Public Health

The Community Pharmacy England website includes details for the Public Health essential service and can be accessed here: https://psnc.org.uk/services-commissioning/essential-services/public-health/.

Community pharmacy teams play an important role in improving people’s health and wellbeing and one of the ways that this is achieved is through public health campaigns and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.  Each year pharmacies are required participate in up to six public health campaigns at the request of NHS England.

Pharmacists and their staff will pro-actively take part in and contribute to national/local campaigns for patients and general pharmacy visitors during the campaign period, including giving advice to people on the campaign issues. This advice may be supplemented by provision of written information and in-store displays.

 

In addition, pharmacies are required undertake prescription-linked interventions on major areas of public health concern, such as encouraging smoking cessation.

 

Other National Public Health Campaigns

Below are some other campaigns that you may want to participate in with links to resources.  These are not directed (mandatory) pharmacy campaigns.  However, pharmacies are encouraged to offer additional information to their patients.  The resources can be used to maintain the pharmacy Health Promotion Zone as part of the HLP requirements.

Public Health England Campaign Resource Centre: The Campaign Resource Centre brings together information for partners on all Public Health England marketing campaigns. It’s the easy way to find the latest campaign information and resources for all campaigns. Community pharmacy teams can download or order materials from this website free of charge.

 

Local Public Health Resource Centres

 

‘Together We Can’ West Yorkshire’s Winter Campaign 2022/23

Together We Can’ is a long-term awareness campaign to alter public behaviour to minimise pressures on urgent and emergency services. It aligns to local and national campaigns that together form the West Yorkshire winter communications plan. The ICS has encouraged all partners to signpost patients to the website as it will ensure there are consistent messages used across the region that help people to choose well and use the right service appropriate for their needs if they do become unwell this winter.

The Together We Can campaign includes links to the West Yorkshire Healthier Together website that launched June 2022.

 

Me and My Medicines

‘Me and My Medicines’ is an on-going campaign led by patients and supported by clinical staff to help people raise concerns and use their medicines better.  It aims to help everyone benefit from more effective and safer care.  The key theme for the campaign is ‘Its OK to Ask’. ‘It’s OK to Ask’ means patients, families and carers are encouraged to ask questions about their medicines so that they can be helped to get the most benefit from their medicines. Patients don’t always know that they can ask for advice on medicines, or what to ask for. The Me and My Medicines charter andmessages can be used within your pharmacy to make sure that every patient feels that they can ask questions about their medicines.

See the Me + My Medicines charter and campaign details here: http://meandmymedicines.org.uk/.

 

Cardiac Rehabilitation Animation 

British Heart Foundation has shared a Cardiac Rehabilitation Animation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU4LFDHf9hE which can be shared with patients to help support recovery and getting back to as full a life as possible after a heart attack, heart surgery or following a diagnosis such as heart failure. For more information visit the cardiac rehabilitation pages on the British Heart Foundation website here.

 

Cervical Screening Campaign

Public Health England (PHE) have launched a brand-new Cervical Screening Saves Lives campaign.  The NHS Cervical Screening Programme has made a significant impact on cervical cancer mortality since it was established in 1988, saving an estimated 5,000 lives a year.  However, coverage is at a 20-year low. Figures published by NHS Digital show that, at 31st March 2018, the percentage of eligible women (aged 25 to 64) screened adequately was 71.4%. The national target for cervical screening coverage is 80% with coverage at its lowest amongst those aged 25 – 35.

PHE have produced a video specifically for Health Care Professionals highlighting the cervical screening campaign, which you can watch here. Campaign resources can be ordered here: https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/campaigns/85-cervical-screening-campaign/resources.

 

Change4Life Nutrition Campaign

Change4Life have launched a new campaign to encourage families to ‘make a swap when you next shop’ to help them cut back on sugar. The campaign shows families how making a few simple swaps to their everyday food and drinks can really make a difference.
Through partner activity and television, radio and online advertising, families will be encouraged to:
  • Search Change4Life for great prizes, easy tips and meal ideas
  • Download the free Food Scanner app to find out what’s in their food and drinks
  • Look out for the ‘good choice’ badge in-store

A range of free hard-copy resources are now available from: https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/campaigns/17-change4life.

 

Legs Matter

Legs Matter campaign is designed to get the nation thinking, talking about and taking action on leg and foot conditions, including non-healing wounds, varicose veins and oedema. The campaign is led by a coalition of eight healthcare organisations who have come together to make sure that anyone with a lower leg or foot problem understands their condition and gets the urgent care, attention and support they need.

This campaign which features real people living with leg and foot conditions sets out to change that and is designed to raise awareness of leg and foot problems and help people get the care and support they need. The aim is to help health professionals understand what these patients need and at the same time raise this issue as a commissioning priority for those who organise healthcare services.

The campaign is asking the public to stand up for their own leg and foot health by paying attention to their legs and feet, going to their pharmacist or GP if things aren’t looking right and demanding better or different care if your leg or foot isn’t getting better. It is also calling on healthcare professionals to recognise the signs and symptoms of lower leg and foot problems, talk to their patients about their lower leg and foot health and lobby for better services for patients.

More information and campaign packs can be ordered via the website:  http://www.legsmatter.org.

 

Public Health England (PHE) Start4Life

Public Health England (PHE) launched its first ever Start4Life campaign offering parents support and advice on introducing solid foods to their baby, during what can be a confusing time.  A brand-new weaning hub has been launched on the Start4Life website to help parents during their weaning journey. Packed with NHS-approved advice and tips for each weaning stage, plus simple, healthy weaning recipes, it puts everything parents need to know in one place.

 

West Yorkshire and Harrogate Local Maternity System: Information Booklet

The National Maternity Review, Better Births, recommended that there should be a real focus on choice and personalisation. As a result of this, the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Local Maternity System (WY&H LMS) have co-produced a booklet with women and families from WY&H which is called ‘My Journey Through Maternity Care’ outlining all the choices women can make throughout their pregnancy.

 

 

Last Updated: 26th October 2022