Public Health North East

If this bulletin does not display correctly click here to view in your browser

Regional Director’s Update

Last month we saw potentially one of the most important developments on the public health front in the North East since the introduction of the smokefree laws in 2007.

Balance – the region’s new alcohol office – was launched in Darlington as part of our Better Health, Fairer Health strategy.

Alcohol can play a positive role in our lives, but with drinks becoming stronger and measures bigger we are seeing more and more people getting into trouble.

And it’s not just about our young people. Many in middle years are drinking on a nightly basis, relying on alcohol to deal with the stresses of a busy life without realising how much they are consuming.

The first of its kind in the UK, Balance will work with a number of partner agencies to deliver a comprehensive and coordinated programme designed to reduce the harm caused by excessive drinking.

The office will also push for appropriate changes in laws, regulations and pricing policies based on existing evidence and new research.

Of course, we should not forget that a number of our primary care trusts are already making significant investment in alcohol treatment services.

We should also give a cautious welcome to statistics released in January that suggest our binge drinking problem might not be as acute as previously thought.

But there is still a huge job to be done to change the culture around drinking. I am confident Balance working with regional advisory group on alcohol will make a major contribution to this.

Professor Stephen Singleton
Regional Director of Public Health

Welcome to the monthly e-bulletin produced by Public Health North East. It is designed to keep you up to date on the latest developments in the region. Please send details about any public health-related events to simon.p.mills@dh.gsi.gov.uk.

Big little heart

Entertaining drama that could help save lives came to Teesside this week.

People living with diabetes and cardiovascular disease were invited to attend the show, which aims to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke.

Obesity action plan update

Progress on plans to tackle childhood obesity in the North East was outlined yesterday.

The One Year On conference at Newcastle Racecourse provided an update on the regional action plan.

Balance – getting the measure of alcohol

The UK’s first ever regional alcohol office was launched last month to tackle the issues associated with the North East’s drinking culture.

In a unique initiative, the region’s primary care trusts got together with local authorities and its three police forces to take a coordinated approach to alcohol and the problems associated with its misuse.

FAST action on strokes

Health workers in Newcastle and North Tyneside who provide support and information to people who have suffered a stroke and their families are backing a national campaign to raise awareness of the life-threatening condition.

FAST, a three-year Department of Health campaign, aims to encourage people to spot the early signs of stroke and get help.

Reaching out a healthy hand

Dock and prison workers in Northumberland are among the communities being encouraged to live healthy lifestyles through a series of special workshops.

Northumberland Care Trust is forging relationships with the local people in traditionally harder to reach areas and supporting them in looking after their health.

£170k funding for research

Experts from the Health Protection Agency in the North East have won a grant to further develop a surveillance system to monitor cases of pneumonia, meningitis and other infections caused by invasive pneumococcal disease.

The team of scientists were successful in their bid to the Agency’s strategic research and development fund. They were awarded £169,000 to continue their project for a further three years.

Transforming dementia services

Dementia experts in the North East will be helping to transform services and support staff in caring for people with the condition.

The Department of Health is investing more than £150 million over the first two years of the recently launched national plan.

Social marketing map completed

Social marketing expert Elaine Wilson (pictured) has now completed an exercise mapping health-related regional activity in her field.

She interviewed a cross section of public health, communications and commissioning practitioners for the needs assessment process.

Taste for healthy living

Children at a Newcastle school have been given a taste for healthy living with a range of free activities focusing on making diet and exercise fun.

The scheme – at Churchill Community College in Wallsend – ran during a Healthy Lifestyles week.