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South Cambridgeshire District Council has voted to become the first Council in the UK to permanently adopt a four-day week – after rigorous independent analysis showed most services got better or were maintained, with significant improvements to recruitment and retention.

Under South Cambridgeshire District Council’s four-day week, staff are expected to carry out 100 per cent of their work, in around 80 per cent of their contracted hours, without reduction in pay. All Council staff will be able to opt-in under a Productivity Policy.

Independent analysis from the Universities of Salford, Bradford and Cambridge highlights how 21 of 24 services they monitored have improved or stayed the same since four-day week working began at the Council in 2023. Those areas which saw a statistically significant improvement include:

• The percentage of calls answered by the Contact Centre.
• The average number of days taken to update Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support claims.
• The average number of weeks for householder planning applications to be decided.
• The percentage of planning applications (both large and small) decided within target or agreed timescales.
• The percentage of Council house repairs complete within 24 hours.
• The percentage of complaints responded to on time.

If performance variations caused by COVID are discounted, every single service monitored either got better or stayed the same.

The number of applications for jobs at the Council rose by more than 120 per cent during the four-day week. Beforehand, only around eight in 10 jobs advertised were filled – sometimes only five out of every 10. The number of workers leaving fell by more than 40 per cent – helping provide benefits to communities through greater stability of services.

The Council has also cut the amount it has to spend over its budgets on staff. There has been a yearly saving of £399,263. This is mainly due to filling vacancies permanently – rather than using more expensive agency workers, which can be disruptive for residents as officers change.

The four-day week has seen more staff say that they intend to continue to work for the Council, a key factor in reducing turnover and high vacancy rates. Mental and physical health and motivation have improved.

Further independent research by the University of Cambridge details how the four-day week has benefited disabled colleagues, those with medical conditions and carers.

The Council initially ran a three-month trial of a four-day week at the start of 2023 to help to ease acute recruitment and retention challenges. That trial was extended for one year. The Council then had to run a public consultation – which took place earlier this year – before being able to determine the next steps. Four-day week working has continued in the meantime.

An independent report from market research company DJS Research into that consultation outlines what responses showed about residents’ perception and experiences of services during the four-day week.

A representative survey shows people felt there had been no statistically significant difference in their experience of nine services. There was a perceived decrease in three services. Elsewhere in the same survey, 45 per cent of people expressed support for the four-day week – but there were a range of responses.

The four-day week data was discussed at their Scrutiny and Overview Committee. District Councillors then voted to become a permanent four-day week employer.

New data published by Public Health Scotland (PHS) reveals people in Scotland are drinking 50% above safe limits, with more deprived communities hit hardest.

Despite recent improvements, Scotland continues to face a significant alcohol problem, with adults who drink alcohol consuming an average of 21.6 units per week. This is more than 50% above the Chief Medical Officers’ safe drinking guidelines of 14 for both men and women.

The Public Health Scotland Alcohol Consumption and Harms dashboard provides evidence on alcohol related harms and inequalities across multiple themes including consumption, hospital admissions and mortality. Today’s release provides 2023-24 data and includes a new dataset for population consumption based on alcohol sales between 2017-2024.

This latest update shows that while the volume of alcohol sold is decreasing, it remains higher than the amount sold per adult in England and Wales. 

More concerning are the stark inequalities revealed in the data. People living in Scotland’s most deprived areas are six times more likely to be hospitalised or die from causes wholly related to alcohol compared to those in the least deprived communities.

Dr Tara Shivaji, Consultant in Public Health Medicine at PHS, said:

“Today’s updates add to the evidence base that as a population, Scotland is consuming too much alcohol. 

“We project a 21% increase in disease burden by 2043 compared to 2019 levels. This means thousands more individuals and families facing the devastating impacts of alcohol related ill-health such as liver disease, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

“Every week, people across Scotland are drinking well above the recommended 14-unit limit, significantly increasing their risk of these serious health conditions.

“The newly released data provides compelling evidence that despite progress, Scotland’s relationship with alcohol remains deeply problematic and requires immediate attention.

“This isn’t inevitable,” Dr Shivaji emphasised. “With urgent, collective and evidence-based action to tackle harmful alcohol use, we can change Scotland’s path.  We need to take steps to implement the preventative measures outlined in the Population Health Framework. This means addressing the availability, affordability, and attractiveness of alcohol, as well as providing early intervention and support for people experiencing problems. But that work must start now.”

As part of the 150-year celebrations, the Institute has designed a colourful tartan that cleverly uses the Institute’s history as inspiration. Created by Tartan Caledonia, the design incorporates the colours of the official REHIS crest and boasts thread counts that mark the year of our inception, 1875: 18 for green, 7 for black and 5 for yellow. The main central design (in blue and red) adds up to 150 threads.

The vibrant design was registered on the Scottish Tartan Register, on 20 January 2025 as a permanent reminder of the vital work of REHIS, a very special tartan reflecting our long history. Here is the tartan being woven at The House of Edgar part of the McNaughton group. Click on the image below

Additional empty homes officers are being recruited to bring more privately owned houses back into use.

The new posts are being supported as part of a £2 million investment through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership in 2025-26 which will see staff take a more proactive and targeted approach to tackling local housing issues.

Funding will also help to train and induct new staff, grow services and ensure empty homes are utilised, including by increasing support for local authorities to make compulsory purchase orders.

The £2 million investment builds on a decade of funding for Empty Homes Officers in 22 local authorities.

Council tax figures from September 2024 show that 43,538 properties across Scotland have been empty for more than six months with 73% of these empty for longer than a year.

Nine local authorities have so far agreed to employ additional empty homes officers.

Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan said: 

“Bringing homes back into use is a vital part of our plan to tackle the housing emergency. When too many families are struggling to find somewhere to live, it is unacceptable to me that that houses should lie empty.

“It’s important to help councils step up measures to turn privately-owned empty properties into much-needed homes and it’s encouraging that local authorities have already come forward to make use of this support.

“As the First Minister has set out, this government is determined to eradicate child poverty – and tackling the housing emergency by making sure families have access to a home is a crucial part of that.”

Scottish Empty Homes Partnership National Manager Tahmina Nizam said: 

“Every home matters as we work together to end Scotland’s housing emergency. 

“In councils across the country Empty Homes Officers are delivering results, with over 11,000 homes having brought back into use since 2010. The additional posts supported by this funding will expand on that vital work. New Empty Homes Officers are already in post at City of Edinburgh Council, while recruitment is underway in several other local authorities. 

“Homes weren’t built to sit empty; every empty home has the potential to transform a family or individuals’ life but collectively they have an enormous role to play in reducing housing need and tackling the housing emergency.  

“We look forward to welcoming more new Empty Homes Officers as they come into post and supporting their efforts to bring more homes back into use.” 

The Scottish Government are consulting on the proposed designations and de-designations of Shellfish Water Protected Area’s (SWPAs), as part of work to meet a statutory obligation. 

SWPAs are designated zones aimed at safeguarding shellfish waters from pollution, ensuring the sustainable development of economically significant shellfish production.

The purpose of the review is to identify areas where it may be appropriate to designate a new SWPA or de-designate (remove) an existing SWPA. The review consists of several steps

It proposes:

• The designation of 14 new sites as SWPAs
• The expansion of 1 existing SWPA
• The de-designation of 29 existing SWPAs due to three continuous years of non-production within the designated area

This consultation seeks input to inform a review of SWPA designations to ensure these designations continue to support the aim of safeguarding shellfish waters and the sustainable development of economically significant shellfish production, without disproportionate costs to other stakeholders.

Read the consultation paper and the Partial Buisness Regulatory Impact Assessment.The consultation papers contains full background information for this consultation.

The consultation is open until the 29th September 2025.

New proposals to improve safety and standards in the non-surgical cosmetic procedures sector have been set out as the Scottish Government publishes its response to a consultation on the issue. 

The proposals, informed by over 2,200 responses and broad stakeholder engagement, intends to introduce a minimum age of 18 for all procedures and classify treatments into three distinct groups which will be regulated to reflect the associated risk:

• group 1 procedures – such as microneedling and non-ablative laser treatments – will require both a premises licence and individual practitioner licences issued by local authorities
• group 2 procedures – including injectables like Botox® and dermal fillers – will have to be supervised by a qualified health care professional in a setting regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS)
• group 3 procedures – for instance, breast and buttock augmentation – will have to be performed by a qualified healthcare professional in an HIS-regulated setting

The Scottish Government will take forward a combination of primary and secondary legislation to implement the proposals. A new Bill regulating Group 2 and Group 3 procedures will be introduced later this year. Secondary legislation under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 will establish the licensing regime for Group 1 procedures.

The latest consultation built on a previous one in 2020 and put forward more detailed proposals for what that further regulation could look like. The recent consultation on the licensing and regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures received over 2,200 responses from individuals, businesses, professional bodies, and medical experts. There was widespread support for increased regulation to improve safety and accountability across the sector.

The full consultation response and analysis are available at: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836918271

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said:

“It is deeply upsetting to hear of cases where people have suffered as a result of non-surgical cosmetic procedures going wrong. 

“The current gaps in regulation mean that anyone can perform most of these procedures without the need for any formal training or qualifications. These proposals reflect our determination to protect the public and ensure high standards across this growing industry.

“I am particularly heartened by the broad support for action to make the sector safer, and we will continue to work closely with Healthcare Improvement Scotland, local authorities, and the wider industry to support a smooth and effective implementation.”

UK Health Security Agency are urgently investigating the suspected illegal sale of fake botox after dozens of botulism cases were reported in North East England.

28 cases, most of which are in the Durham and Darlington areas, have all been reported by people who had recently undergone cosmetic procedures.

Reactions have included severe drooping of the upper eye lids, double vision, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech and lethargy, according to the UKHSA.

The UK Health Security Agency, in collaboration with Durham County Council and other partners, has convened an incident management team to trace the origin of the toxic injections. Investigators are trying to determine whether the adverse events were due to the potency of the toxin or the method of administration.

On one night in June, five of the people affected all ended up in the same A&E department in Durham, according to the BBC, which cited internal hospital communications in showing that the local stock of anti-toxin was nearly exhausted, forcing medics to request more from London as they “braced” for more patients.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is now understood to be investigating the spate of cases.

Dr Alison Cave, the agency’s chief safety officer, said: “Public safety is a top priority for the MHRA. Our Criminal Enforcement Unit works hard to identify those involved in the illegal trade in medicines and takes robust enforcement action where necessary. This can include criminal prosecution.

“Botulinum toxin (Botox) is a prescription-only medicine and should only be available in the UK under the supervision of a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional

“Buying Botox and other medicines from illegal suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not authorised for use in the UK.”

Dr Simon Howard of the UKHSA said that agency was still investigating the cause of the cases, and said the practitioners associated with most of the cases were no longer carrying out the procedures.

“However, that does not mean that we may not see more cases as symptoms can take up to four weeks to develop although we are now seeing the number of cases coming forward decreasing which is encouraging news,” said Dr Howard.

“We will continue to work with our partners to reduce the public health risk and would advise people to make sure they take precautions when seeking aesthetic procedures.

“Anyone who has recently undertaken an aesthetic procedure, and is experiencing any of the symptoms listed, should contact NHS 111.”

Botulinum toxin is widely used to reduce facial wrinkles and treat muscle conditions. While cosmetic practitioners do not need to be licensed, the drug does. Only seven brands are licensed in the UK, with Botox the most well known.

When used correctly the amounts are small and side effects are rare. But unregulated toxin, or larger quantities, can attack the nerves and cause botulism, a potentially life-threatening condition that causes paralysis.

Defra have published new Standards of Modern Zoo Practice for Great Britain (‘the Standards’). This document has been produced with the Scottish and Welsh Government, which undertake similar activities in Scotland and Wales.

The Standards will come into effect on 24 May 2027. Defra are publishing the Standards now to allow licensed zoos time to adapt to any new requirements as well as allow the zoo inspectorate to familiarise themselves with the new requirements. There are also, within the Standards, some additional, longer transitional times for some species-specific changes that you will wish to note.

The Standards will replace the Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (2012) in England and Scotland, and the National Assembly of Wales’ Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (2006) in Wales. The current Standards will remain in effect until 23 May 2027.

This year, we are not only celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Institute but also significant milestones for our office team: Margaret, our Training Administrator, marks an incredible 40 years with REHIS; Cará celebrates 30 dedicated years as Accounts Administrator; and Jane reached a fantastic 10-year milestone as Professional Development Co-ordinator.

Margaret first joined REHIS on 17 June 1985 through a youth training scheme at college, originally on a four-week placement. However, her hard work and knowledge quickly made an impression, and she was offered a permanent role with REHIS, which she undertook whilst doing her last year of the youth training scheme. Over the years Margaret has been able to see the growth of REHIS, having started as part of a small team of just three people in comparison to the thriving team we have at present.

Margaret has seen significant changes within the Institute, from the introduction of new qualifications and courses, to the presenters and colleagues who have come and gone. However, throughout it all Margaret’s commitment to supporting our training centres and maintaining high standards has always remained consistent. She takes immense pride in working with the presenters across Scotland and, of course, in keeping her assistant Tammie on her toes!

Reflecting on her 40 years, Margaret says she “can’t believe how fast time has passed” and credits her enjoyment of the job and her team for making the years fly in.

On behalf of everyone at REHIS, a huge thank you to Margaret, Cará, and Jane for your outstanding commitment and the invaluable contributions you’ve made over the years. We truly appreciate all that you do!

(Left to right – Sandra Williamson, Margaret O’Hare and Jackie McCabe)

This year’s theme is “Food Safety – Science in Action”. Science is at the heart of food safety. It helps us understand what makes food unsafe and how we can prevent foodborne illness. This year’s theme for World Food Safety Day highlights the vital role scientific knowledge plays in reducing illness, cutting costs, and saving lives.

At REHIS, we support this through our commitment to education and professional development. We offer an array of Food Safety qualifications- educating and bringing awareness to individuals and organisations.

Our REHIS Qualifications include:

🍽️ Introduction to Food Hygiene

📘 Elementary Food Hygiene (SCQF level 5)

📙 Intermediate Food Hygiene (SCQF level 7)

📗 Advanced Food Hygiene (SCQF level 8)

📅 Our Food Update on 4 June 2025 is the perfect lead-in to World Food Safety Day — offering the latest insights on food safety, allergens, advice on fermentation, and more. A great event for those passionate about food safety and public health! https://rehis.com/events/rehis-food-update/

Protecting and improving public health is a fundamental objective of Environmental Health and the work of both REHIS and SOCOEHS. Recognising the contributions of our colleague, Martin Keeley, who sadly passed away in 2022, an award is presented to recognise individuals, groups or organisations for actions which have significantly promoted or improved Environmental Health (this can be for single element or wider Environmental Health).

To submit a nomination, please complete this form HERE. Please submit nominations to contact@rehis.com by 31 July 2025.

On Friday 23 May 2025, the Institute was delighted to host its Annual Awards Presentation at the COSLA Conference Centre in Edinburgh. The event brought together award recipients, colleagues, and guests to celebrate the hard work, dedication, and achievements of those across the Environmental Health profession.

A huge congratulations to all of this year’s graduates in the REHIS Diploma in Environmental Health, Certificate of Equivalence and SFSORB Higher Certificates – your commitment to excellence and professional development is truly inspiring. Other awards presented were the Highfield Awards to those candidates achieving the highest marks at Advanced and Intermediate levels. We were proud to recognise your achievements and celebrate alongside you.

We would also like to extend a sincere thank you to Highfield for sponsoring the Highfield Awards and it was great to have Dan McDade with us to present the Community Training awards.

We’d also like to remind our newly qualified Diploma graduates that they are entitled to a free year of REHIS membership. We encourage you to take full advantage of this opportunity by exploring the benefits of membership, including access to events, training, and resources. It’s also the perfect time to get started with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) — a valuable way to enhance your knowledge and work your way towards chartered status.

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported the event. It was a pleasure to gather in person, and we look forward to continuing to support and celebrate the success of our members.