population, as most recently demonstrated by PHE’s COVID-19 disparities review and stakeholder engagement. These inequalities are not new findings though, and we know that minority ethnic communities face inequalities in a plurality of areas as demonstrated by the Government’s 2018 Race Disparity Audit.

COVID-19 has once again shone a light on the decades of discrimination faced by these populations, and on the widening inequalities they face as a consequence. It is essential that steps are now taken to tackle these inequalities at their fundamental level, and that discussion turns to action. We must work together, with unceasing determination, to put an end to the injustices faced by Britain’s minority ethnic population.

We know that alongside higher morbidity and mortality, these groups are more likely to experience severe mental ill-health. The reaction we have seen from those protesting speaks to the psychological trauma experienced by communities living with the consequences of the systemic inequalities prevalent in today’s society. We recognise that many of our members, already facing pressure in tackling the current pandemic, will be distressed by these impacts on themselves, on their families and on their colleagues.

The Faculty of Public Health is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and to tackling any form of racism or violence. We are committed to minority ethnic representation at our senior leadership level and support our leaders in understanding the issues experienced by these communities.

FPH has a diverse and international membership, with over 400 of our Members based outside of the UK. Ensuring our entire membership has a voice and visibility in shaping and delivering the work of the Faculty is hugely important. Through our Special Interest Groups we seek to forge global links and communities of practice that allow our members to share resources to tackle inequalities. The Black Lives Matter movement is global and we will reach out to our international members in solidarity to address global inequity and racial discrimination.

We recognise that all organisations can do more to address these inequalities and to recognise, and put an end to, racism and discrimination of all types. FPH will soon be supporting an event focused on embedding anti-racism into our public health practice, organised by our Specialty Registrars. We will also be taking other actions to address these issues, including becoming a member of the Race Equality Charter, and call on our membership to do the same. FPH welcome blogs from our members on their personal experiences of racism and will set up a web page with relevant resources and links. We also welcome specific recommendations for addressing the excess risk from COVID-19 within minority ethnic groups.

16 June 2020

FPH Board supports European Public Health Week 2020

The FPH Board met remotely today to discuss COVID-19 strategies in the 4 nations of the UK, the Independent SAGE report, adjustments to FPH examinations and our Annual Report for 2019.
 
The Board was pleased to meet during European Public Health Week, coordinated by the European Public Health Association, which aims to raise awareness of important public health themes and connect public health professionals across Europe.
 
Each day of European Public Health week addresses a different theme, with today's theme being 'Equal Health for All'. The vision of the Faculty of Public Health, as reflected in our organisational strategy 2020 - 25, is to ensure 'Better Health for All - leaving no one behind', and so the Board was happy to see today's theme reflected in the work of the Faculty.  In particular, the Board:

• agreed to review and respond to the recommendations of the Independent SAGE report;

• approved a statement drawn up the FPH Ethics Committee on ‘tackling the social, professional and political challenges of COVID-19: the crucial role of public health’

• recognised the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on BAME communities and the systemic failure over time to capture data on protected characteristics, in particular ethnicity

• agreed to schedule a further meeting of the Board to discuss specifically how the FPH might influence the UK’s public health systems moving forward

We would also like to draw your attention to our recently published supplement to the Journal of Public Health featuring a special collection of papers on Public Health Ethics and the science of social justice, with several papers within the collection addressing the importance of health equity.
 
Other themes during the week include promoting health through global goals; primary care in the digital age; staying together for mental health and grow old, grow healthy.
 
The Faculty of Public Health is pleased to be a part of European Public Health Week, and to support its aim of fostering collaboration between colleagues and celebrating the public health profession.

14 May 2020

Public Health Ethics and ‘The Science of Social Justice’

FPH’s Journal of Public Health has published a special collection on Public Health Ethics and ‘The Science of Social Justice’, guest edited by Dr Farhang Tahzib and Professor John Coggon of FPH’s Ethics Committee.

The issue, which was collated prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, explains and contextualises what it means to understand ethics for, in, and of public health.

The special issue’s broad approach reminds us of the importance of public health considerations within and beyond questions concerning contagious disease, and promotes understanding of how ethical deliberations feature in public health policy and practice.

All papers are freely available until May 31st 2020, or have been published Open Access.

You may view the collection online here: https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/pages/public-health-ethics-and-the-science-of-social-justice

21 April 2020

FPH supports global commitments to fund action on COVID-19

COVID-19 is having a dramatic impact on populations across the world, and we have seen a largely united response from the global community with commitments to fund action on the pandemic. We are pleased that the UK has made significant contributions, including this weekend’s announcement of a further £200 million aid.

This support is essential, as the capacity for the poorest in society to protect themselves and manage physical and social isolation is much more limited and therefore likely to increase already marked health inequalities.

Whilst there has been some political criticism of WHO, geo-politics must not undermine collective global action in the face of this pandemic.

Never has there been a greater need for all countries of the world to cooperate and pull together in response to this crisis, and never has the role of UN agencies, which serve all their Member States, been more important in leading this global collective action.

Some useful links on the UK’s aid contribution to the COVID response are available below, providing information on the commitments made and the agencies which will benefit.

• https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-leads-global-fight-to-prevent-second-wave-of-coronavirus

• https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19--13-april-2020

• https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-aid/uk-pledges-200-million-pounds-in-aid-to-help-stop-second-coronavirus-wave-idUSKCN21T0WU

• https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52258449

• https://twitter.com/DFID_UK

15 April 2020

FPH and ADPH joint statement on COVID-19

The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) and the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) are immensely proud of the role the UK public health workforce is playing in response to COVID-19. Day in and day out our members are working tirelessly to protect the public’s health in the most challenging of circumstances, and we thank our members for their energy, skill and expertise.
 
The public health workforce is at the forefront of efforts to tackle this global pandemic. Directors of Public Health and their teams are providing trusted leadership and advice to their local populations. For our part, as organisations, we are entirely focussed on enabling our members to carry out their responsibilities as effectively as possible and ensuring their voice is heard by national decision makers. 
 
Collaboration is key in tackling the pandemic. We are working with our members to develop and maintain strong relationships between those working in public health on the frontline in local government and the NHS and numerous other settings, the Chief Medical Officers, the four public health agencies of the UK, and a range of professional bodies, providers and charities. 
 
The coming months will be enormously challenging for all of us in both our personal and professional lives and we urge kindness and respect for colleagues across the health and care sector, all of local government and civil society. We are now all working towards the same goal of saving lives and protecting the health of the public, and we will find strength in working as a unified system.
 
We will continue to support your vital work in whatever way we can, and once again thank you for your ceaseless commitment to the public’s health.

2 April 2020

FPH Statement on the Public Health Grant 2020/21

The UK Faculty of Public Health (FPH), the professional body for the UK’s public health workforce, welcomes the announcement of the public health grant 2020/21.

The delay of the budget has caused uncertainty for local authorities, and now that the allocations have been published, the public health workforce can continue to tackle the COVID-19 crisis with certainty of their budgets for 2020/21.

The allocation has been set at £3.279bn, an increase of £145 million on the public health grant 2019/20.

Though an increase, further funding will be needed to reverse years of cuts to public health services and FPH has long called for a £1 billion increase for the public health budget. This will allow our members to restore public health services and protect and improve the health of the public, both during and beyond the current COVID-19 crisis.

Professor Maggie Rae, FPH President said “We are pleased to see the announcement of the public health grant and to see an increase in funding for local authorities to deliver essential public health services for their populations.

COVID-19 now dominates the public health agenda, and certainty over budget allocations allows our members, the public health workforce, to continue their tireless work to protect and improve the health of the public.

Though we are pleased to see an increase in the budget allocation, more funding will be needed to reverse cuts to public health services – FPH have called for a £1 billion increase in public health funding, and join with the Association of Directors of Public Health in calling for a multi-year settlement for public health.

As well as responding to COVID-19 we want to ensure that other health and wellbeing services that are vital to the health of the public, such as smoking cessation services, remain as effective as possible.”

18 March 2020

FPH statement on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

As the professional organisation for the public health workforce in the UK, the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) has been closely monitoring the global Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Many of our members, from our senior leadership through to our specialist registrars, from across the four nations of the UK and internationally, have been working tirelessly to manage this incident.

FPH President Professor Maggie Rae is in regular contact with the Chief Medical Officers, the four national Public Health Agencies, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the FPH Board and other key stakeholders including colleagues across the four nations of the UK regarding management of COVID-19. 

Excellent collaborative working is essential in dealing with this outbreak and FPH thanks our members for their dedication to protecting the public’s health and the effective joined-up working that we have seen.

We commend the work of the Association of Directors of Public Health, the Royal Society for Public Health and other partner agencies. We also thank Directors of Public Health who are providing support to their local populations.

An ever evolving situation, for the latest information and advice regarding COVID-19, please check online via gov.uk for guidance provided by Public Health England and the Department of Health and Social Care.

Thursday 5 March 2020

Faculty of Public Health launches new five-year strategy

The new five-year strategy outlines our mission of working with members to promote and protect human health and its wider determinants for everyone in society, leaving no one behind. This high level strategy is supported by delivery plans for each of FPH’s areas of work.

Our charitable objects are at the core of our strategy; to promote knowledge in the field of public health, to assure the highest possible standards of professional competence and practice, and to act as an authoritative body for the purpose of consultation and advocacy concerning public health.

The document outlines our eight strategic priorities and the key principles which will drive our work, with our members always at the heart of everything we do as an organisation.

We will work with our networks across the healthcare sector and in government to protect and improve the health of populations across the four nations of the UK and around the world.

FPH relies on our members to govern the organisation, plan its strategies and enable us to operate as the professional home for public health specialists. Our members develop and maintain our curriculum, design and deliver examinations, audit our CPD, support our training courses, lobby government, and in many more ways help us deliver on our charitable objects and protect the health of populations. To find out how you can get involved, you can visit the 'get involved' page.

We thank all those involved in developing this strategy, including FPH members, colleagues, staff and partners, and we thank the wider FPH membership for their continued dedication to the public’s health.

You can download the strategy here.

20 January 2020

Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit: Trade, health and well-being event report

As a result of the decision to leave the EU, the UK will be developing its own independent trade policy for the first time in over 40 years. This has significant implications for a range of the determinants of health and well-being in Wales including food standards, environmental protection, tobacco and alcohol regulations, as well as economic and working conditions.

The Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit (WHIASU) held a workshop and masterclass with multi agency stakeholders on November 7^th 2019 as part of implementing the actions of the Public Health Implications of Brexit: A HIA Approach Main Findings Report (2019). One recommendation from the HIA was that the public health system should consider how to build knowledge, skills and capacity to ensure health and well-being are considered at the forefront of the development of new trade policy.

The event was chaired by the Chief Executive of Public Health Wales, Dr Tracey Cooper, and aimed to build and share knowledge on the new trade policy environment and its potential implications for health and well-being in Wales and also explore how the public health system can engage with the development of new trade policy.

Speakers included policy makers, academic with expertise in the impacts of trade on population health and inequalities, public health.

FPH Policy Lead Dr. Sue Lloyd delivered a presentation on “Engaging and influencing trade policy: negotiating a ‘healthy’ trade policy for the UK”.

You can download Sue's presentation and others via the WHIASU website here.

15 January 2020

Maggie Rae and Martin McKee on the Brexit Withdrawal Bill

The first in the Faculty of Public Health's (FPH) film series on Brexit and Public Health. FPH President, Professor Maggie Rae interviews Professor Martin McKee CBE of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on the public health impacts of Brexit.

 

8 January 2019

FPH Fracking Statement

Fracking is a term used to describe the process of high volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) for unconventional shale gas deposits deep underground. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well.

Health concerns have been raised in the US where fracking has been practised on a large scale for over a decade, relating to management of the waste water produced, the risk of leakage of gases and chemicals into surrounding air and water, the nuisance effects, and socio-economic impacts.

The Faculty of Public Health endorses the findings of an updated 2016 report from Medact that examines the evidence set out in over 350 academic papers published since the original Medact report in 2015, looking at the impact of fracking on local communities, the natural environment and climate change. The Faculty supports the call for an ongoing and permanent moratorium on fracking due to the possible serious public health risks involved, which include:

• Adverse reproductive outcomes due to exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals;

• Risk of respiratory effects resulting from ozone and smog formation;

• Stress, anxiety and other psycho-social effects arising from actual and perceived social and economic disruption; and

• The indirect effects of climate change produced by greenhouse gas emissions.

The 2016 report from Medact is supported by a detailed and fully referenced set of long notes about fracking as a public health issue, covering climate change, energy policy, carbon budgets and alternatives to shale gas.

12 December 2019

Public health experts in Scotland call for action on poverty to revive stalled life expectancy

Experts in public health from Scotland and across the UK have identified the low incomes faced by many Scottish citizens as the primary cause of Scotland’s stalling life expectancy, with those in Scotland’s poorest areas living shorter lives than seven years ago. At its Conference in Dunblane the Faculty of Public Health called for action on poverty to tackle this worrying trend.

Life expectancy in Scotland had been steadily improving since the 1940s but stalled in 2012, and has now started to fall for Scotland’s poorest people. Scotland is not alone in seeing this happen, with similar trends in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; whilst other countries such as Denmark have continued to enjoy rapidly improving life expectancy.

President of the Faculty of Public Health Professor Maggie Rae said, “Life expectancy has stalled because more people in their 30s, 40s and 50s are dying than in the past, with the poorest in Scotland most affected by this trend.

Many people are trying to survive on low incomes and in precarious employment. Social security has been reduced and it’s difficult for people to get – and retain – the financial support they need. We also know that funding pressures on local government and the NHS are having an effect, with all of this combining to negatively impact life expectancy.”

Convenor of the Faculty of Public Health in Scotland, Doctor Julie Cavanagh said, “This is the biggest public health challenge that Scotland has faced for many decades and without urgent action it will continue to impact people in Scotland for decades into the future. It will require strong political leadership and sustained action to turn these trends round. The health and wellbeing of Scotland’s population must be the priority in all public sector policy development.

The Faculty of Public Health wish to see a Scotland where everyone has an equal chance of a healthy life, rather than an unfair situation where low incomes, cuts to public services and social security are causing people in Scotland to die before their time. We are therefore calling upon local and national governments across the UK to take urgent action on poverty. We must work together to restore the life expectancy trajectory to the levels seen prior to 2012, and to the rates of improvements seen in other countries.”

29 November 2019

Event report: Building Environmental Sustainability into UK Public Health Research workshop

On Wednesday 9 October FPH's Sustainable Development Special Interest Group held a seminar at Strathclyde University on building environmental sustainability into UK public health research. Speakers at the event included Professor Karen Turner, Lynne McNiven, Dr Helen Walters, Phil Mackie and Sir Harry Burns. Read the full report and summary of discussions here.

21 November 2019

FPH declares climate emergency

Climate change is the greatest threat to global public health this century. We are entering a period of unprecedented environmental breakdown. Human activity is changing the planet’s biosphere bringing disruption to planetary health through climate change, air pollution, ocean acidification, deforestation and loss of biodiversity. A thriving global ecosystem is fundamental to human health and it is vital that we protect our planet.

Therefore, the Faculty of Public Health is joining a growing number of organisations in declaring a climate emergency that requires immediate action. We call upon governments around the globe and the entire public health workforce to be aware of the many aspects of this threat and to take urgent action to respond.

The Faculty of Public Health recognises that this threat cannot be tackled in isolation. We will work with our partners in public health and beyond to place health and social inequalities at the heart of climate change work, and ensure that public health is part of the solution to the greatest challenge of our time.

20 November 2019

FPH Alcohol SIG work with NICE to develop the 'Co-existing severe mental illness and substance misuse' quality standard

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have recently published the ‘Coexisting severe mental illness and substance misuse’ quality standard. FPH’s Alcohol SIG was happy to work with NICE in developing these standards, which cover the assessment, management and care provided for people aged 14 and over who have coexisting severe mental illness and substance misuse. 

Click here to read more...

25 October 2019

Faculty of Public Health welcomes the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill

The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) welcomes the decision made today to give children in Scotland full legal protection from physical assault. The Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill, which today (3 October 2019) passed Stage 3 proceedings in Holyrood will ensure children in Scotland have the same lawful protection from violence that adults are currently afforded.

FPH in Scotland has worked alongside a coalition of organisations to ensure that this vital piece of legislation passes through Scottish Parliament. In September we wrote an open letter to political party leaders in Scotland urging them to support the Bill in its final stage.
We are grateful to John Finnie MSP for lodging the Bill and to all Members who voted in favour. We are also grateful to our FPH members who have led on this piece of work, including Tamasin Knight and Convener of FPH in Scotland, Julie Cavanagh.

The experience of other countries which have acted on the evidence and delivered laws protecting children from violence demonstrated that doing so leads to a better future for families, and we are pleased to have helped support and empower families to give their children the best start in life.

03 October 2019

FPH and 15 others support the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill

The Faculty of Public Health and 15 other professional healthcare bodies and charities have written to Scottish political party leaders asking them to support the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill at the Stage 3 proceedings, taking place on Thursday 3 October 2019.

If passed, the Bill will offer children in Scotland the same lawful protection from violence that adults are currently afforded. Just as it is unlawful to hit a spouse, an elderly relative or an adult with or without a disability, it should no longer be lawful for parents or carer to hit a child. Evidence demonstrates that hitting children damages their health and well-being and that violence does not work as a strategy for improving behaviour.

This coalition of organisations wants a Scotland where all children can thrive. We want to support and empower families to give their children the best start in life, and we want to deliver this bill to stop the long-lasting consequences of violence against children in Scotland.

You can read the full letter here.

24 September 2019

FPH President Maggie Rae interviewed by Angela Cartwright, Chair of FPH's Specialty Registrars Committee

FPH's President Maggie Rae met with the Chair of FPH's Specialty Registrar Committee Angela Cartwright for a short interview filmed by Uy Hoang, Chair of FPH's Public Health Film Special Interest Group.

Angela and Maggie covered a range of topics including specialty training, collaborative working and what the future of public health might look like. Angela asked a range of questions from trainees and other members, including a number sent in via Twitter.

Click here to watch the interview.

19 September 2019

The Faculty of Public Health and 28 others raise concern over the consequences of a No Deal Brexit for the public’s health and well-being

Today, the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) and 28 other organisations have published a letter in the Guardian expressing our concern over the increasing likelihood of a No Deal Brexit and the risk this poses for the public's health and well-being.

In the letter, we report that long-term improvement in life expectancy has slowed, and for some age groups, gone into reverse, whilst the most vulnerable in our population face growing insecurity of income, employment and even food. We believe that all of these would be exacerbated by a No Deal Brexit.

We look to Government to confirm its continued commitment to public health protections and standards as Britain leaves the EU. This was an assurance gained following a major campaign led by FPH last year.

The coalition of organisations also asks Government to publish all assessments it has undertaken on the impact of different No Deal Brexit scenarios on health and to establish a system for monitoring impacts.

Professor Maggie Rae, President of the Faculty of Public Health said “Our key message is centred around the principle of ‘Do No Harm’. The health and well-being consequences of a No Deal Brexit are a major concern. I’m thankful to our partners across the sector in raising this message and asking Government to confirm its commitment to public health protections and standards as we leave the EU. Government should honour the ‘ Do No Harm’ commitments and publish assessments of the impact of No Deal Brexit on health and well-being and establish a monitoring system for health and well-being impacts going forward.”

4 September 2019

FPH welcomes the Government’s Prevention Green Paper

The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) welcomes the Government’s prevention green paper published today. We look forward to continuing to work together with our members, partners and the Government to deliver the ambitious programme outlined in the paper.

Prevention is better than cure, and the timely release of this paper, despite current political challenges, signals the Government’s commitment to rebalance resources from treating avoidable illnesses to preventing them; promoting wellness and its wider determinants, and reducing health inequalities across England.

As the professional membership body for public health, we are uniquely positioned through our training, standards, policy work and through our members – the specialist public health workforce in the UK – to support the Government in delivering the outcomes laid out in today’s paper.

It is important though for the Government to recognise that reductions to the public health grant and wider council budgets must be reversed if the vision outlined in the prevention green paper is to become a reality. In order to achieve the ambitions of the paper it is vital that local delivery systems receive the £1 billion per annum increase in funding they need to deliver effective prevention.

The health index for England is particularly welcome as it will enable a much more holistic assessment of the wealth of England to be made. It will compliment GDP and other economic measures in providing a richer picture of the health and wellbeing of people and communities. It will help the nation to focus on the devastating impact underpinning inequalities in health outcomes; not just on health but also on the economic wellbeing of the nation, reducing inequalities in health outcomes policies nationally and locally to be cogent in order to have a meaningful impact on the wider determinants of health such as poverty and deprivation, education and employment in the context of some of our most vulnerable communities.

FPH have worked closely with the Association of Directors of Public Health and The Health Foundation, as well as the Local Government Association and our other partners to argue for increased spending for prevention and we look forward to continued collaboration.

Maggie Rae, FPH President said “FPH and our members welcome the Government’s ambition to place prevention at the heart of the health agenda, as outlined in today’s prevention green paper. We also recognise that for the local system to deliver effective prevention further funding is necessary. Preventing ill-health leads to the best results for individuals and for society and we look forward to working with the Government and our members to deliver the programme of work outlined in the paper.”

23 July 2019

FPH Statement on Public Health Reform in Scotland

FPH in Scotland, having welcomed our formal and informal involvement in the Scottish Government Public Health Reform process, have today published a statement on public health reform in Scotland.

There have been many strengths of the public health function in Scotland, and the implementation of a new national public health organisation for Scotland, as well as the ongoing process of public health reform creates many opportunities to further build on these strengths.

Recognising financial constraint, the statement focusses on ways in which the existing specialist services can be deployed most effectively, and where further development of the specialist function will be essential to addressing national public health priorities.

You can read the full statement here.

17 July 2019

Majority of NHS leaders say that new regulations to tackle obesity would most benefit the health of their local communities

According to research led by the UK Faculty of Public Health (FPH), the majority of NHS leaders say that new regulations to prevent obesity and its risks - such as diabetes and heart disease – could have the greatest positive impact on the health of local populations across the UK and they would like to see the NHS use its national platform more to advocate for these types of prevention measures.

Specifically, those surveyed by polling experts ComRes rank the following in their ‘top five’ regulatory or tax measures that they believe would most benefit their local population:

• Adopting the marketing restrictions set out in chapter 2 of the government’s Childhood Obesity Plan, which includes banning junk food advertising before the 9pm watershed (64%)

• Supporting local government and the NHS to improve access to weight management services (61%)

• Following Brexit, reviewing the use of food subsidies and taxes to reduce the price of fruit and vegetables and raise the price of junk food (51%)

• Using planning legislation to limit the proliferation of fast food outlets in certain areas (48%)

These proposed ‘no or low cost’ regulations have the potential to reduce rates of childhood obesity to pre-2000 levels and mitigate the cost of obesity-related chronic disease on the healthcare system, estimated at £5 billion per year. However, regulations alone are not enough to stop the rising burden of preventable diseases the UK faces today. Coordinated action across government departments, our communities, and the NHS is also needed.

Read full press release here.

20 June 2019

FPH welcomes call for urgent investment in public health services

FPH welcome the call from the King’s Fund and the Health Foundation for the government to act urgently to counter further cuts to the public health grant and place public health funding on a more sustainable footing for the future. Further cuts are now expected due to the likely postponement of this year’s Spending Review.

Professor Maggie Rae, President of the Faculty of Public Health said: “FPH members working in public health teams have gone to heroic lengths, in partnership with local government, to maintain and improve on current services within a climate of continually diminishing budgets. While teams have found ways to cope with these cuts –mostly through one-off recommissioning decisions – they have reached the absolute limit of the savings they can make without adverse consequences for the health of the public.

To continue to provide a high standard of services, public health teams require certainty that they will not face any additional, unplanned cuts due to the likely delay of the Spending Review. To meet the bold, prevention aspirations outlined in both the NHS Long Term Plan and the government’s Prevention Vision, public health teams also require clarity over the long term future of the public health grant and increased investment to support local service innovation.”

To support these aims, FPH has developed a proposal for a Prevention Transformation Fund for local authority public health teams worth between £1-2 billion per year, which you can read here.

We look forward to working with the government and other partners to ensure that public health teams have the funding and support they need to deliver all that is being asked of them and protect the health of the public. 

13 June 2019

FPH launches new-look annual report

We are proud to announce the publication of our new-look annual report which will today be launched at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) today. Developed to celebrate the different ways we made an impact in 2018, the report details the progress we’ve made against our strategic objectives, and explains how FPH is governed and how we fund our work.

It is also a celebration of the work that FPH members and staff have collectively achieved and the positive impact it’s had on the public health specialty.

Professor John Middleton, President of FPH, said: “You – our members – are the golden thread that runs through everything we do as an organisation. Whether it be helping to develop the public health curriculum and invigilating exams, or delivering work on behalf of our committees and SIGs, you are responsible for our success last year and we can’t thank you enough.”

Please click here to read this year’s annual report and share your feedback by emailing us at news@fph.org.uk.

12 June 2019

Health Education England’s Population Health and Prevention programme

From HEE

As the Health Education England’s (HEE) Population Health and Prevention (PHP) programme, we work to train and educate the workforce to equip them with the competencies and leadership skills to deliver population health and prevention.

We have a wide remit of work: Public Mental Health, Infection Management, Population Health and Prevention, which includes behaviour change and lifestyle, and most recently Population Health Management. The development of digital educational solutions underpins all four areas.

The programme was established in 2014 and since then we have developed training and education content that contribute to improved care and efficiency of the health and care system. Working in partnership with key stakeholders in Public Health we offer several educational resources:

• Population Wellbeing Portal
• Making Every Contact Count (MECC) website and MECC eLearning
• Mental Health Promotion and Wellbeing action plan and Public Mental Health content guides
• Antimicrobial Resistance and Infections eLearning package
• Think Sepsis

Read more...

10 June 2019

Scottish Parliament votes in favour of Bill to ban smacking 

On 28 May, 80 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) voted in favour of The Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill after the Stage 1 debate in Hollyrood. Dr Tamasin Knight, consultant in public health medicine, provided evidence in support of the Bill on behalf of the Committee of the Faculty of Public Health in Scotland. Click here to read the full story.

30 May 2019

FPH and the Royal College of Psychiatrists join forces to deliver fully-booked mental health conference

In May 2019, FPH's Public Mental Health Special Interest Group (SIG) co-hosted a fully-booked conference with RCPsych dedicated to discussing effective public mental health prevention. Click here to read about the talks given on the day and to find out how you can join the SIG.

22 May 2019

Prof Ian Roberts calls on the UK Government to improve access to TXA at FPH’s inaugural Bazalgette Lecture 

On 14 May, Prof Ian Roberts - the winner of FPH's Bazalgette Champion of Evidence Award - gave the inaugural Bazalgette lecture on the research he and his colleagues have led on using tranexamic acid (TXA) to prevent deaths from acute severe bleeding. Click here to read more about the lecture and why he is using his year as FPH's first-ever Bazalgette Professor to improve access to TXA in low and middle income countries such as Ethiopia, Nigeria, India and Bangladesh. 

16 May 2019

Sally Bradley: remembrance from colleagues

"Sally Bradley was the real thing. She was a lovely, delightful, highly intelligent and motivated woman with absolutely no side to her. She was modest but assertive about the causes she believed in, especially social justice, the position of women and holding out a welcome to all no matter where they came from. Her family can be proud of her contribution. She made a significant contribution to the public health of the people of Salford and Greater Manchester as a GP, Director of Public Health and later as Medical Director of Pennine Acute Hospital.

She was a pioneer of modern public health, leading on the implementation of access to the morning after pill from all the pharmacies in Salford in time for the Christmas party seasons and making a significant contribution to the reduction of teenage pregnancy.

It is a bitter irony that she appears to have been the victim of sectarian hatred. At a time when the world is crying out for love and real leadership we need many more Sallys."

John Ashton 

"Sally Bradley was a friend and colleague. She was always full of fun and keen to try new things and to innovate. We worked together when I was DPH in Manchester and she was DPH in Salford. She was a supportive colleague, with the health of people at the forefront of her actions. She was able to combine a population approach with the valuable patient insights she had as a GP. She moved roles between clinician, PH consultant and clinical manager throughout her career which meant she had a special contribution to give in each of her roles. Her life was cut short in the tragic events in Sri Lanka. A light turned out by sectarian hatred. We will miss her."

Ann Hoskins

15 May 2019

FPH’s Africa SIG awarded a grant to establish a new health partnership with Ghana

FPH is delighted to announce that our Africa Special Interest Group (SIG) has been awarded a grant by the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) to deliver work on antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in Ghana. 

Click here to read the full story.

1 May 2019

FPH members elect Professor John Newton as Vice President

FPH is delighted to announce the election of Professor John Newton as our new Vice President. John will take up office following the 12 June AGM for a term of three years.

John is Director of Health Improvement at Public Health England. He is a former Regional Director of Public Health for NHS South Central, Director of Research and Development in two large NHS teaching hospitals (Southampton and Oxford) and Chief Executive of the charity UK Biobank.

John brings with him experience and expertise in strategic leadership, management and communication to FPH and we very much look forward to working with him and our members to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities and national populations.

On his election, John said “It’s a great privilege to be able to serve FPH as Vice President and I look forward to supporting the new President in any way I can. There are many pressing public health issues across the UK and internationally, and FPH is well placed to help its members address them.”

Incoming FPH President Maggie Rae said “I would like to offer my congratulations to John Newton on his appointment as FPH Vice President. John brings with him a wealth of experience to the role of Vice President and I look forward to working with him and FPH members to protect and improve the health of the public”

The full results of the election are available via the FPH online members’ area.

25 April 2019

FPH announces the winner of the Bazalgette Professorship Champion of Evidence Award

FPH is delighted to announce Ian Roberts, Professor of Epidemiology & Public Health and co-director of the Clinical Trials Unit at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine as the winner of the 2019 Award.

Professor Roberts has been awarded the Bazalgette professorship for translating his research on tranexamic acid in the management of acute severe bleeding into practice, benefiting populations in the UK and globally. Click here to read more.

1 April 2019

FPH and the Soil Association publish “Sustainable Food Systems for a Healthier UK: A discussion paper”

FPH’s Food Special Interest Group has published a discussion paper in collaboration with The Soil Association examining sustainable food systems.

The paper discusses the relevance and importance of food systems to population health within the UK, and provides related recommendations that support the public’s health through healthy and sustainable food systems. 

In particular, the paper discusses links between the food system, environmental sustainability and population health. It asks the public health community to take a broad focus on food within policy, advocacy, research, programmes and interventions and to consider the sustainability of food systems from an ecological model perspective of public health, for populations now and in the future.

You can download and read the full paper here.

15 March 2019

Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health certificate awarded to FPH

In 2017, FPH signed the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health. We're proud to share the certificate we've received from Public Health England which reflects our organisational commitments towards achieving better mental health. Click here to view the certificate and read the commitments in full.

To find out more about the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health, read the blog our President Professor John Middleton wrote after he signed it on behalf of FPH in 2017 via this link.

27 February 2019

Voting opens on Monday 11 March for the election of a new FPH Vice President

We are very pleased to announce that four nominations have been received for the election of our next Vice President.  Details of the candidates and the arrangements for the ballot can be found here.

27 February 2019

FPH’s Welfare Rights Special Interest Group (SIG) wins award from the Health Foundation

We are delighted that our Welfare Rights SIG, led by Prof Mark Gamsu, has been awarded a Health Foundation grant as part of their Taking Action on the Social Determinants of Health programme.

As part of this programme, the Health Foundation called on UK Public Health Network organisations to partner with organisations outside the public health community, that work in or can influence the social determinants of health, exploring innovative ways to work across sectors. The programme is supporting five projects that will each run for 12–18 months.

Our project – run in partnership with UK Health Forum and Citizens Advice – focuses on the role of money and income in shaping our health. In the UK there is evidence of increasing problematic debt and financial insecurity, and growing levels of destitution. Data on these areas exist, but they are not brought together systematically. This project will involve developing a single dataset which will then be piloted by public health teams in a number of local authority areas. The aim is to test whether providing this coherent framework on financial insecurity and problematic debt can help to improve the quality of services such as mental health and primary care.

FPH appoints James Gore as CEO

FPH’s Board has appointed James Gore as the new CEO. Before stepping into the interim CEO position in September 2018, James was the Director of Education and Standards at FPH and has been with the organisation for over a decade. He comes to the role armed with a wealth of knowledge that will help steer the organisation forward.

In response to his appointment, James said: “I am proud and honoured to have been appointed as the new CEO of FPH. After over a decade working at FPH in various roles, I look forward to working in a new capacity in supporting our dedicated Trustees, members and excellent staff team. Moving forwards, I am committed to putting our membership at the heart of everything we do and ensuring that FPH is the professional membership organisation that our members expect and deserve. With the support of the team, I am committed to improving the services we provide as well as engaging with and supporting our members and partners in their efforts to improve the public’s health.”

Prof John Middleton, President, FPH, said: “I’m delighted that James has been appointed as FPH’s new CEO. We’ve worked closely together for many years and I know that he’ll do a stellar job of leading the organisation at such an important time for public health and the members we serve.”

Prof Maggie Rae, Incoming President, FPH, said: “James’ appointment as FPH’s new CEO is very well deserved. When my Presidency starts in June, I’m looking forward to working together to champion FPH’s organisational priorities of public health standards, our workforce, policy, knowledge and evidence-sharing, and continuing our work on education and training.”

31 January 2019

Nominations Open for FPH Vice President

Nominations are now open for FPH’s new Vice President to take up office from the FPH AGM on 12 June 2019 for a term of three years.

The Vice President serves as a deputy to the FPH President, providing strategic leadership and acting as an ambassador to promote and develop the work of the FPH.

The post is open to all FPH Fellows but candidates can be nominated by any voting member of FPH, so please consider nominating colleagues for this important post and, if appropriate, encourage them to put their name forward.

If you require any further information about the election process, please contact Caroline Wren at carolinewren@fph.org.uk, 020 3696 1464. John Middleton or Maggie Rae would be happy to discuss the role with interested colleagues. Please e-mail president@fph.org.uk or registrar@fph.org.uk.

Nomination papers, including a full role description are available here. The deadline for nominations is 5pm on Monday 25 February 2019. 

17 January 2019

Call for nominations for three FPH Local Board Members

Nominations are open for the election of Local Board Members (LBMs) for the North West region, the West Midlands and the East Midlands.

LBMs play a key role in the strategic leadership of FPH, engaging with, and representing the interests of, local Faculty members.  A detailed post description can be found in the nomination papers - North West, West Midlands, East Midlands.

The posts are open to all FPH voting members.  The deadline for nominations is Wednesday 13 February 2019.

17 January 2019

Nominations open for election of new FPH Registrar

Following the election of our current Registrar, Maggie Rae, as President, we have a vacancy for a new Registrar from the AGM in June.  This is an exciting opportunity to play an active role in the strategic leadership of FPH, with a particular focus on workforce development, public health standards, and FPH membership and governance.

Further details about the post can be found in the nomination papers.  The deadline for nominations is 29 January 2019.

17 January 2019

FPH Fellow awarded OBE in New Year Honours

Dr Charlie Foster, who teaches on the MSc Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health course at the University of Bristol, was awarded an OBE in recognition of his work to promote physical activity. Click here to read more.

4 January 2019

FPH election results announced

Thank you to all of our members who voted or stood for a position in the recent elections. Please click here to see who was successfully elected as our new President and three General Board Members (GBMs).

21 December 2018

Local Board funding and support available for 2019

Thank you to all Local Board members who offered feedback on how FPH can help support Local Board regional events. We appreciate that some Boards are experiencing financial and resource pressures in hosting regional events and FPH wish to help support these networking opportunities.

In 2019, FPH will offer our conference call facility for one of each of the Local Board's scheduled meetings at no cost and will also fund each Local Board with £250 to support meetings in 2019.

We hope these resources will help Local Boards to connect with FPH members across their region.

For more information, and to take advantage of these opportunities please contact jenniferelder@fph.org.uk

4 December 2018

Get more involved with FPH by standing for election for one of three key leadership roles

Nominations open on Monday 3 December for the election of three FPH Officers, all of which are key leadership roles. They are:

1. Treasurer – who is responsible for the Faculty’s financial affairs and ensuring its financial viability;
2. Academic Registrar – who provides strategic leadership for the Faculty’s examinations, training and continuing education in public health; and
3. Assistant Academic Registrar – who serves as a deputy to the Academic Registrar, supporting the provision of high quality examinations, training and education.

The positions are open to all FPH Fellows in good standing and provide an exciting opportunity to engage in the strategic leadership of FPH, helping to shape the future of our organisation and public health. So, if you have a special interest in examinations, training and education, or financial affairs, and would like the opportunity to make a positive impact using your skills and expertise, we would be delighted to receive a nomination from you.

If you are not a Fellow but know someone who’d be perfect for one of the above positions, tell them – it could be the nudge they need to put themselves forward!

Nomination papers, including post descriptions, can be found here:

• Treasurer
• Academic Registrar
• Assistant Academic Registrar

The deadline for nominations is 5pm on Wednesday 9 January 2019. Please note, in accordance with our Standing Orders, all candidates must be nominated by a voting member of the Board; a list of Board members is included in the nomination packs.

The successful candidates will take up post from FPH’s AGM on 12 June 2019.

If you require any further information about the elections, please contact Caroline Wren - carolinewren@fph.org.uk, 020 3696 1464.

3 December 2018

Vice President of Policy resigns

Steve Watkins having served as VP Policy has decided to step down from his post.  Steve has been very busy since his retirement trying to fit in his various commitments with THSG, UNITE and FPH, not to mention family and writing.  He has come to realise that there just isn’t enough time available to fulfil these commitments to his desired standard.  This is not a decision that Steve has taken lightly. 

We wish Steve every success in his roles at THSG and UNITE and with the completion of his books, and thank him for the energy and enthusiasm he has brought to the role of VP Policy. 

27 November 2018 

Voting opens on Monday 12 November for the election of a new FPH President and three General Board Members

We are very pleased to announce that two nominations have been received for the election of a new President and six nominations for the three General Board Member vacancies.  Click here for details of the candidates and the arrangements for the ballot.

1 November 2018

FPH encourages members to get involved in choosing the new FPH President 

Nominations are open to find FPH’s new President and we want all of our members to get involved with the election process. If you’re a Fellow of FPH and keen to take on an important leadership role, please consider running for election. Click here to read more about the role and to find out how you can stand for election or nominate someone.

28 September 2018

FPH encourages members to get more involved with the organisation by standing for election to join the Board

Nominations are open for three General Board Members at FPH. Whether you’re just starting out in your career or perhaps you’ve got ten years’ experience under your belt but want a new challenge, becoming a Board member is accessible to all of our voting members. Click here to read more about how you can stand for election or nominate someone you think would be great for the role. 

28 September 2018

DARE Lecture 2018

This year's DARE Lecture was given by Prof Tim Lang on post-Brexit food policy. During the lecture he shared his opinions on the key issues facing the UK’s food system, background on food history and why that’s relevant to today’s challenges, and the value of the UK maintaining relationships with its European neighbours post-Brexit to protect the public’s health. You can re-watch his lecture here.

What is the DARE lecture and how did it come about?

In 1983 a group of consultants and community physicians, protesting against the divisive pay rise awarded to doctors in the NHS (whilst other health staff had had to battle for a pay award half of that given to doctors) established the ‘Doctors’ Awards Redistribution Enterprise’ (DARE). The charity was initially funded from four year covenants made by these doctors, of the difference between the pay rise they received and that which they would have had, if they had been treated the same as other NHS staff. The money was used to fund new developments in priority services which wouldn’t have happened without this money. The DARE lecture is the legacy from this work and aims to challenge and stimulate debate on developments within the NHS and public health.

10 July 2018

FPH celebrates its members at annual awards ceremony

On Thursday 7 June, we welcomed new and current members to our annual awards ceremony. Faculty Awards are often established by our members through donations and legacies, as a way of rewarding our members and registrars for outstanding work and recognising their contributions to public health in the UK and around the world and you can read about all of this year's winners by clicking here. We're also proud to share blogs from two of our winners; Steven Senior, who won the Michael O’Brien Prize for outstanding performance in the MFPH Part A exam, wrote this blog to share advice on preparing for it. Victoria Turner, who won the McEwen Award for the highest score in the Part B exam, penned this piece with her top tips for passing Part B.

29 June 2018

Global public health professionals collaborate at ASPHER conference to discuss public health capacity development

On Wednesday 20 June, senior public health professionals from across the world convened in London to better understand the current global engagement of members from the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER). Click here to read more about the aim of the day and what was achieved.

28 June 2018

FPH members and health professionals recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours List

The achievements of seven extraordinary FPH members and professionals from across the health sector have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Click here to find out who was awarded and what they said in response to receiving such prestigious awards.

28 June 2018

FPH members win Queen’s Award following success of innovative sexual health service, SH:24

Dr Gillian Holdsworth and Dr Paula Baraitser have today been given the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for SH:24, the London sexual health provider that the pair co-founded in 2015. Since it was introduced, testing rates in Lambeth & Southwark have doubled and there has been an 8% reduction in STI rates. It’s also led to an estimated £500k saving to the local sexual health economy. Click here to read more.

28 June 2018

FPH in Scotland endorses the Scottish Government Public Health Priorities

Today the Scottish Government has published its public health priorities for tackling the challenging and persistent health issues in Scotland. FPH members have been working with the Scottish Government Public Health Reform Team throughout the process of development of these priorities, which aim to focus government and public sector services in Scotland in a co-ordinated effort towards a step change in health improvement. Click here to read more.

14 June 2018

FPH launches a 'blueprint' for the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

FPH has developed a ‘blueprint’ to recommend how the UK could continue its relationship with ECDC after Brexit. Our hope is that it will be used to support the Government in delivering their commitments to improve health security and maintain the important and mutually beneficial collaboration with Europe on health issues. 

Click here to read our full statement and download the blueprint.  

13 June 2018

FPH President, Prof John Middleton, along with the heads of 39 other organisations calls on the House of Lords to vote for the Do No Harm amendment to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill

 

Together, they wrote to the editor of The Guardian to ask Peers from across the House to put the amendment on the face of the Bill to ensure that we don't roll back on the progress we've made in public health since we've been part of the EU. Read the letter in full here.

 

20 April 2018

 

"Brexit is one of the biggest public health issues facing this generation", says FPH President, Prof John Middleton, in The Times 

The health community unites in calling on the House of Lords to protect the public's health as we leave the European Union by talking in favour of the Do No Harm amendment to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill that would do just that. Read the full article here.

19 April 2018

"The public health community has gone to heroic lengths to do more with less but now is the time for us to unite and make the case for investing in public health"

 

FPH President, Prof John Middleton, calls on the public health community to unite in making the case for prevention in the Local Government Chronicle. Read the full comment piece here.

10 April 2018

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published the Standards for Employers of Public Health Teams in England

The employer standards published by the LGA are the outcome of work carried out by the Standing Group on Local Public Health Teams, on which FPH serves, and follows consultation on draft standards last Autumn.

These standards set out how good employers should support their public health people to develop and maintain their skills and knowledge and to retain their professional skills and registration, thus enabling them to provide an effective service to the public, deliver public health functions at all grades and professions and in all employment settings, and to work effectively. In short, this is 'what good looks like'. These expectations are in line with regulatory and improvement frameworks for public services and used by service and professional regulators.

The standards enable an effective alignment between FPH as the professional standard-setting body for public health professionals and the standards that employers set for a competent, capable and effective workforce. They also highlight the role of professional regulation and registration in maintaining professional standards and underpinning duties of professional and technical integrity.

Click here to read the joint letter from FPH President, Prof John Middleton, and UK Public Health Register Chair, Andrew Jones to directors of public health in England.

23 February 2018

Supreme Court backs minimum alcohol price

The UK Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that the Scottish Government’s legislation on Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) is legal. This is a landmark moment for public health and the end of a long journey. However, it also marks the start of a new journey to implement MUP to reduce alcohol-related harm in Scotland. When implemented this will mean that no alcohol can be sold in Scotland for less than 50p per unit.

Read the blog written by Dr Lesley Graham and Dr Harpreet S Kohli here.

15 November 2017

Major programme launched to help councils prevent mental illness 

Public Health England (PHE) has published a major set of resources to help local authorities and their partners take action to promote better mental health and prevent mental ill health in their communities. FPH is delighted to have contributed to the development of the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health along with partners in the community and voluntary sector, the Association of Directors of Public Health, the Local Government Association, the Department of Health and PHE.

The aim of the concordat is to adopt a prevention-focused approach for positive mental health through the development of alliances across and between local authorities, the NHS, private, public and voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, education settings and employers.

FPH recognises that words must translate into action and commits to addressing the mental health impacts in all policies and policy statements; as a standard-setter and educator, we will include positive mental health in our education and training programmes, and as an employer we will work to become a Mindful Employer.

To learn more about the mental health concordat, read this blog written by FPH President, Prof John Middleton.

9 October 2017