News

UKPHA swings into action

The newly founded United Kingdom Public Health Association (UKPHA), created through an amalgamation of the UK’s leading public health organisations, is pressing the government to adopt a more comprehensive approach to public health.

UKPHA joint chief executive Donald Reid said the organisation was writing to several parts of government calling for ‘more joined-up working’ on health promotion.

Public health was entering potentially a ‘most exciting time’ he said, but the UKPHA was concerned that there was ‘little mention of the role of local authorities in public health in the run-up to the launch of the white paper’.

As part of its own democratisation process, the new organisation will be devolving much of its decision making to national committees. This will mean members in Scotland and Wales will have the freedom to decide on policy and action appropriate to the public health needs of their respective countries.

It will also require public health practitioners in England having to think more in terms of an English dimension. ‘We will no-longer have a UK-wide body commenting on the English white paper,’ Reid explained.

Elections to the UKPHA board will take place in September, until which time a working party of representatives from its founding organisations has been delegated to make decisions.

For more information on the UKPHA contact joint chief executive Maggie Winters. Tel: 0121 643 7628.