June 2013

JIGSAWNEWS
A Monthly Newsletter on Public Health for EHPs in Hertfordshire and Beyond

Issue 4

Nudge Nudge......not

Something in the Air!

Both ne-particle air pollution and noise pollution may increase a persons risk of developing cardiovascular disease according to German researchers who have conducted a large population study in which they considered both factors simultaneously. "Many studies have looked at air pollution, while others have looked at noise pollution," said study leader Barbara Hoffmann, MD, MPH, from the IUF Leibniz Research Institute in Germany. "This study looked at both at the same time and found that each form of pollution was independently associated with subclinical atherosclerosis."

Wimbledon is just around the corner so it must mean more rains on the way, so to keep you company under your umbrella here is the latest Jigsaw News. This month were delighted to be able to bring you an interview with our colleague Jim McManus DPH at Hertfordshire County Council as well as the usual mix of stories. One of the governments main policies around Public Health is to nudge people away from unhealthy behaviours so its interesting to see that this month there seems to be a move back to enforcement with bans proposed on chips and smoking in cars. The Food Hygiene Rating System has also hit the headlines thanks to research by Which? The scheme should be the perfect example of a mixture of both approaches, the public being nudged away from poor food businesses and EHPs seeking compliance through the law. With 13% of the population not using the internet its difcult to see why there is still no requirement to prominently display ratings. If we are serious about nudging people in the right direction why is making the healthy choice usually the most difcult. Try eating healthily at a sporting event! Perhaps its time we started to incorporate nutrition into the remit of EHPs and make it part of the Food Hygiene Rating System. Supermarkets are already looking at the commercial opportunities of promoting healthy eating so why are Local Authorities so slow to act?

Wider Role for HealthWatch At the recent Chartered

Last month Jigsaw met with Sarah Wren Chair of HealthWatch Hertfordshire to discuss the importance of lower tier Local Authority services and their inuence on the wider determinants of health. Sarah shared our concerns that resources which underpin health improvements are currently at risk due to budget cuts. Communication was another area for improvement to ensure messages ow in both directions between the Health & Wellbeing Board and ofcers on the front line. Sarah fully supports the approach which we have taken with Jigsaw and hopes this can continue in the future.

Institute of Environmental Health Eastern Region Spring Forum 80% of those present admitted they didnt know the name of their Director of Public Health. Given the news Janet Atherton Chair of the Association Of Directors of Public Health said We like to chat and generally dont bite unless we have missed lunch!

Jigsaw Public Health Forum on the Move

Tuesday June 4th will be a busy day for the JigsawPSPH Public Health Forum as it will be moving house. Started in December 2012 the forum has been hosted on LinkedIn where members have been enjoying some lively debates. The new home will be at www.rhenvironmental.co.uk

Pete & Sarah

where the forum will be combined with the Jigsaw Blog and links to the Im a Public Health Professional Get Me Out of Here podcast. Jigsaw co founder Pete Hill is excited about the new start. Its what we have been aiming at for sometime keeping all the various Jigsaw products in one place. Id like to give a big vote of thanks to everyone at RHEnvironmental for making it happen. Now I cant wait to get going.

When Jigsaw Met Jim

Last month we took Jigsaw on the road to catch up with our good friend Jim McManus Director of Public Health at Hertfordshire County Council and this is what he had to say:

Q: Jim do you feel that Public Health is

Thanks to Herts JSNA Mgr Mark Jordan

Making Every Contact Count

Hertfordshire County Council are working hard to promote the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) initiative which makes use of every opportunity to spread positive health messages. Resources for front line ofcers are available at the NHS local learning website. http://bit.ly/I6qU2G These include training and tools to get started.

mindset that ask the right questions about their leadership now back where it belongs in Local role and get them to do that. Government? A: I think Local Government is the Q: Within Hertfordshire there is a two tier structure how do you natural place for Public Health for harness those 10 authorities three reasons. Firstly most of the together to move forward on Public determinants of health sit within Health? the remit of Local Government. A: I said that the biggest Weve 30 years of policy and challenge would be in the two evidence that have told us that, the tier areas because the system Marmot report was the latest and has been designed like perhaps the most eloquent. community safety was to t into Secondly the spread across the life course that Local Government does a unitary model. Thats not a criticism its just something makes it a natural ally for Public about how we design systems. Health to want to inuence and be The counties and the districts part of. The third reason is a lot of have to work together to create a the things you need to do with system that works. You cant do children sit in the gift of Local Public Health without District Government. Public Health is more Councils, starting at Housing, than just the clinical stuff its more which was always a big issue for than what GPs do its more than me going through health behaviours its lots of other stuff that I feel ts naturally in Local Environmental Health and the myriad of things those guys do, Government. then working on Leisure and a Q: With Local Government come whole range of other things. elected members and political pressures how are you finding that side Similarly you cant do it without the county council in terms of of the job? Adult Social Care, Childrens A: I love it really, I love Local Services and other things. Now Government anyway The NHS was what weve done in every bit as political but just in a Hertfordshire is create a Public different kind of way. What I think Health Board that has all 10 elected members bring is a level of district councils enthusiastically public transparency, that the NHS on it along with the county, the didnt have in quite the same way. Local Government does things very crime commissioner and the publicly its much more transparent NHS. Its a sub group of the than the NHS because of its culture County Chief Executives Group and the Health & Wellbeing of operating. The other thing it Board. They will specically look brings is if you get your elected at how we work together to get a members with a Public Health mindset they become real allies. The joined up Public Health vision. big issue is how you support Our thanks to Jim. members in getting a Public Health

Jigsaw on-line: Podcast - http://jigsawpsph.podomatic.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/JigsawPSPH

d.m.dixon@stir.ac.uk

JIGSAW WORLD

Thinking Outside The Box

Two studies have suggested innovative ways of reducing crime and improving wellbeing. In Pennsylvania vacant plots of land were improved by planting grass and trees and providing fences. The changes led to reductions in gun crimes and improvements in residents perceptions of safety. Research has shown that negative perceptions can have a detrimental effect on health.

London Underground have found that the playing of classical music has been effective in reducing levels of crime and assaults on staff at Elm Park Station on the District Line. It could bring a whole new meaning to the phrase catching the Tuba!

More Community Services Needed A report by the Care Quality Commission has called for more investment in community services to ease the burden on A&E Departments. Current gures show the minimum cost of a visit to A&E to be 76 with over 21 million attendances each year the cost to the NHS is approximately 1.6 billion. A gure that could be drastically reduced by greater focus on the wider determinants of health. No Smoking, Children on Board Scottish Liberal MSP Jim Hume wants to introduce a private members bill which would make it illegal to smoke in vehicles when children are present. A survey has found that eight out of 10 people north of the border would support such a ban.

Jigsaw on the Road

We have been invited to facilitate an hour workshop on Social Media at the forthcoming CIEH Annual Meeting on 13th June at Chadwick House. Unfortunately the event is fully booked but you will be able to follow events on Twitter @JigsawPSPH.

Public Health Outcomes Framework Updates Now Out

Public Health England have issued a series of updates to the Public Health outcomes Framework. The documents which include a progress report to March 2013 and Technical Specications of Public Health Indicators provide statutory guidance for Local Authorities exercising their Public Health functions. You can download the documents from: http://bit.ly/17UExtr Its NICE to Have Standards The National Institute for Health & Care Excellence are to develop three new Public Health Quality Standards. These will provide a set of statements designed to drive and measure improvements in health care. NICE has had a Public Health remit since 2005 before that time it dealt solely with clinical matters. The new quality standards will apply to both top and lower tier Local Authorities and integrate with the Public Health Outcomes Frameworks. http://bit.ly/19oMd7Y

When The Chips Are Down

Councillors in Salford are looking to use Planning regulations to ban take aways near local schools from serving hot food before 5pm. Margaret Morris Deputy Mayor for Health said. "Public health and helping to reduce obesity levels are a top priority, and while planners cannot control the food that is sold, we would like every new premise to offer well promoted healthy alternatives so people can have an informed choice about the food they eat.

Bexley in Kent has the worst food hygiene in Britain

Daily Mirror

Housing Research Bulletin

A new information source for Housing professionals was launched last month. The Housing Health International Research Bulletin can be found at: www.housinghealth.com

Jigsaw on-line: Daily News - http://paper.li/JigsawPSPH Blog - http://jigsawpsph.wordpress.com

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JIGSAW NEWS
Editing and Design: Pete Hill & Sarah James Jigsaw Northern Ireland Anthony McCloskey JigsawNews is an independent production all views expressed are solely those of the editorial team and do not represent those of any other organisation.

The Month on Twitter

Stanley Says: The number of adults accessing the internet has now reached 84%, the percentage using a smart phone is now 53%. Local Authorities are waking up to Social Media with 54% now using it at service level and only 30% blocking staff use. Two thirds of LAs now believe that wise use of Social Media can save them money. The biggest increase in Twitter users in the past 12 months has come in the 50-65 age group.
Coming Next Month............. We ask is the generic EHP an endangered species, take a look into the world of privatisation and round up the rest of the months Public Health news. Dont forget if your colleagues havent seen Jigsaw News why not get them on our mailing list. jigsawpsph@gmail.com BCC Env. Health @JigsawPSPH @foodgov Making it a legal req for all businesses to display their FHRS score would make a huge diff to #food safety Graham Burgess @The_CIEH @JigsawPSPH @foodgov @WhichUK Sloppy food hygiene standards should not be tolerated. Neither should reductions in EHOs. Crazy Dr Jeremy Leach of course establishments should display their FH ratings, thereby harnessing consumers.

Did You Know: a 20dB increase in aircraft noise is enough to delay a childs reading age by 8 months

Contact Us: JigsawPSPH@gmail.c om @JigsawPSPH 07917704429

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Did You Know: The cost of noise pollution in Europe is approximately 20 billion

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Alberts Square

Coopers Corner
I knew a hypochondriac who wouldnt visit the Dead Sea until he found out what it died of!