December Edition – Happiness - UK Faculty of Public Health

ENDNOTESNOTICEBOARDPublic healthtraining coursesTHE first FPH training course was run inBirmingham on 23 November 2012. This isa new stream of work for us, but in linewith our overall objective of promotinghigh standards of public health practice.The course, Influencing Skills for LocalAuthorities, attracted participants fromCroydon to Cumbria and everywhere inbetween. The evaluation was very positive,helped by powerful input from Stokecouncillor Gwen Hassall and SandwellDirector of Public Health and FPH VicePresident for Policy John Middleton. WePolicy updateConsultation responsesSince the last edition of Public Health Today,the FPH policy team, with the valuableinput of committee members, has maderesponses to a variety of consultations,including on the NHS CommissioningBoard Mandate, on Joint Strategic NeedsAssessment and Joint Health and WellbeingStrategy guidance, Local Authority HealthScrutiny, early access to new medicines,the future role of English local authoritiesin health issues, and the Health SelectCommittee Inquiry into the Role of NICE.FPH is in the process of producing itsresponse to the current NICE consultationon approaches to tobacco-harm reductionsmoking and is preparing to respond to theforthcoming Department of Health (DH)consultations on alcohol minimum unitpricing and licensing. You can read FPH’sconsultation responses on the FPH websiteat ‘Policy and publications/Consultations’.Update on front-of-pack nutritionlabellingFPH has welcomed DH’s announcement ofplan to repeat this course in 2013 at othervenues.We are also developing another suite ofcourses to help clinical commissioninggroups (CCGs) and commissioning supportunits do their jobs well. Commissioning –Traps and Tips is a series of four one-daycourses in February 2013. The day will besplit into two sections with the morningconcentrating on how to writecommissioning policies and the afternoonon how to run individual funding reviews.The course is aimed at new members ofCCGs, including GPs, but public healthstaff are welcome to send complete teams.The dates and venues of the courses are:n Wednesday 6 February – The Studio,Manchestern Tuesday 12 February – Armada HouseConference and Events, Bristoln Thursday 14 February – tbc, Londonn Thursday 21 February – The Studio,BirminghamEach course will be led by the FPH VicePresident for Standards, Ed Jessop, and runfrom 9.30am to 4.30pm.Numbers are limited, so registration willbe on a first-come-first-served basis.Further information, including a bookingform, can be found on the FPH website atwww.fph.org.uk or by contacting KarenGoodwin, FPH Events Officer, atkarengoodwin@fph.org.uka new, consistent front-of-pack nutritionlabelling system, which is excellent newsfor everyone’s health. It is the result of along campaign by FPH and otherorganisations to make it easier for peopleto make healthy choices about the foodthey buy. These personal decisions aboutwhat we eat contribute to the overallproblem of obesity, which costs the NHSaround £4 billon each year to treat.The detail of the scheme will be crucial,and the criteria for traffic-light labelling willneed to be robust. We await theimplementation of the scheme with greatinterest and hope that all foodmanufacturers see the benefits and take itup.FPH supports findings of Hospitalson the Edge reportFPH supports many of the conclusionsand recommendations of the Royal Collegeof Physician’s report, Hospitals on theEdge. We recognise the considerablepressures on acute services and very muchshare the RCP’s concerns about the currentstate of hospitals. The provision of hospitalcare is a whole-system problem whichneeds to fully address problems of socialcare and primary care to better meetpeople’s needs, particularly those of olderpatients.FPH AnnualConferenceTHE 2013 FPH Annual Conference will beheld at the University of Warwick, Coventryon Wednesday 3 July. Warwick hasexcellent facilities, affordableaccommodation, free parking and goodtransport links. We will host the FPH AnnualDinner and Awards Ceremony on theevening before the conference, Tuesday 2July, also at the University of Warwick.Contact detailsIF YOU have changed contact details –home or employer – and haven’t let FPHknow, please contact us atmembership@fph.org.uk to make sure youget your FPH communications and benefitsin good time. You can also update yourdetails via the online members’ area athttp://tinyurl.com/7c6wfxkChristmasopening timesThe FPH offices will close at 5pm on Friday21 December 2012 and will re-open at9am on Tuesday 2 January 2013.Clinical commissioning groups will needthe expertise of public health professionals,which is why it is essential to have enoughpublic health people with the right skills inthe right places. In other words, we mustensure that public health expertise remainsat the heart of service planning anddelivery, and not forget how prevention isfar better than cure.FPH to respond to news of foodandbeverage-industry funding ofthe Pan American HealthOrganizationWith news that the World HealthOrganization’s (WHO) regional office, thePan American Health Organisation, is forthe first time accepting funding from foodandbeverage-industry partners includingCoca Cola, Nestle and Unilever, FPH is tomake a strong response against thisdevelopment, which runs counter to theWHO’s worldwide policies and represents aclear conflict of interest.Get involvedWe are always keen to work with memberson policy issues. If you would like to workwith FPH, please get in touch. At present,we are particularly keen for mediaspokespeople. To find out more, pleasecontact policy@fph.co.ukWelcome to new FPH membersWe would like to congratulate and welcome the following new members who wereadmitted to FPH between August 2012 and November 2012FellowsRoxana AlexandrescuJohn DunbarSusan ForsterThomas HallBharathy KumaravelDavid McCoyBrendan O’BrienJulie ParkesEryl PowellThara RajLucinda SaundersIngrid WolfeMembersGabriel AgboadoLaura AsherRosalind BlackwoodAdam BriggsDuncan CooperCatherine CoyleRoberto DeBonoOrla DunnKirsty Anne HewittMarjorie JohnstonSuzanne MeredithMay MoonanJeremiah NgondiSarah PayneAmy PotterCharlotte SimpsonEva Van VelzenFPH elections2012-2013PresidentWe are delighted to announce the electionof Professor John Ashton as FPH President.He will take up office at the AGM in thesummer of 2013. The full election resultscan be found at http://tinyurl.com/7c6wfxkVice President for PolicyBallot papers for the election of a VicePresident for Policy were due to be sentout by post to all FPH voting members on12 December. The ballot closing date is 23January 2013. Please contact Lauren Ince(laureni@fph.org.uk/0207 935 0243) if youhave not received your ballot paper. Pleasenote that we are not allowed to count anyballots returned after the closing date.New diplomate membersShade AgboolaTazeem Bhatia TheussGillian BrennerHelen CruickshankLucy Douglas-PannettAbdel ElhassanJonathan HobdayShannon KatiyoSoili LarkinIain LittleJames Lopez BernalJohn Mair-JenkinsVictoria MatthewsBruce McKenzieIngrid SladeEmily StevensonSpecialty Registrar membersGillian ArmstrongAndrea ClementGavin CobbJoanne DarkeEmma FletcherJohn FordMichael FordeMary HallChristopher JohnsonStuart KeebleKelly MackenziePetra MatulkovaMartine UsdinEmily Van de VenterRegistrarNominations for the election of a Registraropen on 17 December 2012 and will closeon 24 January 2013. Details of the postcan be found athttp://tinyurl.com/7c6wfxk*Local Board MembersNominations open on 14 January and closeon 15 February 2013 for the election ofLocal Board Members for the EastMidlands and the North West.*General Board MembersNominations for the election of threeGeneral Board Members open on 4February and close on 7 March 2013.** Nomination papers for all posts will beavailable on the FPH online members’ area(http://tinyurl.com/7c6wfxk) from the dateon which nominations open. They are alsoavailable from carolinewren@fph.org.uk. Afull election timetable can be found on theonline members’ area.New publichealthspecialistsCongratulations to the following onachieving public health specialtyregistration:UK PUBLIC HEALTH REGISTERTraining and examination routeThomas HallJessica SheringhamGeneralist portfolio routeGlenda AugustineJane BeenstockAmy BirdAnna BrydenSian DaviesTim FieldingJulie O'BoyleLinda PrickettDefined specialist portfolio routeTeresa Salami-AdetiGENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL REGISTERJennifer ChampionJohn DunbarKatharine HaireVanessa SalibaIngrid WolfeMinister’s visitFPH PRESIDENT Lindsey Davies met with DrAhmed Al Sa’eedi, the Health Minister forOman, in October and was delighted tohear of the efforts made in public health inthe region by our members.Professor Davies said: “Oman’s five-yearhealth plan is an important framework forthe development of the country's healthinfrastructure. We will continue to adviseand help where we can.”22 PUBLIC HEALTH TODAYDECEMBER 2012 23