Author: Peacock Carter

 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are government bodies responsible to Scottish Government Ministers and, through them, to the Scottish Parliament. The task of SNH is to secure the conservation and enhancement of Scotland’s natural heritage – the wildlife, habitats and landscapes which have evolved through the long partnership between people and nature. SEPA is Scotland’s environmental regulator and adviser, and has a key role in controlling pollution, and working with others to protect and improve our environment. SNH and SEPA manage a vigorous Research Programme. As part of developing their research work linked to operational priorities, they will fund up to three PhD studentships during 2012.

For more information and contact details click on the link below.

Landlord Registration and the Role of the Private Rented Housing Panel

Wednesday 16^th November 2011, 12pm – 2pm

Novotel, 181 Pitt Street, Glasgow, G2 4DT

More information and contact details are attached.

REHIS will present its annual free to members Environmental Health Update event in Edinburgh on the morning of Friday 18 November. Four excellent speakers will present papers on the Regulation of Scotland’s Tattooing and Cosmetic Body Piercing Industry; The Scottish Diet, nutrition and health claims’; Garra Rufa and Emerging Issues in the Beauty Industry; and Infestations of Bedbugs and Cockroaches. Members will receive hard copies of the programme and booking form in the post. The programme and booking form are attached for downloading.They can also be downloaded from the REHIS website.  The AGM will take place at 2pm at the same venue and members are encouraged to attend.

The REHIS Trainers’ One Day Update Seminar was presented in the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh on the 19 October 2011. The event proved to be as popular as ever with over 90 delegates participating on the day. REHIS takes this opportunity to thank the course presenters and the delegates for their active participation.

Presentations are now available in the Qualifications for Communities area at https:/presentations-given-annual-trainers-seminars

Following on from pilot work, funded by Community Food and Health Scotland (CFHS), carried out by dietitians from the Scottish Learning Disability Dietitians Clinical Network(SLDDCN) in 2008, the Glasgow Learning Disability Partnership  submitted a successful proposal for the Scottish Government’s “Equally Well” Implementation Funding.  

The proposal focused on piloting and refining a Glasgow based Healthy Eating/Healthy Living  Educational Programme, which aimed to make the national healthy eating messages accessible to people with Learning Disabilities. The need to continue to work with SLDDCN towards a training manual for carers was accepted as pivotal to supporting the delivery of this Healthy Eating/Healthy Living  Educational Programme. Part of the funding was used to produce a REHIS accredited  tailored food and health course, called the ‘Food and Health Course for Carers of Adults with a Learning Disability’.

The course was developed by a short-life REHIS working group consisting of representatives from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Lothian, NHS Tayside, the Care Commission, the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability, Enable, LD Service Users and Community Food and Health Scotland.

With the original REHIS Food and Health Course Resource pack as its base, a professional dietitian writer, directed by the Working Group has produced a tailored Learning Disability course resource pack (consisting of a PowerPoint presentation, trainers’ notes and candidate handouts), a course syllabus and an examination. The resource pack is published by Highfield.co.uk.

The course is aimed at people responsible for supporting and caring for adults with learning difficulties. Following a series of pilot courses, again funded by Community Food and Health Scotland, the course is now available for delivery by suitably approved centres. The Institute is grateful for the support received from all the members of the LD Working Group. For more information please contact Graham Walker,Director of Training on 0131 229 2968 or at gw@

Thanks go to Berryknowes Resource Centre for permission to use the photograph

The September edition of the REHIS e-Newsletter ‘News for Public Health Professionals’ has been uploaded to this website and is accessible from a dedicated public access portal to the right of this news item. The September e-Newsletter includes items on E-learning success for care staff, The MUSTER Model – A Novel Approach to Environmental Investigations, Scotland’s Drinking Water Quality Regulator, A response to Scottish healthy eating Resource, Equally Well test sites: evaluation report published, Review of food safety in the home, HSE’s new reporting arrangements, Upset stomachs cost UK 11 million working days, SEPA CEO to stand down, Monitoring the implementation of Parma Conference commitments, OSHCR Update, Alcohol sales at all time high and forthcoming events. If you wish to feature an environmental health or public health initiative, event or activity in the e-Newsletter please contact Tom Bell, Chief Executive on 0131 229 2968 or tb@. 

  The Food Standards Agency and Defra have published new guidance to help the food industry decide whether their products require a ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date.

Under the new voluntary guidelines, food packaging should only use either ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date labels to make it easier for shoppers to know when food is at its best and how long it is safe to eat.

The guidance is available to view or download at http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2011/sep/datelabels

 The Food Standards Agency and Defra have published new guidance to help the food industry decide whether their products require a ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date.

Under the new voluntary guidelines, food packaging should only use either ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date labels to make it easier for shoppers to know when food is at its best and how long it is safe to eat.

The guidance is available to view or download at http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2011/sep/datelabels

The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS), in partnership with ASH Scotland, has opened applications for the 2011 Crofton Award, the only award that recognises the achievements of young people in reducing tobacco and smoking-related harm in Scotland. Now in its third year, this award gives two youth groups the chance to share prize money of £1,500.

If you think that your organisation or project around tobacco use or smoking may be eligible for the award, please download more information and the application forms from the links below.

For more information on the Crofton Award and application process please contact Emma Papakyriakou, Youth Development Officer, ASH Scotland, 0131 220 9465, emma.papakyriakou@ashscotland.org.uk

Photgraph shows last year’s overall winners The Bridges Project receiving the Award from Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive, Ash Scotland and Roderick House, REHIS President. 

Eligibility: The Crofton Award is intended for any project involving young people and interested in tackling tobacco in Scotland. Only groups, not individuals, may apply for the award. ‘Young people’ means under-25.

Applications close at 5pm on Friday 7 October 2011

Further information and application forms are on the ASH Scotland website. http://www.ashscotland.org.uk/projects/youth-development/the-crofton-award

Following a report by Food Standards Agency Chief Executive, Tim Smith, the FSA Board announced the Agency’s intention to review the food safety official controls delivery within the UK.

Although the strategic aims and objectives of the review are still unclear, a coalition of collaborating professional organisations within Scotland has been formed to gather evidence for submission to the review and to make the evidential suite available to the wider profession in Scotland to assist in any submission those individuals or bodies wished to make.

SFELC Chairman George Fairgrieve, seen here receiving the award of a REHIS Fellowship from Colin Wallace in 2009, is the Chairman of the group currently gathering evidence to submit to the FSA.

The joint statement is available to view and download at the link below.

The spectre of verotoxin-producing E. coli (of which E. coli O157 is the most well-known serotype) has emerged once again. Between the 1^st May and 20^th July of this year, an outbreak of E. coli O104:H4 in Germany and continental Europe resulted in 3,039 cases of infection with an additional 727 cases of the haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). More than 50 people died due to the infection making this the largest and most deadly VTEC outbreak ever recorded. An article by Kevin Pollock, Health Protection Scotland, on the new strain is attached.

Kevin will be giving a presentation on VTEC at the REHIS Annual Trainers’ Update Seminar in Edinburgh on the 19th October. For more information go to https:/event/rehis-trainers%E2%80%99-update-seminar-0

The final report on the Healthy Eating Healthy Living Project for adults with Learning Disabilities in six Scottish pilot sites – June 2011 by Dorothy A. Morrison, Healthy Living Project Lead is now available to view and download at the link below. This is a report on the development of an innovative educational resource pack about healthy eating developed for delivery to adults with learning disabilities, in view of the considerable health inequalities they experience and the large gap in the provision of accessible resources that exists. You can contact Dorothy at dorothy.morrison@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

The report will be of interest to people involved with adults with a learning disability and to interested members of the public.

 The report covers the following

• Introduction/Summary
• Background
• Main Aims of the Project
• The Pack and How it was Delivered
• Pilot sites
• Project Aims, Objectives and Outcomes
• Development of Training Manual to support delivery
• Additional Outcomes
• Key issues that emerged
• Recommendations
• Appendices