Regional health research set to influence policy and services
Posted on 29 October 2004
The health of the Yorkshire and Humber region will be the focus of a major public health conference on Wednesday 3 November in York. The conference is the launch event of the Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory. The Observatory is an NHS organisation based on the University of York campus, with the aim of promoting and delivering public health intelligence.
Researchers and practitioners from Primary Care Trusts, University departments and hospitals in the region will present new findings on a variety of health and social care issues at the conference. They will include research on teenage pregnancy rates and how they relate to deprivation, how to increase breastfeeding among disadvantaged groups, personalised travel plans to improve health, and an assessment of 'community spirit' and its relationship to health and social welfare.
"This important conference includes the formal launch of our region's Public Health Observatory," said PHO Director Professor Brian Ferguson. "We wanted to showcase research which could have a direct benefit on the health of our region at our first event."
The Public Health Observatory is funded by the Department of Health to monitor improvements in health and reductions in health inequalities, and to support public health capacity-building in the region.
The Observatory will be formally launched by Dr Fiona Adshead, the UK's Deputy Chief Medical Officer. Professor Richard Wilkinson from the University of Nottingham Medical School will be the keynote speaker at the conference. He is a leading authority on health inequalities - his book, The Impact of Inequality: how to make sick societies healthier, will be published in January 2005.
This new Public Health Observatory is already proving an invaluable asset to front line organisations in the NHS and Local Authorities
Professor Paul Johnstone, Regional Director for Public Health
Professor Paul Johnstone, Regional Director for Public Health said: "This new Public Health Observatory is already proving an invaluable asset to front line organisations in the NHS and Local Authorities to support their work to improve health of people living in this region. With the imminent publication of the Government's White Paper on Public Health, the PHO will have an important contribution to raise the public health message and make a real difference."
Delegates to the conference will come from primary care and hospital trusts from all over Yorkshire, as well as from many of the region's nine universities. The conference has been jointly organised by the Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory, the Health Development Agency and Yorkshire Universities.
The Yorkshire and Humber PHO has its offices at the University of York's centre for health and public policy research at Alcuin College - in the Alcuin Research Resource Centre. This cluster of academic departments and research institutes includes the Centre for Health Economics, the Department of Health Sciences and the Hull York Medical School. The Strategic Health Authority covering North & East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire is located a few hundred metres away on York Science Park.
Notes to editors:
- Reporters are welcome to attend the formal launch of the Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory from 12 to 12.30 pm in the Alcuin Research Resource Centre, University of York. Professor Felicity Riddy (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of York), Dr Fiona Adshead and Professor Paul Johnstone will speak. Please contact the University of York Press Office on 01904 432029 for further details.
- The following conference papers will be presented during the day:
- Breastfeeding - the Mother and Infant Research Unit, Leeds and York Universities Research which reviewed evidence on effective interventions to encourage continuation of breastfeeding, particularly amongst disadvantaged groups.
- Inequalities Toolkit - School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield The development of a toolkit to help local teams reduce health and access inequalities following research projects across the region which looked at community palliative care, asthma care, cardiology clinics and pregnancy termination services.
- Intelligent Travel - Stockholm Environment Institute, University of York An examination of the potential for changing travel behaviour so as to promote health, fitness and a better environment.
- Teenage conceptions - Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of York Looking at the variation in teenage conceptions and abortions in the region and how they relate to deprivation
- Taxonomy of neighbourhoods - South Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority A way of classifying neighbourhoods as a tool to measure deprivation in order to address health inequalities systematically and plan effectively.
- Colorectal cancer incidence - Northern and Yorkshire Cancer Registry and Information Service A study of the incidence of colorectal cancer by social deprivation. A marked increased in such cancer in more affluent groups.
- Social Capital and Health Survey in Hull - East Yorkshire and Hull Primary Care Trusts The research presented here is the first-ever comprehensive city-based survey of social capital ('community spirit') and health.