The findings were published of a review to assess public health in Northern Ireland. It made recommendations on health protection, health improvement, service development and training. An implementation group, chaired by the Chief Medical Officer, would develop an action plan to take the recommendations forward.
Source: Review of the Public Health Function in Northern Ireland: Final report, Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety/Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 0500)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | NIE press release
Date: 2004-Dec
A report shows trends over the period 1987-2003 in data from young people involved in physical activities (outside of school) on a weekly basis. Children aged 10-15 were more likely to report exercising vigorously three times or more in the previous week than they were in 1995: but they were more likely to think of themselves as unfit.
Source: Trends: Young People and Physical Activity - Attitudes to and participation in exercise and sport 1987 2003, Schools Health Education Unit (01392 667272)
Links: Summary | BBC report
Date: 2004-Dec
A Bill was published to ban smoking in enclosed public places in Scotland. It also made provision for free eye and dental checks for all by 2007.
Source: Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Text of Bill (pdf) | Explanatory notes (pdf) | SE press release (1) | SE press release (2)
Date: 2004-Dec
An annual survey measured health and health-related behaviours in adults and children living in private households in England in 2003. People from lower socio-economic backgrounds were more likely to suffer from heart disease and to indulge in binge drinking than the better-off.
Source: Health Survey for England 2003: Latest trends, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Report (pdf) | Tables (Excel file) | Natcen press release (Word file)
Date: 2004-Dec
The government announced its spending plans for sport for the three years 2005-06 to 2007-08. It also said that it would spend 519 million on its school sports strategy in England in the two years 2006-07 and 2007-08. All pupils in schools in England would be doing a minimum of two hours physical exercise and sport at school by 2010.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 14 December 2004, columns 120-121WS, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 14 December 2004, columns 122-123WS, TSO
Links: Hansard | DfES press release | DCMS press release (1) | DCMS press release (2) | Sport England press release | YMCA press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Dec
The government published (following consultation) a White Paper on improving public health in England. New measures included: radical action to increase the number of smoke-free workplaces (but not a complete ban on smoking in public places); curbs on the promotion of unhealthy foods to children; clearer labelling of the nutritional content of food; National Health Service 'health trainers' to provide advice to individuals on how to improve their lifestyle; and a wide range of measures to tackle social and geographical inequalities in health. The government also named the 88 most health deprived areas in England that would be the first to pilot related initiatives.
Source: Choosing Health: Making healthier choices easier, Cm 6374, Department of Health, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 16 November 2004, columns 1161-1179, TSO
Links: White Paper (pdf links) | Summary (pdf) | Hansard | DH press release (1) | DH press release (2) | CPPIH press release | HDA press release | HPA press release | BMA press release | Health Foundation press release | NHS Confederation press release | RCP press release | Alcohol Concern press release | ASH press release | National Aids Trust press release | RCPsych press release | SCMH press release | TUC press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2004-Nov
The government announced a 300 million programme, over three years, to modernize and transform sexual health services in England. The extra funding would include a 50 million advertising campaign to tackle the rise in sexually transmitted infections.
Source: Press release 26 November 2004, Department of Health (020 7210 4850)
Links: DH press release | THT press release | FPA press release
Date: 2004-Nov
A report said that healthy and nutritious school meals led to better-behaved pupils who were more alert in the classroom.
Source: Looking for Innovation in Healthy School Meals, Soil Association (0117 929 0661) and Business in the Community
Links: Report (pdf) | Soil Association press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Nov
The Scottish Executive outlined plans for a ban on smoking in public places, to take effect by spring 2006. A research report estimated the number of deaths from the major smoking-related causes of death in Scottish adults which could be attributed to passive smoking. A second report examined workplace smoking policies in Scotland.
Source: Press release 10 November 2004, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400) | David Hole, Passive Smoking and Associated Causes of Death in Adults in Scotland, Scottish Executive | Sally Malam, Helen Barnard, Tracy Mackey and Rachel Roberts, Workplace Smoking Policies in Scotland, Scottish Executive
Links: SE press release | Hole report (pdf) | Malam report (pdf) | Consultation responses (pdf links) | ASH press release | COSLA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Nov
A qualitative study documented the perceived impact of welfare advice on the health and circumstances of people living on low incomes. Respondents reported positive effects on financial, material and social circumstances and health, in particular reduced stress and anxiety; better sleeping patterns; reversal of weight loss; changes in medication; reduced contact with the primary care team; reduction or cessation of smoking; and improved diet and physical activity.
Source: Suzanne Moffatt, Martin White, Rosie Stacy, Dawn Downey and Eve Hudson, 'The impact of welfare advice in primary care: a qualitative study', Critical Public Health, Volume 14 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2004-Oct
A nutritional analysis of five meals typically served in primary schools showed that children eating them over five days would consume 40 per cent more fat, 28 per cent more saturated fat, and 20 per cent more sugar, than recommended.
Source: Press release 28 October 2004, Soil Association (0117 929 0661)
Links: Soil Association press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Oct
A private member's Bill aimed at improving children's health, and preventing food-related ill-health, fell through lack of Parliamentary time.
Source: Debra Shipley MP, Children's Food Bill, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill (pdf)
Date: 2004-Oct
In its first annual report, an official advisory group on sexual health and HIV made 29 recommendations to government, covering the areas of prioritizing sexual health within public health, improving prevention and education, delivering better co-ordinated and faster services, and doing more research.
Source: Independent Advisory Group for Sexual Health and HIV, Annual Report 2003/04, Department of Health (Sexual_Health_IAG@dh.gsi.gov.uk)
Links: Report (pdf) | IAG press release (pdf) | fpa press release
Date: 2004-Oct
A report presented the results of a survey on contraception and sexual health carried out in 2003-04. Half (52 per cent) of all women aged 16 49 were using at least one method of non-surgical contraception. The most popular method of contraception remained the contraceptive pill. A statistical bulletin was also published, summarizing information about contraceptive services provided by the National Health Service in England in 2003-04.
Source: Contraception and Sexual Health, 2003, Department of Health (08701 555455) | NHS Contraceptive Services, England: 2003-04, Statistical Bulletin 2004/17, Department of Health
Links: Report (pdf) | Bulletin (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Sep
A report called for the creation of a new cabinet-level ministerial post to drive forward a revolution in public health. The new arrangements would shift the government s present focus on acute treatment to a broader approach to tackling the root causes of ill-health - including poverty and social inequality, housing, diet and pollution.
Source: Releasing the Potential for the Public s Health, UK Public Health Association (0870 010 1932), Local Government Association, and NHS Confederation
Links: Report (pdf) | UKPHA press release | LGA press release
Date: 2004-Sep
The government published a 'healthy living blueprint' for schools. All schools would be supported to do more to encourage children to eat sensibly, stay physically active and maintain good levels of personal health. Nutritional standards for secondary schools were revised.
Source: Healthy Living Blueprint for Schools, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Blueprint (pdf) | DfES press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Sep
A report said that only by building people s knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their own health - health literacy - would choice in the National Heath Service reduce health inequalities.
Source: Saranjit Sihota and Linda Lennard, Health Literacy: Being able to make the most of health, National Consumer Council (020 7730 3469)
Links: Report (pdf) | NCC press release
Date: 2004-Aug
A research report investigated the relationship between education and the take-up of preventative healthcare, with particular reference to screening for cervical cancer.
Source: Ricardo Sabates and Leon Feinstein, Education, Training and the Take-Up of Preventative Health Care, Research Report RCB09, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Brief (pdf)
Date: 2004-Aug
An article said that whether children walked to and from primary school made no difference to their total activity. Although children who walked to and from school recorded more activity in the process, their total weekly activity was identical to non-walkers. The additional activity recorded by walkers during the school journey was only 2 per cent of the children's total weekly activity.
Source: Brad Metcalf, Linda Voss, Alison Jeffery, Jenny Perkins and Terry Wilkin, 'Physical activity cost of the school run: impact on schoolchildren of being driven to school', British Medical Journal, 18 August 2004
Links: Article (pdf) | BMJ press release
Date: 2004-Aug
The Chief Medical Officer published his annual report for 2003. The five chapters of the report examined: smoking and skin ageing; the economic benefits of smoke-free public places; better blood transfusion; academic medicine; and earlier detection of HIV infection. The Faculty of Public Health called for a 40 per cent increase in the number of public health specialists, in order to meet targets for improving public health.
Source: On the State of Public Health: Annual report of the Chief Medical Officer 2003, Chief Medical Officer/Department of Health (08701 555455) | Press release 28 July 2004, Faculty of Public Health (020 7487 1185)
Links: Report (pdf) | DH press release | HDA press release | BMA press release | King's Fund press release | ASH press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
The schools inspectorate criticised 'patchy and often unsatisfactory' teaching on healthy eating and the importance of exercise. Nurseries were much better at promoting and including food and nutrition in every aspect of learning when compared with primary schools.
Source: Starting Early: Food and nutrition education of young children, HMI 2292, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833) and Food Standards Agency
Links: Report (pdf) | OFSTED press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
The Scottish Executive published a framework for the promotion of healthy eating.
Source: Eating for Health: Meeting the Challenge - Co-ordinated action, improved communication and leadership for Scottish food and health policy 2004, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report
Date: 2004-Jul
The Food Standards Agency adopted an action plan (following consultation) on the way in which foods were promoted to children.
Source: Action Plan on Food Promotions and Children's Diets, Food Standards Agency (020 7276 8000)
Links: Report (pdf) | FSA press release
Date: 2004-Jul
The schools inspectorate said that pupils were spending more time on physical education and sport as a result of the government's school sport partnerships programme. There had also been a significant improvement in the quality of teaching in PE lessons and extra-curricular sporting activities, particularly in primary schools. But over a third of pupils still did less than two hours of PE a week.
Source: The School Sport Partnerships Programme: Evaluation of phases 3 and 4, 2003-04, HMI 2150, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833)
Links: Report (pdf) | OFSTED press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
The government announced details of proposed changes in arm's-length bodies in the National Health Service, including the abolition and merger of a number of bodies. The Health Development Agency would be abolished, and its functions transferred to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
Source: Reconfiguring the Department of Health's Arm's Length Bodies, Department of Health (08701 555455) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 22 July 2004, columns 73-77WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Hansard | DH press release | HDA/NICE joint press release
Date: 2004-Jul
A report said that most school meals in English secondary schools were meeting nutritional standards. It also outlined the progress being made to improve the choice and nutritional quality of food. But 1 in 5 schools still failed to meet all the nutritional standards for schools every lunchtime.
Source: Michael Nelson et al., School Meals in Secondary Schools in England, Research Report 557, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260) and Food Standards Agency
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf) | DfES press release | FSA press release | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2004-Jul
The Labour Party published a consultative policy document on social welfare issues, including the environment, public health, and sport and recreation.
Source: Enhancing the Quality of Life, Labour Party (08705 900200)
Links: Consultation document (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jul
The television watchdog ruled out a ban on advertising junk foods to children. It said the role of advertising in obesity was small compared to other factors such as exercise and family habits.
Source: Childhood Obesity: Food advertising in context, Office of Communications (020 7981 3000)
Links: Ofcom press release | BMA press release | NCC press release | Consumers' Association press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
Three-quarters of the population wanted active government intervention to discourage people from putting their own health at risk, according to a survey. More than 60 per cent of the population believed the government should intervene to tackle poverty as the most effective way of preventing illness.
Source: Opinion Leader Research, Public Attitudes to Public Health Policy, King s Fund (020 7307 2591)
Links: Report (pdf) | KF press release
Date: 2004-Jun
The government announced a package of new measures to increase levels of cycling and walking. It included a programme of new links to extend the national cycle network to hundreds of schools; and investment in upgrading cycle provision at 200 rail stations.
Source: Walking and Cycling: An action plan, Department for Transport (0870 1226 236)
Links: Action plan (pdf) | DT press release | Living Streets press release | Transport 2000 press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jun
A report (based on findings from the General Household Survey) said that 75 per cent of British adults took part in some sport, game or physical activity (including walking) in 2002.
Source: Kate Fox and Leicha Rickards, Sports and Leisure: Results from the 2002 General Household Survey, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report (pdf) | ONS press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jun
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on school transport. It expressed concern that lowering statutory walking distances might discourage older children who lived 1-3 miles from school from walking or (especially) cycling.
Source: The Government s Response to the Transport Committee s Report on School Transport, Cm 6254, Department for Transport, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response (pdf) | MPs report
Date: 2004-Jun
Low-income consumers were asked for their views on a range of options to address the way in which foods were promoted and marketed to children. Parents and teenagers generally welcomed the idea of forcing manufacturers to be more honest about their products, and said they found existing labelling confusing.
Source: Research Works Limited, Food Promotion and Marketing to Children: Views of low income consumers, Food Standards Agency (020 7276 8000)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jun
A private member's Bill was introduced to require all schools in England to have a food policy; to provide support for schools in drawing up, implementing and developing food policies; to make permanent the scheme for free fruit in schools and to extend it; to extend entitlement to free school meals, including to breakfasts; and to amend the law relating to the nutritional values of school meals.
Source: David Kidney MP, Food in Schools Bill, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 22 June 2004, columns 1202-1204, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Hansard
Date: 2004-Jun
A review of the effects of municipal waste management concluded that current practice for managing municipal waste - including the use of incinerators - had at most a minor effect on human health and the environment. But campaigners said the review had failed to consider environmental impacts in several key areas.
Source: Enviros Consulting Ltd and Roy Harrison, Review of Environmental and Health Effects of Waste Management: Municipal Waste and Similar Wastes, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (08459 556000) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 6 May 2004, columns 82-83WS, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 6 May 2004, Friends of the Earth (020 7490 1555)
Links: Report | Hansard | DEFRA press release | FOE press release | Green Alliance press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-May
The government launched a series of consultations on specific public health issues, as part of a wider consultation launched in March 2004.
Source: Choosing Health, Choosing a Better Diet : A consultation on priorities for a food and health action plan, Department of Health (08701 555455) | Choosing Health, Choosing a Better Diet: A consultation on priorities for a food and health action plan - Nutritional priorities for specific groups, Department of Health | Choosing Health, Choosing a Better Diet: A consultation on priorities for a food and health action plan - Rationale for nutritional priorities, Department of Health | Choosing Health, Choosing Activity: A consultation on how to increase physical activity, Department of Health
Links: Priorities document (pdf) | Nutritional priorities document (pdf) | Rationale document (pdf) | Physical activity document (pdf)
Date: 2004-May
A report said that achieving the government's target of 70 per cent participation in sport and physical activity by 2020 would achieve major benefits - including new tax revenues of over 8 billion, and savings of 2.4 billion (made up of 1.3 billion savings to the National Health Service on the cost of physical inactivity, 0.6 billion from reduced absenteeism at work, and 0.5 billion from reduced premature deaths due to inactivity).
Source: Sport Industry Research Centre, The Impact of Achieving Sport England s Target for Making England an Active Nation by 2020, Sport England (0870 5210 255)
Links: Summary (pdf) | Sport England press release | SHU press release
Date: 2004-May
The Food Standards Agency began consultation on its strategic plan for the period 2005-2010.
Source: Strategic Plan 2005 2010: Putting consumers first, Food Standards Agency (020 7276 8000)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Apr
A report charted progress towards achieving the target of 70 per cent of the population doing 30 minutes of moderate physical activity 5 times a week by 2020.
Source: Sporting Britain, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (020 7211 6200)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Apr
A report charted progress in implementing the recommendations of a 2002 strategy for improving organisational structures for delivering sport and physical activity.
Source: First Game Plan Delivery Report, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (020 7211 6200)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Apr
A report by the government's Chief Medical Officer said that people needed to stay physically active over the whole of their lives if they were to stave off the threat of obesity and killer diseases like cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes and cancer.
Source: At Least Five A Week: Evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health, Chief Medical Officer/Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report (pdf links) | DH press release | HDA press release | King's Fund press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Apr
An article argued that government policy towards public health had been characterized by 'continuing and fundamental tensions'. Far from empowering public health practitioners, these tensions had contributed to practitioners' uncertainty about their roles, and about how they could meet the centre's increasing demands for demonstrable 'delivery'.
Source: David Evans, 'Shifting the balance of power?: UK public health policy and capacity building', Critical Public Health, Volume 14 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2004-Mar
A government consultation document set out wide-ranging questions on how the country might tackle health problems such as obesity, smoking and sexually transmitted infections.
Source: Choosing Health?: Consultation on improving people's health, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | DH press release | HDA press release | ASH press release
Date: 2004-Mar
The Food Standards Agency began consultation on an action plan on food promotion and children. The action plan called on government, schools, industry and others to work with the Agency to address the way in which foods were promoted to children, and in doing so to encourage children to eat a more healthy diet. The government said that it preferred self-regulation by the advertising industry to statutory regulation.
Source: Draft Action Plan on Food Promotions and Children s Diets: Consultation paper, Food Standards Agency (020 7276 8000) | Speech by Tessa Jowell MP (Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport) 3 March 2004, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (020 7211 6200)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Text of speech | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Mar
A review sought to identify public health interventions shown to be effective in increasing physical activity among adults.
Source: Melvyn Hillsdon, Charlie Foster, Bhash Naidoo and Hugo Crombie, The Effectiveness of Public Health Interventions for Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults: Review of reviews, Health Development Agency (020 7430 0850)
Links: Report (pdf) | HDA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Mar
A collection of studies attempted to assess the relative importance of the concept of social capital as it related to different contexts and population groups. It formed part of a larger programme of research commissioned to investigate the relationship between social capital and health, paying particular attention to issues of definition and measurement for use at the local research level.
Source: Antony Morgan and Catherine Swann (eds.), Social Capital for Health: Issues of definition, measurement and links to health, Health Development Agency (020 7430 0850)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Mar
A survey found that more school pupils were taking up physical education and sport as a result of school sport partnerships. (The partnerships consist of groups of schools working together to increase sports opportunities: the government aims to have 400 partnerships, covering the whole of England, in place by September 2006.)
Source: The Impact of School Sport Partnerships, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (Word file) | DfES press release
Date: 2004-Mar
A report highlighted the 'extraordinary disparity' between, on the one hand, the overriding importance of the public health sciences for public protection, service provision and health improvement and, on the other, the limited strategic interest that was taken in their infrastructure and conduct.
Source: Public Health Sciences Working Group, Public Health Sciences: Challenges and Opportunities, Wellcome Trust (020 7611 7329)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Mar
A report on ways of promoting government policies said that the government needed to adopt a more subtle approach in its efforts to improve public health in areas such as alcoholism and obesity.
Source: David Halpern and Clive Bates with Greg Beales and Adam Heathfield, Personal Responsibility and Changing Behaviour: The state of knowledge and its implications for public policy, Strategy Unit/Cabinet Office (020 7276 1881)
Links: Report (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Feb
The government published its response to a consultation exercise on the replacement of the welfare food scheme by a new 'Healthy Start' programme. The nutritional basis of the scheme would be broadened; greater access would be provided to healthy foods through a fixed face value voucher; and scheme members would be registered through health professionals. The government said that about 800,000 parents in poorer families would get vouchers for fruit and vegetables through the scheme.
Source: Healthy Start: Government response to the consultation, Department of Health (08701 555455) | Press release 16 February 2004, Department of Health (020 7210 4850)
Links: Response (pdf) | DH press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Feb
A report set out twelve demands to tackle government and industry 'inertia' over obesity and diet-related disease. There should be restrictions on the advertising of all foods high in fat, sugar and salt during children's TV viewing times; there should be better co-ordination between government departments on nutrition-related issues; and the big high street supermarkets should develop a labelling scheme to help consumers easily identify foods high in fat, sugar and salt.
Source: Health Warning to Government, Consumers' Association (020 7770 7000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Consumers' Association press release
Date: 2004-Feb
A report (and related article) advocated community-based health promotion projects in Northern Ireland.
Source: Deirdre Heenan, A Partnership Approach to Health Promotion: Case study for Northern Ireland, Faculty of Social Sciences/University of Ulster (028 9036 6178) | Deirdre Heenan, 'A partnership approach to health promotion: A case study from Northern Ireland', Health Promotion International, Volume 19 No 1
Links: Summary | Journal abstract | University of Ulster press release
Date: 2004-Feb
The final report was published from an official review group (led by Derek Wanless) on long-term public health trends and inequalities, and their implications for future healthcare policy. It said that all previous efforts to move the focus of the National Health Service from treating sickness to preventing ill-health had failed; and it called for a co-ordinated drive by government and local health agencies against obesity, smoking and diabetes. It said there was an arguable case for extending specific taxes to foodstuffs which contained harmful ingredients while subsidising healthier products.
Source: Derek Wanless, Securing Good Health for the Whole Population: Final report, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558) and Department of Health
Links: Report (pdf links) | DH press release | CPPIH press release | HDA press release | BMA press release | King's Fund press release | NHS Confederation press release | SCMH press release | RCP press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Guardian report (3)
Date: 2004-Feb
Researchers sought to identify the difficulties for local education authorities and schools in moving to delegated funding; identify examples of best practice, both in administration and delivery of delegating budgets; look at the support and monitoring school staff and governors received to assist the provision of meals; and investigate the impact of the shift to delegated school meals funding on nutritional standards and the quality of food provision in school. Over 80 per cent of LEAs had delegated funding universally to all secondary and primary schools. In LEAs where the funding formula was based on free school meal entitlement rather than take-up, the sums schools spent on meals did not necessarily match the sums delegated. In schools that made savings on the budget, unspent sums were often absorbed into the general school budget. Conversely, some schools were known to be spending more on free school meals than the sum delegated.
Source: Pamela Storey and Mano Candappa, School Meals Funding Delegation, Research Report 512, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb
An article argued that compulsory screening of immigrants was not based on adequate evidence, and had practical and ethical problems.
Source: Richard Coker, 'Compulsory screening of immigrants for tuberculosis and HIV', British Medical Journal, 7 February 2004
Links: Article | BMJ press release
Date: 2004-Feb
An independent advisory group said the crisis in sexual health services was caused by a failure on the part of local National Health Service organisations to recognise and deal with a major public health problem, together with a lack of political pressure and leadership over many years.
Source: Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV, Response to the Health Select Committee Report on Sexual Health, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Report (pdf) | MPs' report
Date: 2004-Jan
The government announced the national roll-out of the National School Fruit Scheme, designed to promote fruit consumption ('five a day') by children aged 4-6. But a professor of nutrition reportedly criticised the scheme, arguing that it did not address the key nutritional problems facing children, and calling it a 'scandalous waste of money'.
Source: Press release 8 January 2004, Department of Health (020 7210 4850) | The Independent, 13 January 2004
Links: DH press release | News article
Date: 2004-Jan
An article called for a programme of medically supervised injecting centres to be piloted, as part of an integrated public health strategy. It argued that pilot studies in other countries had shown positive results. (Medically supervised injecting centres allow drug users to inject 'street drugs' in a clinical environment, with resuscitation equipment and nursing staff on hand in case of overdose or other complications.)
Source: Nat Wright and Charlotte Tompkins, 'Supervised injecting centres', British Medical Journal, 10 January 2004
Links: Article | BMJ press release
Date: 2004-Jan
A briefing paper argued that mental health promotion could produce lasting benefits - strengthening individuals and communities, reducing barriers to good mental health, and promoting inclusion for people with mental health problems.
Source: Mental Health Promotion: Implementing standard one of the National Service Framework for mental health, Briefing 24, Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (020 7827 8352)
Links: Briefing (pdf) | SCMH press release
Date: 2004-Jan
