News

What’s happening in the world of public health? We take a look at the latest stories affecting the professions.

Scotland: minimum alcohol pricing fails to dent underage drinking habits

Minimum unit pricing (MUP) of alcohol has had no impact on under-18s’ drinking habits, say researchers. 

Regional/CountryHealth and wellbeing, Safeguarding

England: jab drives HPV to lowest level in 12 years

Cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are now at a very low level in young, sexually active women in England, following the introduction of the HPV vaccination in 2008.

Regional/CountryImmunisation & illness

England: meningococcal vaccine reduces disease by almost two-thirds

Infant vaccination against group B meningococcal disease (MenB) has significantly reduced the number of cases of the disease in young children, research by Public Health England shows.

Regional/CountryImmunisation & illness

Wales: extra help for the hidden homeless

A major new campaign to tackle hidden homelessness among young people has been launched by the Welsh Government.

Regional/CountryVulnerability, Safeguarding

Wales: funding doubled for ‘whole school’ mental health projects

The Welsh Government has doubled the funding available to local authorities and local health boards to support the mental health of children and young people.

Regional/CountryMental Health

News in numbers: March/April 2020

A breakdown of community health news this month, in numbers. Download the PDF, here. 

Regional/CountryHealth and wellbeing, Professional, Immunisation & illness

England: free period products made available to school students

State schools and colleges in England can now order free period products for students as part of a government scheme to tackle period poverty. 

Regional/CountryHealth and wellbeing, Professional

NMC to revamp post-registration SCPHN standards

The NMC will develop new ‘bespoke’ specialist community public health nursing (SCPHN) standards of proficiency for health visitors, school nurses and occupational health nurses.

Regional/Country Professional

Intensive care babies have greater risk of mental health problems

Children who spend time in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at birth have a higher risk of mental health issues later, regardless of birthweight.

Research Mental Health, Growth and development

Northern Ireland: nurses promised pay parity with England to end strike

The promise of pay parity has brought an end to the health service industrial dispute in Northern Ireland.

Regional/Country Professional

Wales: £13m for new wellbeing hub in Cardiff

A £13m investment to fund a new wellbeing hub in Cardiff has been announced by the Welsh Government.

Regional/Country Health and wellbeing, Professional

England: baby-friendly services in Salford win Unicef gold

Salford City Council and Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust’s 0 to five services have become the first in north-west England to achieve the joint gold standard Unicef Baby Friendly Award.

Regional/Country Professional

Northern Ireland: new healthcare skills brought to GP practices

New multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) that bring together a range of healthcare providers in GP practices are to be rolled out across the Western Health and Social Care Trust in partnership with the Derry GP Federation of Family Practices.

Regional/Country Professional

Heavy screen use may make pre-school children less physically active

Two- and three-year-olds who spend more than three hours a day on screens are less physically active at age five than those who watch for less than an hour.

Research Health and wellbeing, Growth and development

Mental health of secondary school children is getting worse

Secondary school children have worsening mental health, the latest Health behaviour in school-aged children England national report has shown.

Research Health and wellbeing

One in four primary school children lack movement skills

A quarter of primary school children in Ireland cannot run properly and lack basic movement skills, according to a new study of more than 2000 five- to 12-year-olds.

Research Health and wellbeing, Growth and development

Poverty associated with suicide risk in children and teens

Suicide rates in under-20s are higher in US counties where there is more poverty, researchers have found.

Research Vulnerability, Safeguarding
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