Public health
December 2007
Public health medicine is concerned with assessing the needs and trends in health and disease of populations. It includes the following subject areas:
- Epidemiology
- Health promotion
- Health service planning and evaluation
- Communicable disease control and environmental hazards
The committee deals with all matters affecting public health medicine and public health doctors. It carries out its work through four national committees and through its subcommittees. The main subcommittees are the Community Health Doctors subcommittee, the Specialist Registrars subcommittee and the Executive subcommittee.
http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/Hubpublichealthmedicineandcommunityhealthcommittees
The UK committee meets three times a year and includes representatives from its national and subcommittees and members appointed by several bodies including cross-representatives from other BMA craft committees. The committee also negotiates for public and community health doctors with the Department of Health through the Joint Negoiating Body. BMA members should first approach their local offices if they have any enquiry related to public health.
You can read about careers in public health at BMJ Careers
BMJ Careers website here
Go to the BMJ Collected Resources on public health here http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/collection/public_health:other
Print resources
The library has a good selection of books and journals which are available for loan to members. Public health medicine is classified at WA in the NLM schedule. More specific or related topic areas within public health are:
- Environmental hazards WA 30
- Epidemiology WA 105
- Health promotion WA 590
- Health service planning and evaluation W 255
- Communicable disease control WC 100
- History of public health medicine WZ 90 COM
Environmental research
Elsevier, ISSN 0013-9351
Aims to define etiology of environmentally induced illness and increase understanding of the mechanisms by which environmental agents cause disease
Visit the Environmental research website here
Epidemiology and Infection
Cambridge Univ. P, ISSN 0950-2688
Publishes on on all aspects of infection in man and animals. Particular emphasis is given to the epidemiology, prevention and control of infectious diseases
Visit the Epidemiology and Infection website here
Health Education Journal
Health Education Authority, ISSN 0017-8969
Publishes authoritative papers on health promotion and health education. Includes book reviews and health event listings.
Visit the Health Education Journal website here
Journal of Infection
British Infection Society
Saunders, ISSN 0163-4453
Original papers on all aspects of infection - clinical, microbiological, epidemiological and molecular
Visit the Journal of Infection website here
Journal of Infectious Diseases
University of Chicago P., ISSN: 0022-1899
Original research on pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases; on the microbes that cause them; and on disorders of host immune mechanisms.
Visit the Journal of Infectious Diseases website here
Full text access available here to holders of NHS Athens password
Journal of Public Health Policy
ISSN 0197-5897
Scholarly articles on the epidemiologic and social foundations of public health policy; to present
Visit the Journal of Public Health Policy website here
Preventive Medicine
American Health Foundation and Elsevier., ISSN 0091-7435
Visit the Preventive Medicine website here
Public Health
Saunders, ISBN 0033-3506
Aimed at all public health practitioners and researchers and those who manage public health services and systems
Visit the Public Health website here
Web resources
WHO Regional Office for Europe
The office provides health information on the member states within the European region. Their site can be searched by topic which gives current information on WHO policy and progress, or by country which provides full text access to a country profile report.
Visit the website here http://www.who.dk
TRIP
This database was created in 1997 and provides access to evidence-based material on the net and articles from premier online journals. This free service incorporates links to abstracts from peer-reviewed journals, medical images and patient information leaflets.
Visit the website here http://www.tripdatabase.com/
Healthlink Worldwide
The organisation works to improve information provision to help developing countries. It gives access to over 20,000 international health and disability resources and also covers unpublished material from developing countries
Visit the website here http://www.healthlink.org.uk/resource.html
Health Protection Agency
Useful Topics section on infectious diseases
Visit the website here http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/default.htm
Office of National Statistics (ONS)
This part of the ONS website brings together information and statistics about health, health services provided by the NHS and also “social care” statistics. It includes statistics on hospitals, GPs, dental clinics, care homes, health service staff, waiting lists and also covers many medical conditions.
Visit the website here http://www.statistics.gov.uk/
Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP)
COMEAP provides advice for government departments and agencies concerning potential toxicity and effects on health of air pollutants
Visit the website here http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/comeap/
Public health information in Scotland, Wales and Ireland
Scotland
The main source of web based information for Scotland is through Scotland’s Health on the Web (SHOW) website. This site gives access to the online health information provided by NHS Scotland. Some of the main departments and bodies involved in public health in Scotland are:
Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD)
The department is responsible for health policy and administration of the National Health Service in Scotland. The Public Health Policy Unit is a part of the SEHD and is responsible for promoting the health of people in Scotland.
Visit the website here http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/
Health Protection Scotland
This new organisation was established by the Scottish Executive to strengthen and co-ordinate health protection..
Visit the website here http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/
Health Scotland
Health Scotland is a new special health board created on 1 April 2003 by bringing together the Public Health Institute of Scotland (PHIS) and the Health Education Board for Scotland (HEBS).
Visit the website here http://www.healthscotland.com/
Wales
Health of Wales Information Service (HOWIS)
Official website of NHS Wales. It brings together information sources about the health and lifestyle of the population of Wales. It usefully has links to the statistical releases and bulletins published by the Welsh Assembly Government Statistical Directorate and to many organisations and bodies in the field of public health.
Visit the website here http://www.wales.nhs.uk/
National Assembly of Wales
Access to government white papers and to useful documents covering public health matters including assembly circulars, press releases, proceedings of the assembly and details of the implementation of the Health Plan for Wales.
Visit the website here http://www.wales.gov.uk/index.html
Northern Ireland
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
Eestablished in 1999 and administers policy and legislation for hospitals, family practitioner services, community health and personal social services, public health and public safety. Access to publications and circulars of the department. The Information and Analysis (Unit) is particularly useful with its links to statistics and reports for health in Northern Ireland
Visit the website here http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/
Other organisations and libraries
Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
Chadwick Court
15 Hatfields
London
SE1 8DJ
tel: 020 7928 6006
fax: 020 7827 5866
email: cieh@cieh.org
Visit the website here http://www.cieh.org/
Professional and educational body, dedicated to the promotion of environmental health and to encouraging the highest possible standards in the training and the work of environmental health professionals.
Department of Health.
Library and Information Service
Information Services Division
Skipton House
80 London Road
London
SE1 6LH
tel: 020 7972 2000
fax: 020 7972 1609
Visit the website here http://www.dh.gov.uk/
Aim is to improve the health and well-being of people in England. The website offers latest on the Department's work, as well as health and social care guidance, publications and policy
Faculty of Public Health Medicine
4 St Andrew’s Place
London
NW1 4LB
tel: 020 7935 0243
fax: 020 7224 6973
email: enquiries@fphm.org.uk
Visit the website herehttp://www.fphm.org.uk/
Aims to promote for the public benefit the advancement of knowledge in the field of public health medicine and to develop public health medicine with a view to maintaining the highest possible standards of professional competence and practice.
Nuffield Institute for Health
Information Resource Centre
Leeds University Library
71-75 Clarendon Road
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS2 9PL
tel: 0113 233 6633
fax: 0113 246 0899
email: nuffield@leeds.ac.uk
Visit the website here http://www.nuffield.leeds.ac.uk/content/home/home.asp
Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene and Society of Public Health
28 Portland Place
London
W1N 4DE
tel: 020 7580 2731
fax: 020 7580 6157
Visit the website here http://www.riphh.org.uk
Independent organisation promoting public health and hygiene through education, training, information and quality testing. It plays an active role in developing public health strategy through work with government departments and other key public health bodies.