Say no to norovirus: 5 ways to beat the bug

young woman having a stomach ache Norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug, is highly infectious and causes vomiting and diarrhoea. Norovirus is easily transmitted through contact with infected individuals and any surfaces or objects which have been contaminated with virus shed by these individuals. Norovirus activity has started earlier this winter and laboratory … Read more

The pre-election period

Like many public service organisations we will be communicating in-line with General Election 2019 guidance from midnight on Wednesday 6 November 2019 until a new government is formed. Though we will continue to publish data, important operational updates and health warnings when necessary, our activity will reduce as we will not be issuing new strategy, … Read more

Vaping and lung disease in the US: PHE’s advice

What’s happening in the US? Since mid-September, headlines around the world have warned about an outbreak of serious lung disease across the US, said to be associated with vaping. As of October 22, 1,604 cases have been reported to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) from 49 US states, including 34 deaths. The US has … Read more

Prioritising mental health

Mental health and mental illness have an impact on all of us, either directly or indirectly – whilst we can all benefit from having good mental health, 1 in 6 adults experienced a common mental health problem in the last week. People with more serious mental illness die 15-20 years earlier than the rest of … Read more

Health Matters: Rough sleeping

The latest edition of Health Matters, PHE’s professional resource, focuses on the scale of rough sleeping in England, the causes and consequences of rough sleeping (including the links with poor physical and mental health, prevention and effective interventions) and relevant calls to action. This blog provides a summary of the full edition’s content. The scale … Read more

The road ahead for the public’s health

The road ahead for the public’s health is one of great opportunity, and one we must seize with all our energy. In 2019 we have had the publication of the NHS Long Term Plan and the Government’s green paper on prevention, both setting out a vision of how we can move from prioritising treating poor … Read more

Moving forward from the prescription medicines review

The first ever evidence review of dependence and withdrawal problems associated with prescription medicines assesses the scale and distribution of the issue and outlines how to ensure people can benefit from the relevant medicines when they are needed, whilst limiting any harms caused by dependence or withdrawal. Find out more in this blog about what … Read more