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REHIS Staff

Sandra Williamson, Director of Training, officially retired at the end of February 2026. Thank you to everyone who took the time to send messages and wish her well; it was very much appreciated. REHIS would like to thank Sandra for her years of service and the significant contributions she has made during her time as Director of Training.

We are delighted to advise that we have appointed a new Director of Training. David Bett, currently a REHIS Presenter and Senior Quality Manager with Mowi.  David will formally take up the role on 1 June 2026.

David brings a wealth of experience, and we are confident he will play an important role in supporting the continued development and success of our community training.

2026 Diary Dates – Professional Update Courses & Annual Forum

Stay ahead in the Environmental Health profession with our upcoming courses:

• 🍴 Food Update – 3 June
• ⚠️ Health & Safety Update – 2 September
• 🌿 Pollution Update – 7 October
• 🏛️ Environmental Health Update & AGM – 20 November
• 🏠 Public Health & Housing Update – 2 December

🌟 Annual Forum – Friday 21 August, Glasgow (in person).  This year’s Forum theme is “Shaping Scotland’s Environmental Health Profession in a Changing Climate”

April and May Lunchtime Seminars

Wednesday 8 April 2026 – Emerging Pressures and Regulatory Challenges in Waste Management

Join Alasdair Meldrum as he explores key waste management issues, including Duty of Care, enforcement priorities, vape and e-waste, and policy updates such as EPR, DRS, and landfill ban delays.

Wednesday 13 May 2026 – Can We Escape the Rate Race in West Dunbartonshire?
A thought-provoking session with Eilidh Paron examining local pest control challenges and solutions.

Northern and Southern Centres

📍 25th March – Southern Centre

Responding to Hoarding Disorder: Using an Integrated Approach – A practical and insightful workshop with Linda Fay.

📍 22nd April – Northern Centre

Lactofermentation Workshop – Join Robin Sheriff for a workshop exploring three lactofermentation techniques – dry browning, paste browning and wet browning.

All event booking forms are on the website: Events – REHIS

Professional Examinations

The next REHIS professional exams will take place in Edinburgh on the 31 March 2026.  There will be one individual sitting the REHIS EHO Diploma exams and 4 presenting themselves for the FSO Higher Certificate in Food Practice exams.

There will be a larger cohort of delegates coming forward for the Autumn exams on the 31 September, 1 and 2 October. 

Consultations

REHIS is often consulted on various topics of interest to the Environmental Health profession.  It is important that any response that the Institute submits is representative of the membership. So, if you see something of interest that you would like to contribute to, then let us know. 

🏆 REHIS Annual Awards

The 2026 REHIS Annual Awards will be presented on Friday 8 May at 2 pm at The Hoxton, Edinburgh. Awards will recognise recipients of the REHIS Diploma in Environmental Health, SFSORB Higher Certificates, and a range of Community Training awards.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Thank you to all those who have submitted CPD for 2025.  The list of EHOs holding Chartered EHO status will appear in the summer Journal. We would also remind Chartered EHOs that you can request to be placed on a list maintained by the Institute of professionals offering private work, which would be provided, should anyone approach the Institute for such names.

REHIS Training Courses

The Institute, as an awarding body now has 32 REHIS qualifications with most of them on the Scottish Credit Qualifications Framework (SCQF).  These courses are provided by approved training centres throughout Scotland that include individual training organisations, colleges, universities, prisons, community groups and industry. Courses – REHIS

We’re delighted to have the endorsement of Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland (SoCOEHS) for the REHIS courses, which helps highlight the clear distinction between our regulated qualifications and unregulated online courses that claim to offer an unsubstantiated equivalent standard.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has been investigating an invasive meningococcal disease (MenB) outbreak in Kent.

The outbreak was first announced publicly on 13 March with local nightclub Club Chemistry linked to a number of cases.

What cases have been identified in the current outbreak? 

The current outbreak in Kent has been linked to the MenB strain. The latest case numbers can be found here. Sadly, 2 people have died. 

What is meningococcal disease? 

Meningococcal disease is a serious but uncommon illness caused by meningococcal bacteria. It can lead to meningitis – inflammation of the lining of the brain – and sepsis (blood poisoning). The onset can be sudden, which is why knowing the signs and symptoms, and acting quickly, is so important. There are multiple strains of meningococcal bacteria – MenA, MenB, MenC, MenW, MenX, MenY. 

How is the disease spread?  

Transmission of  MenB requires close and prolonged contact to spread including living in the same household and intimate contact such as kissing or sharing drinks or vapes. The bacteria are not as contagious as other infections such as measles and COVID-19.  

Are the majority of cases still in Kent? Have they spread nationally or internationally? 

All of the cases identified to date are connected with Kent and there is no evidence currently that this outbreak has spread further. Individual meningitis B cases are not uncommon, but an outbreak of this size is unusual and this is why additional measures are being taken to prevent the spread. 

What measures are being taken to control the outbreak?  

Antibiotics

Preventative antibiotics (also called prophylaxis) are being offered to anyone who went to Club Chemistry in Canterbury, Kent on 5, 6 or 7 March and to people who are close contacts of those who are confirmed or suspected to have meningitis. 

Antibiotics play a crucial role in the response to this outbreak in 2 distinct ways: 

1. Preventative antibiotics (prophylaxis) are being offered to close contacts of confirmed cases as a precautionary measure to help limit further spread. This includes anyone who visited Club Chemistry on 5, 6 or 7 March.  

2. Antibiotics given to treat an infection are used when someone has already become ill. For MenB, prompt treatment with antibiotics is critical – which is why seeking urgent medical help at the first sign of symptoms is so important. 

Antibiotics are not being offered to all students at the University of Kent this stage. The outbreak response is focused on close contacts and those who have attended settings assessed as high risk. Advice on antibiotics has been issued to staff and students at the University of Kent

MenB vaccine

A targeted vaccination programme has been introduced in direct response to this outbreak. Vaccination began with students living in Canterbury Campus Halls of Residence at the University of Kent and vaccination has been extended to everyone who has been offered preventative antibiotic treatment as part of this outbreak.

Those students who have gone home will be offered vaccines locally if they cannot return to Kent. An offer of preventative antibiotics and vaccination also is now being offered the sixth form students (years 12 and 13) in schools and colleges in Kent where confirmed or probable cases are identified.

The vaccination programme may be expanded as UKHSA continues to assess the risk to other groups.  There are sufficient MenB vaccine stocks and the UKHSA are working with local partners to ensure effective distribution to those who need it. 

The MenB vaccine helps protect individuals from becoming seriously ill with meningococcal B disease. It works by helping the immune system recognise and fight the MenB bacteria if you come into contact with it. 

It is important to know that the MenB vaccine does not protect against all strains of meningococcal disease, nor against all infections that can cause meningitis. It also differs from the MenACWY vaccine in that it does not prevent the bacteria from being carried and spread in the community, and so it is important that everyone who is offered the vaccine takes it to protect themselves from becoming seriously ill. 

The MenB vaccine was added to the NHS immunisation schedule for infants in 2015, providing protection for babies and young children in the UK. It is separate from the MenACWY. 

Teenagers or young adults born before 1 May 2015, will not have received the MenB vaccine as part of the NHS schedule. 

What is the risk to the wider public?    

The risk of infection to the wider population remains low but the UKHSA are actively looking for contacts of people who have MenB (contact tracing) and offering preventative antibiotics to those in close contact with cases.    

The Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture (ENRA) Research Strategy 2027-32 has now been published.

Alongside the strategy, the ENRA Research Strategy 20227-32: Consultation Analysis is also available. The report summarises the feedback received during the consultation.

You can access both publications as well as view consultation responses, here:

Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Research: Strategy 2027 to 2032 – gov.scot

Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture (ENRA) Research Strategy 2027-2032: Consultation Analysis – gov.scot

The Scottish Parliament have voted in favour to ban Greyhound racing in Scotland after MSPs.

The Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Scotland) Bill, external makes it an offence to allow a greyhound to compete on an oval racetrack in Scotland, with a maximum prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of up to £20,000.

After the government dropped its opposition, 70 MSPs voted for the bill and 27 voted against. There were 19 abstensions.

In a brief debate ahead of the vote, Green MSP Mark Russell told MSPs: “Racing greyhounds at up to speeds of 40pmh around an oval track results in catastrophic injuries and deaths.

“Dogs break their legs, break their backs, end up paralysed and with serious head trauma.”

The MSP insisted greyhound racing was not a “harmless hobby enterprise”, and added that Scotland “cannot be left behind” as other countries have banned the sport.

Noise Action Week is returning from the 11th – 15th May. This year’s campaign will focus on raising awareness that noise matters for our health and wellbeing, while highlighting practical actions to reduce unwanted noise.

A suite of free campaign resources for local authorities, professionals and campaigners will be published on the Noise Action Week webpage later this month.

Sign up to the mailing list to receive updates and access the resources.

Noise Action Week is being organised by the Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC). REHIS is proud to be an official supporter of Noise Action Week, alongside other leading professional and advocacy organisations.

For more information about Noise Action Week, visit the Noise Action Week webpage.

A student has won a claim for unfair dismissal after he raised concerns about suspected food poisoning at a Pizza Hut takeaway.

David Low was employed in Aberdeen by franchise company Ultra Catering, which runs branches of Pizza Hut in Scotland.

Combining work with his architecture degree at Robert Gordon University, he was soon promoted to shift manager after starting the job in June 2023.

Although he received no formal training at the start of his work, he attended training as part of his promotion to manager and this highlighted the importance of food safety.

This training led him to question some of the practices he had seen earlier in his employment, the tribunal heard.

Raw products were supplied to the store by Pizza Hut, and there was a detailed system by which they had to be stored and handled.

The premises were often short-staffed and Low worked long hours. He told the tribunal there was a regular “churn” of staff and that his employer was grateful for him stepping up into a more supervisory role.

Staff were required to input information, such as freezer temperatures, into an app called Hut Bot throughout their shifts. However, Low was aware that actual temperature readings were often not being taken, so the app was filled with inaccurate information.

He regularly raised issues with the way the store was managed with directors, and felt unsupported when asking for training for new staff. Low was also anxious that he might be held liable in some way if the poor practices led to food poisoning.

He emailed his manager in April 2024 saying he would step down as assistant manager. “I cannot be held responsible for us failing Ace [the hygiene inspection]. Until a change comes this is unfortunately what will happen,” it said.

He also messaged his manager on a work WhatsApp chat explaining in detail a number of incidents where food safety recommendations had not been followed.

At one point, Low became ill after eating some food from the branch, which he believed to be linked to food poisoning caused by the meal.

In May, after lodging numerous other complaints, he was told his pay was going to be cut and he would be demoted from shift manager to “in store” employee. The company accused him of making malicious complaints to Pizza Hut, and of sabotage.

He was also told he should now work at the Dunfermline branch, more than two hours away, which would be impracticable for him as he lived in Aberdeen. Low took this request as amounting to a dismissal, and was offered no further shifts.

Although there was no formal dismissal as such, the tribunal ruled that the actions that led to the termination of the employment relationship meant that he was “in reality being dismissed”.

Furthermore, the decision to dismiss was based on Low’s series of protected disclosures to Pizza Hut of his hygiene concerns, the tribunal said. He was awarded £11,270 in compensation.

Fly-tippers and waste vandals could soon be forced to clean up our streets and parks and pay the costs of clearing their mess under new government plans for “clean up squads”.

Under the proposals, local authorities would get the powers to issue fly-tippers with so-called conditional cautions instead of being taken to court. These could see offenders complete up to 20 hours of unpaid work, cleaning our streets, parks, and the exact stops they’ve dumped waste. And in a landmark move, councils will be handed new powers to seize money directly from fly-tippers to fund their clean-up operations.

The government has already given local authorities new powers to stamp out waste crime. Alongside the £78 billion made available to council budgets in England this year, the government is encouraging councils to crush more fly-tippers’ vehicles by publishing guidance for the first time – including advice on taking cases to court and securing convictions against vehicle owners – Vehicle_Seizure_Powers_Guidance-Feb-2026.pdf

Whilst councils across England already have the power to seize vehicles involved in fly-tipping, councils are expected to go further – including naming and shaming those involved on social media, sharing images and videos of their vehicles being crushed, and deploying surveillance techniques, such as CCTV, drones and Automatic Number Plate Recognition to catch criminals in the act.

Currently fly-tippers can only be punished after being convicted – through either a significant fine, community sentence, or even prison sentence. The new proposals aim to speed up enforcement, clamp down on fly-tippers and restore pride in our communities.

The new measures will give local authorities yet another tool to fight litter louts and deter them from dumping waste in the first place. They form part of a wide range of tough new powers the government will announce as part of its new Waste Crime Action Plan.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynold said:

If you dump rubbish on our streets, you will be joining a clean-up squad and picking up the bill, not the taxpayer.

We are clamping down on these criminals, making sure those responsible clean up and pay up. This Government is handing both the Environment Agency and local authorities the power to boost waste crime enforcement, hand out tougher sentences and tackle illegal dumping faster.

Recent statistics have shown an uptick in enforcement against fly-tippers. With local authorities carrying out 572,000 enforcement actions in 2024/25, an increase of 8% from 530,000 in 2023/24. These actions included issuing fixed penalty notices, 69,000 of which were issued in 2024/25 – an increase of 9% from 63,000 in 2023/24.

The government has already given local authorities new powers to stamp out waste crime. Alongside the £78 billion made available to council budgets in England this year, the government is encouraging councils to crush more fly-tippers’ vehicles by publishing guidance for the first time – including advice on taking cases to court and securing convictions against vehicle owners.

Whilst councils across England already have the power to seize vehicles involved in fly-tipping, councils are expected to go further – including naming and shaming those involved on social media, sharing images and videos of their vehicles being crushed, and deploying surveillance techniques, such as CCTV, drones and Automatic Number Plate Recognition to catch criminals in the act.

The Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill, which regulates higher-risk cosmetic procedures such as Botox and fillers, has been passed by Parliament.

The Bill requires procedures to be performed by, or alongside, certain healthcare professionals in a registered setting, bringing consistent regulation to the industry. The Bill also ensures non-surgical cosmetic procedures cannot be performed on under 18s.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland will be able to inspect premises where there are reasonable grounds to believe an offence is being committed.

The Scottish Government will support businesses to adapt to the new requirements. Businesses will have at least until September 2027 to make necessary changes.

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said:

“Non-surgical cosmetic procedures are increasingly popular, and when not carried out safely they can cause serious and lasting harm.

“This legislation is designed to ensure that higher-risk procedures take place in appropriate settings with a healthcare professional present, and that under-18s are properly protected. These are meaningful, proportionate changes that put public safety first.

“I also recognise the importance of ensuring businesses are supported to adapt to new requirements and we have listened closely to the sector. The offences in the Bill cannot come into force before September 2027 giving an extended period of time for businesses to respond to these changes. The Bill is designed to be responsive to changes in the industry, and the procedures will be kept under review to ensure the list remains effective and proportionate.

“I am incredibly grateful to everyone who campaigned so passionately on this issue – their determination has helped shape stronger legislation. I am also grateful to colleagues across the Parliament who worked together constructively to pass this Bill.”

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) recently established a Scottish Dietary Advice Forum to coordinate the risk management process for public health nutrition advice in Scotland. Bringing together experts from Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland, the NHS and FSS, the forum provides a collaborative approach to reviewing and updating dietary advice in Scotland. It aims to ensure that any new or updated dietary advice reflects the wider policy implications and is disseminated and implemented efficiently and consistently across national resources, in alignment with Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) recommendations.

To achieve this, FSS are seeking to better understand where our stakeholders and partners access up‑to‑date advice on diet and nutrition. They have created a short survey (link below) exploring the sources you currently rely on, and how you would prefer to receive future updates on dietary guidance in Scotland. The survey takes only a few minutes to complete, and your feedback will help us ensure that our communications are as effective as possible.

FSS kindly ask that you complete the survey by Friday 20th March, when the survey will close. Survey: Receiving updates on dietary advice in Scotland

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has launched a 12 week public consultation seeking views on how allergen and ingredient information is provided by food businesses in the non-prepacked sector, such as restaurants, cafés, takeaways, bakeries and butchers.

The consultation, open until 17 May 2026, invites feedback from consumers, food businesses, trade bodies, local authority enforcement officers and any stakeholder with an interest in improving food safety and transparency for people living with food allergies, intolerances or coeliac disease.

Currently, businesses selling non-prepacked foods can provide allergen information in a variety of ways, such as verbally, on menus, signs or digital platforms. FSS is exploring how written information could be strengthened, made more consistent and more accessible for consumers across Scotland.

The consultation will also look to gather views on the availability of ingredient information for those with food sensitivities beyond the 14 mandated allergens.

The launch of the consultation follows discussions by the FSS Board on opportunities to enhance safety while maintaining flexibility for businesses, and responds to strong public interest in clearer, more reliable allergen information after a number of high profile food allergy incidents.

Stephen Hendry, Head of Labelling and Standards at FSS, said: “We want everyone in Scotland to have confidence when eating out or buying food that isn’t prepacked. For people with food allergies or intolerances, clear and reliable information is essential, not just for convenience, but for safety.

“We are asking consumers, food businesses and all interested stakeholders to share their experiences and views. Your insight will help us shape practical, effective guidance that improves transparency while supporting businesses to provide safe food for everyone.”

Responses can be submitted by email to: Calum.Yule@fss.scot, or by post to: 
Food Standards Scotland, Pilgrim House, Old Ford Road, Aberdeen, AB11 5RL.

The full consultation document and response form are available on FSS website.

REHIS launches Manifesto highlighting challenges facing Environmental Health

The Institute has launched its Manifesto, setting out four key challenges to protect and improve Environmental Health and the communities we serve across Scotland. 

We’re keen to work with politicians from all parties and key stakeholders to strengthen public health now and for the future. We ask our members to please consider sharing the Manifesto with your local MSP to help spread the word and support this important work.

REHIS Launches Manifesto – REHIS 

REHIS visit to Westminster 

Our President, Lindsey-Anne McNeil, and Past President, Lynn Crothers, recently attended an event at the Houses of Parliament, alongside the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), to mark the 150th anniversary of the Public Health Act. During the visit, they engaged with MPs and partner organisations to raise awareness of Environmental Health. 

Seamus Logan, MP for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, was particularly interested in learning more about the vital role the Environmental Health profession plays in creating safer, healthier places for everyone. They also took the opportunity to share the Institute’s Manifesto, highlighting the importance of continued collaboration to address the public health challenges of today and tomorrow. 

REHIS attended the IFST Student Launchpad at Abertay University 

REHIS was pleased to be invited to attend the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) Student Launchpad at Abertay University this month, where we engaged with students about careers as an Environmental Health Officer and Food Safety Officer. We were especially pleased to promote the newly accredited MSc programmes in Environmental Health at Abertay. 

REHIS update to SAFER questionnaire 

You may recall that last month we advised that the Institute had written to the Scottish Government and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) regarding concerns raised by members about SAFER. 

I can now provide an update: while there has been no change in FSS’s decision not to include REHIS on the SAFER Board, we are arranging a meeting with the FSS Board Chair. This will give us the opportunity to share our concerns directly and to hear first-hand about the plans for SAFER. 

Diary Dates – Professional Update Courses and Forum 

The Institute is busy preparing the professional update courses for the year, the details of which will all appear on the website, Events – REHIS

Dates for your diary so far include: 

• Food Update – 3 June 2026 
• Health & Safety Update – 2 September 2026 
• Pollution Update –7 October 2026 
• REHIS Environmental Health Update (followed by AGM) – 20 November 2026 
• Public Health and Housing Update – 2 December 2026 

The Institute’s Annual Forum will be held in person, on Friday 21 August 2026 in Glasgow. 

March Lunchtime Seminar 

Join us for our next Lunchtime Session, on Wednesday 11th March 2026. David Anderson is presenting on HMO Housing and case studies from Glasgow.

The UK Government are seeking views on proposals to extend smoke-free laws to certain outdoor public places and introduce heated tobacco-free and vape-free restrictions.

Parliament is currently considering the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The bill will give the government new powers to make regulations on tobacco and vapes.

The UK Government plan to use these powers as soon as reasonably practicable after the bill becomes law.

They are seeking views on proposals to:

• extend smoke-free laws to certain outdoor public places, including children’s playgrounds and outside a number of health and social care and education settings
• introduce heated tobacco-free places
• introduce vape-free places
• introduce exemptions including allowing for designated smoking, heated tobacco and vaping areas within smoke-free, heated tobacco-free and vape-free places
• define boundaries and set signage requirements for smoke-free, heated tobacco-free and vape-free places

These proposals aim to protect children and medically vulnerable people from secondhand smoke, heated tobacco emissions and vape vapours.

This consultation applies to England only. The devolved governments will run separate consultations.

A consultation stage impact assessment is published alongside this consultation.

Smoke-free, heated tobacco-free and vape-free places in England – GOV.UK – The consultation closes on 8th May.