Public Health Messages Expansion Proposal

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi all,

Courtesy of a post by Justanutter, I was intrigued and just had to post this utterly bizarre proposal to expand public health awareness on the basis that some people work in jobs where they have more contact with the public.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2...health-message

Some snippets:

The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), a charity dedicated to improving health and wellbeing in society, has outlined plans for a range of different occupations – including cleaners, hairdressers, postal workers, and pub and restaurant staff – that could be enlisted to support efforts to tackle the public health crisis in England.

Cleaners and postal workers are among sections of the workforce that could help spread the message, the report says .

Similarly, bars and other businesses could provide less forbidding venues for checking blood pressure and carrying out other medical tests, engaging people in “conversations” about healthy lifestyles and offering “signposts” to steer them on to more specialist services.

I'm sure all the real workers out there will be thrilled. Maybe it will be just another waste of public money for a government commissioned report that comes up with a moderately bonkers plan, like the many?

It was interesting to see that Ladbrokes stated that anecdotal evidence was that it was a good thing. So, no studies, probably a couple of blokes in the bookies replying 'yeah, s' alright guv'.

Checking blood pressure in bars seems a bit of an odd one. Although it would be interesting to be having a conversation about your health with the barman as he hands you your 8th pint with some pork scratchings. It would have been useful to go back to my workplace and inform my boss why my work was damaging my mental health to tell him the advice came from an expert in the form of a waitress when he asked.

Maybe we can look forward to examinations next?

[swgrl09]

Hah, that's an interesting post. I know here in the USA they have been expanding the reach of motivational interviewing skills to non-mental health professions to help screen for and reach out to people who may not otherwise receive help. However, this seems like the extreme of that. I can't imagine taking my blood pressure at the bar after having several drinks!! Though maybe it would be eye-opening, but if i'm already drunk, can't see it sinking in very well, haha.

However it would be nice to see a shift world-over in society to value health and wellbeing more, especially with employers and workplaces, as you mention Terry.