We’re pleased to bring you our round-up highlighting some of PHE’s online activity from the past week. Here’s your chance to catch up on what you might have missed including:
Health Profiles
This week we published new Health Profiles for every local authority in England. They provide summary health information to support local authority members, officers and community partners to lead for health improvement.
Smoking in mental health units
On Thursday we published new guidance to reduce high smoking rates among patients in mental health units. One of the biggest harms to the physical health of people living with a mental illness comes from smoking; around a third smoke.
In fact, a joint survey by Public Health England and NHS England found the prevalence of smoking in secure mental health units was even higher – 64% of patients smoked, compared to 18% in the population as a whole. Life expectancy amongst people with serious mental illness is considerably lower – often 15-20 years - and much of this is attributable to the harms caused by smoking. Read our new blog on this subject, or take a look below at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership’s experience of going Smokefree.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ51LgkYoXc
New Local Alcohol Profiles
New alcohol figures revealed that under 18s hospital admissions were down, but 59% of local authorities saw increase in adult admissions. The new profiles aim to provide information for local government, health organisations, commissioners and other agencies to monitor the impact of alcohol on local communities, and monitor the services and initiatives that have been put in place to reduce the harmful impact of alcohol.
Heatwave plan
We recently published our annual heatwave plan which includes advice for the NHS, local authorities, voluntary sector and those who care for vulnerable people. While many people relish hot summer weather, it can make others very unwell. Read our blog on why we plan for heatwaves.
Longitude Prize – antibiotic resistance
So far 75 teams registered to compete for up to £10m in the Longitude Prize to tackle antibiotic resistance. Over the last six months since the Longitude Prize opened, universities, individuals and companies have worked towards finding a solution to show when antibiotics are needed and, if they are, which ones to use. This week Wired UK published an article on some the ideas that could win. If you need to know more about antibiotic resistance and why it’s a problem take a look at the video below.
Cancer conference
Watch out for Tweets and blogs from our National Cancer Intelligence Network Cancer Outcomes Conference this coming week (8-10 June) using the hashtag #NCIN2015.
Watch out, ticks about
If you’re out and about enjoying the English countryside ensure you’re tick aware. Ticks are common in woodland and heathland and can spread diseases like Lyme Disease. Take a look at the graphic below for some tips and tricks to stay safe from ticks.
