Environmental Health and
Public Health
Peter Carey
Environmental Health Manager
4th December 2013
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
My presentation
 The role environmental health can play in the new
public health agenda
 The opportunities and challenges
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Themes
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Perspective
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Priorities
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Organisations
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Resources
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Perspective
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Pre 19th Century - little Government involvement
in public health
Industrial revolution - overcrowding, poor
housing, bad water and disease
Major cholera outbreaks
Government accepted the case for action
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Public measures
 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act
 1848 The Nuisances Removal and Diseases
Prevention Act
 1848 Public Health Act
 1853 Vaccination Act
 1875 Public Health Act
 1894 Local Government Act
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Individual measures
 1906 Power for LAs to provide free school meals
 1907 School medical examinations for all
children
 1908 Old age pensions introduced
 1911 National Insurance introduced
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Current environmental
health roles
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Nuisance
Housing conditions inc
overcrowding
Drinking water quality
Food safety
Health & safety at work
Infectious disease
control
North Herts District Council
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Air quality
Contaminated land
Tobacco control
(smoke free premises)
Noise control
Skin piercing
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Priorities
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HCC priorities
District Council priorities
NHS priorities
Herts H&W Strategy priorities
Wider determinants of health
Public Health Outcomes Framework for England
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Health & Wellbeing
Strategy priorities
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Reducing the harm caused
by alcohol.
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Reducing the harm from
tobacco.
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Increasing physical activity
and promoting a healthy
weight.
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Fulfilling lives for people
with learning disabilities.
North Herts District Council
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Living well with dementia.
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Enhancing quality of life
for people with long term
conditions.
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Supporting carers to care.
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Helping all families to
thrive.
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Improving mental health
and emotional wellbeing.
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Wider determinants of health
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Public Health Outcomes
Framework 2013-2016
Organisations
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
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HCC
CCGs (x2)
District/Borough Councils (x10)
Parish/Town Councils
NHS Trusts
NHS Local Area Team
PHE South Midlands & Herts
Third Sector
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Resources
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Budgets
Economic climate
Commissioning
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Case studies
District Council’s Network
“District Action
on Public Health”
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Wealden DC – food safety
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Improving food knowledge at lunch clubs
Over 20 lunch clubs across
Target audience older people (but not exclusively)
FSA grant applied for to support clubs
Training and other support offered with regard to
hygiene and nutrition
Half day training sessions and handbooks
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Chichester DC – falls
prevention
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Statutory duty to deal with hazards in homes
Accident notifications required under HSW74
Chichester 2008, most serious accident report
notifications related to falls of residents in care homes
Half day training session developed for care home
supervisors to increase knowledge of how to carry out
falls prevention assessment.
Delivered in conjunction with local NHS Trust
40% drop in care home accident reports since training
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
North Herts DC – tobacco
control
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Health Act 2006 – the smoking ban
Was compliance as good as reported?
Focus on business engagement
Taxi businesses
Vehicle checks with the Police
Referrals to HSSS
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk
Conclusion
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Detailed knowledge of public health issues
Practical and adaptable officers
Local knowledge of our communities and
local public health threats
Statutory powers
North Herts District Council
www.north-herts.gov.uk