News

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

Breaking the inequality cycle

With a growing crisis in the cost of living and little financial relief for the worst-off, the gap between the most and least healthy is likely to widen. Journalist Sarah Campbell looks at these inequalities and asks if they can ever improve.

Health and wellbeing, Vulnerability

Using disinfectant in pregnancy linked to childhood asthma and eczema

Exposure to disinfectants during pregnancy may be a risk factor for asthma and eczema in children, a study in Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggests.

ResearchHealth and wellbeing, Growth and development, Allergies

Babies treated for hypoglycemia suffer no adverse academic outcomes

Babies born with and treated for low blood sugar are not likely to perform worse academically in mid-childhood, research suggests.

ResearchHealth and wellbeing, Growth and development

Women exposed to adverse childhood experiences more likely to develop MS

Childhood trauma could be linked to an increased risk of women developing multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life, research suggests.

ResearchHealth and wellbeing, Safeguarding

Family-based treatment of children with severe obesity improves weight loss

Family-based behavioural social facilitation treatment (FBSFT), delivered at an obesity outpatient clinic, improved weight-related outcomes significantly more than treatment as usual (TAU) among children aged six to 18 years with severe obesity, a study has found.

ResearchHealth and wellbeing, Nutrition

Air pollution linked to heightened risk of autoimmune disease

Long-term exposure to air pollution may be linked to an increased risk of autoimmune disease, including rheumatoid arthritis, research published in RMD Open has found.

ResearchHealth and wellbeing

Analysis of social media behaviour could help with vaccine hesitancy

A study attempting to understand the public’s interactions with vaccine communications on social media has revealed seven patterns of engagement behaviour towards Covid-19 vaccination.

ResearchBehaviour, Immunisation & illness

Wales: make nursing an attractive career, says CNO

This was one of five priorities laid out by chief nursing officer (CNO) for Wales Sue Tranka at the CNO conference in Wales in April.

Regional/Country Professional

Scotland: new strategy for health and social care workforce

Training, wellbeing, job satisfaction and fair work principles are at the heart of a new plan to shape Scotland’s health and social care workforce over the next decade.

Regional/Country Professional

Wales: funded four-year plan to cut long waiting times

Waiting times on the NHS in Wales will be no longer than one year by spring 2025, states a new government plan.

Regional/Country Health and wellbeing, Professional

Scotland: preparing the country for future pandemics

Professor Andrew Morris has been appointed as chair of the Scottish Government’s Standing Committee on Pandemic Preparedness (SCoPP). The committee met in April to discuss how to advise Scotland how to prepared to deal with future pandemics.

Regional/Country Professional

NSPCC reveals worrying scale of abuse and neglect

In 2021-22, the NSPCC’s Helpline contacted agencies about 22,505 children to investigate concerns about abuse and neglect.

Regional/Country Vulnerability, Professional, Safeguarding

England and Wales: help shape new ways of working for school nurses

New research will seek to explore how school nurses’ work with vulnerable children and young people evolved as a result of the pandemic.

Regional/Country Professional

News in numbers: May/June 2022

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

Regional/Country Health and wellbeing, Mental Health

Hepatitis: viral cause suspected as child cases pass 160

An unusual spike in hepatitis cases among UK children is likely linked to a common virus, say health officials.

Regional/Country Health and wellbeing, Immunisation & illness

Scotland: a public health response to violence against women and girls

The challenges faced by women in Scotland to live in safe places and communities and to achieve positive mental health are among the factors highlighted by six briefings published by Public Health Scotland (PHS).

Regional/Country Safeguarding

Wales: physical punishment ban comes into force

The physical punishment of children is now illegal in Wales under new legislation that took effect in March.

Regional/Country Vulnerability, Safeguarding
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