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As a tax-paying member of the public, cuts in any section of the health and social services are bound to hurt me and I condemn them.
May I now request the Chairman of the BMA's public health medicine committee to consider the following?
1. Directors of public health. These ladies and gentlemen are appointed by and serve the population of a local authority. They say their ancestry goes back to the nineteenth century. If it is true the they must have a role in directing action in major local incidents affecting the health of the populace in their patch.
But, in the recent Salisbury poisoning "happening," we did not hear a word from or attributed to, the LOCAL DPH.
Is there no DPH there?
2. Clinical commissioning groups. These quangos (?) are mysterious powerful bodies able to decide the fate of individual patients - by influencing therapy. They appear to be even more powerful than NICE. The DPH is a member of this group. May we know how a group of people can claim to have the wisdom to over-ride the clinical wisdom of a general practitioner? What exactly does the DPH (or his nominee) do on this group?
3. Health of their population. It is my understanding that the DPH has a nebulous responsibility for improving the health of his/her population.
May I know if the DPHs look for iatrogenic disease? For example, the result of inappropriate medication (including inappropriate immunisation)?
Do they carry out surveillance of hospital acquired infections?
Do the directors report on the above to the local council, in an open meeting?
4. Environnental pollution.
Do the directors report on the above to their council?
Do they recommend to their council, action to reduce the pollution?
I await a response from Dr English who is the Chairman of this Committee.
Re: BMA urges government to reverse public health cuts. So do I . BUT.......
As a tax-paying member of the public, cuts in any section of the health and social services are bound to hurt me and I condemn them.
May I now request the Chairman of the BMA's public health medicine committee to consider the following?
1. Directors of public health. These ladies and gentlemen are appointed by and serve the population of a local authority. They say their ancestry goes back to the nineteenth century. If it is true the they must have a role in directing action in major local incidents affecting the health of the populace in their patch.
But, in the recent Salisbury poisoning "happening," we did not hear a word from or attributed to, the LOCAL DPH.
Is there no DPH there?
2. Clinical commissioning groups. These quangos (?) are mysterious powerful bodies able to decide the fate of individual patients - by influencing therapy. They appear to be even more powerful than NICE. The DPH is a member of this group. May we know how a group of people can claim to have the wisdom to over-ride the clinical wisdom of a general practitioner? What exactly does the DPH (or his nominee) do on this group?
3. Health of their population. It is my understanding that the DPH has a nebulous responsibility for improving the health of his/her population.
May I know if the DPHs look for iatrogenic disease? For example, the result of inappropriate medication (including inappropriate immunisation)?
Do they carry out surveillance of hospital acquired infections?
Do the directors report on the above to the local council, in an open meeting?
4. Environnental pollution.
Do the directors report on the above to their council?
Do they recommend to their council, action to reduce the pollution?
I await a response from Dr English who is the Chairman of this Committee.
Competing interests: No competing interests