UKPHR Annual Meeting 2015

UKPHR held its Annual meeting 2015 at Birmingham’s Thinktank on 24^th September. Hosted by UKPHR’s Vice Chair, Professor Linda Jones, the event featured the launch of the annual report 2014-2015 and UKPHR’s plain English guide to complaints.

Dr Jane Kennedy, Head of Public Policy and Research at the London Borough of Newham presented, ‘Moving out of precarious housing’, making explicit the links between housing and health, and outlined how regulation of the private rental sector can protect vulnerable householders, improve health and wellbeing and help people out of precarious housing. The keynote speech was by delivered by UKPHR’s Chair, Professor Bryan Stoten. The presentation titled, ‘So it’s all about Local Government?’, reviewed the modern history of public health practice, the evidence gathered and what had and hadn’t worked in terms of past population based interventions. The two presentations stimulated a great many questions and comments from the audience and subsequently a lively audience discussion about the future of public health, the role of government (at all levels) and the democratic legitimacy needed for community engagement and public health practice.

UKPHR would like to thank all delegates for attending and hope that next year’s event will be just as insightful.