21 st Century Public Health

1. 21st Century Public Health

2. White Paper – Choosing Health: Making Healthier Choices Easier (2004) Recognised interest in health increasing and thus a new approach needed to reflect a changing society. Published by Department of Health whilst labour government in power. There is a need to empower individuals to change their own lives. The strategy had 3 underpinning principles: • Informed choices – with 2 important qualifications: (i) protect children (ii) do not allow one person’s choice to adversely affect another. • Personalisation – support tailored to the needs of individuals. • Working Together – real progress depends upon effective partnerships across communities.

3. White Paper – Choosing Health: Making Healthier Choices Easier (2004) Main priorities: • Reduce number of people who smoke • Reduce obesity and improve diet and nutrition • Increase exercise • Encourage and support sensible drinking • Improve sexual health • Improve mental health

4. Action areas • The focus will be on: 1) sexualhealth • with a new national campaign targeted particularly at younger men and women to ensurethat they understand the real risk of unprotected sex and to persuade them of the benefits of using condoms to avoid the risk of sexually transmitted infections or unplanned pregnancies.

5. Action areas 2: obesity • A new cross­ government campaign to raise awareness of the health risks of obesity, and the steps people can take through diet and physical activity to prevent obesity; 3: smoking • A boosted campaign to reduce smoking rates supported by clear information about health risks, and access to NHS support to quit, including stop smoking services and nicotine replacement therapy.

6. Action areas • 4: Food labelling- clearer nutrition information on packaging • 5: Alcohol- reduce binge drinking • 6: Information for the public- Health Direct • 7: Information for the media-up to date briefings. • 8: Tackling inequalities-tailor advice and give practical support • 9: Partnership with food industry on national campaigns • 10: Food promotion to children-restrict advertising of high fat, salt and sugar products • 11: Restrictions on tobacco advertising

7. How far has the whitepaper been implemented? • Sex Ed matters! campaign • Change for Life • Stoptober • Food labelling and nutrition information made clearer. • Think again! Alcohol campaign • Reduced advertising of chocolate etc. on TV, particularly on children’s channels.

8. Influence on public health • Better education on the risks of smoking, drinking, obesity and unprotected sex and poor mental health. • Has it actually reduced the rates of STI’s, drinking, obesity, smoking and mental ill health? • Over to you to look at trends between 2004 and now.

9. Health Protection Agency The Health Protection Agency is now part of Public Health England, an executive agency of the Department of Health.   • Public Health England has been established to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing and to reduce inequalities. • It will lead on the development of a 21st-century health and wellbeing service, supporting local authorities and the NHS to deliver the greatest possible improvements in public health. It came into being in April 2013.  • We work with national and local government, industry and the NHS to protect and improve the nation's health and support healthier choices. We are addressing inequalities by focusing on removing barriers to good health.

10. HPA- protecting the public • Public Health England, the Department of Health and NHS England announced an MMR catch-up programme in late April 2013. • The campaign targeted children aged between 10 and 16 years who have a record of incomplete MMR vaccination, or none at all. Returns from the NHS Areas Teams confirm that almost 5,000 practices signed up to participate in the programme. • The service involves sending letters from general practices inviting under-vaccinated children to attend the surgery for vaccination.

11. HPA- protecting the public • Public Health England carries out laboratory tests to identify which strains of flu are in circulation, coordinates information at the UK level and communicates this information to other health professionals and to the public.  This information is used to guide the development of policies for protecting the UK population from influenza.

12. NICE • The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care. • Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB) accountable to the Department of Health, but operationally they are independent of government. Our guidance and other recommendations are made by independent committees.

13. NICE What they do NICE's role is to improve outcomes for people using the NHS and other public health and social care services. They do this by: • Producing evidence-based guidance and advice for health, public health and social care practitioners e.g. clinical guidelines. • Developing quality standards and performance metrics for those providing and commissioning health, public health and social care services e.g. take on board patient views and experiences. • Providing a range of information services for commissioners, practitioners and managers across the spectrum of health and social care e.g. access to BNF and NICE evidence (online search engine)

14. How will this influence public health policy? • Provides evidence based guidelines and care which will result in better health outcomes. • Provides education to people, in particular professionals making decisions on public health priorities. • Focus on care quality and patient feedback, will empower the public giving them a voice in public health policy developments e.g. areas that need most focus.