Better Health For All

The Centre for Health and Development at the Staffordshire University and the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) held a hugely successful conference at the University on 26th June. Given the current political uncertainties and the mounting evidence of the public health impacts of austerity on life expectancy and infant mortality in particular, it was perhaps unsurprising that an event on ‘Economic, Environmental and Health Inequalities in a time of Austerity’ attracted over 100 registrations from a diverse range of public health professionals, including consultants, practitioners, academics, researchers, nurses, students and community workers.

These delegates were drawn from key public health and partner bodies including Public Health England, the National Instiute for Health and Care Excellence, Clinical Research Network, NHS, Universities, local authorities, the Illegal Money Lending Team, the Modern Slavery Network and the voluntary sector. This ensured lively, productive and, on occasions, inspirational discussion.

The speakers also reflected the diverse and inter-connected factors that impact on public health as well as representing the key bodies and levers for mitigating them. Keynote presentations from Professors Mark Gamsu, John Middleton and Chris Gidlow together with Dr Jacqui Ashdown set the scene for each session with evidence and experience-packed critiques of poverty, welfare, environment, food, economic development, debt, and housing.

The three workshop sessions were themed around living, moving and economic inequalities and provided delegates with expert detail on issues ranging from homelessness to county lines, mental health to obesity, loan sharking to the bedroom tax and all points between. Speakers drew on each other’s experiences and a particular highlight was a speaker going ‘off-piste’ to share his lived experience. Two of the speakers were recent MPH graduates and presented work from their dissertations with great assurance and to enthusiastic response. All three Q/A sessions were lively affairs and contributed to the learning gained. There is a rumour that one of our FPH Professors was completing his online CPD in real time! Presentations were complemented by displays from NIHR, a Big Local community project, North Staffs Financial Inclusion Group, PHE and the cream of the recent FPH #PublicHealthLooksLike photograph exhibition.

In short a powerful and productive public health day; much learned and much more to do.

Watch this space for news of next year’s event!

You can download the slides from the Conference here.

Professor Christopher Gidlow, Staffordshire University

Dr. Patrick Saunders, Visiting Professor of Public Health University of Staffordshire