Category: Uncategorized

‘Protecting the Public in the Environments in which they Live, Work and Travel’

18th & 19th April 2012

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

The REHIS Annual Conference is the principal Environmental Health event to take place in Scotland. It provides an opportunity to reflect on current and future approaches to protecting and improving the health of the Scottish people and to renew friendships and make new ones. This year’s Conference is being held in Edinburgh and I look forward to welcoming you. The conference flyer is available at the link below. The full programme and a booking form are attached.

Paul Bradley, President

The March 2012 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.

If you wish to feature any Environmental Health or Public Health initiative, event or activity in the REHIS Newsletter, please contact Jim Thomson, Policy/Professional Development Officer, The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland, 19 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh, tel: 0131 229 2968 or jt@

The Africa Academy for Environmental Health continued in its objective to advance the science and practice of environmental health in Africa last week when it hosted 13 women from 7 countries at a workshop in Blantyre, Malawi.The AWEHN has now established an electronic network for all female academics and practitioners to collaborate and share experiences. It is accessible on http://aaeh-network.ning.com/group/african-womenenvironmental-health-network-awehn

See the attached press release for more information.

On the 22^nd November the FSA in Scotland launched a food safety awareness campaign focusing on the safe handling of vegetables. The campaign follows the E.Coli outbreak reported in the UK earlier this year, which was associated with the consumption of various types of vegetables.  These outbreaks highlighted the need to alert consumers to food safety practices associated with the storage, preparation and general handling of raw vegetables and of root vegetables in particular.

For details see http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2011/nov/vegcampaign

Health Protection Scotland has also just published a Current Note in Weekly Report (see page 2 at http://www.documents.hps.scot.nhs.uk/ewr/pdf2011/1147.pdf) in order to share the FSA campaign details with the wider Environmental Health and Public Health community in Scotland.

 See the attached document for more information and  tips on storage, preparation and general handling of raw vegetables and of root vegetables in particular.

REHIS presented its annual free to members Environmental Health Update event in Edinburgh on the morning of Friday 18 November. Four excellent speakers presented 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. The presentations can now be downloaded from the REHIS website. 

The programme and the presentations are attached below.

The Institute’s AGM also took place at 2pm at the same venue and members. Thanks to these members that attended.

 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@.