Birmingham City Council has appointed a new Director of Public Health. Sally Burns is currently Director of Public Health and Regulatory Services at West Northamptonshire Council. She previously served as Corporate Director of Communities and Neighbourhoods at City of York Council before moving into public health. She developed her career in public health in authorities in East London. Sally is an experienced local authority director with a strong background in community and regulatory services. Throughout her career, Sally has overseen a wide range of services, including housing and housing maintenance, homelessness, environmental services, community safety, leisure, culture, community development, emergency…

Maintaining good posture is a daily struggle for many of us. Whether you’re working on your feet or at a desk, it’s all too easy to slump into bad habits. You probably know that sitting and standing poorly is bad for your back, but do you know about the trouble it could be causing for the rest of your body?  Below, we look at some of the most common side-effects of bad posture – some of which might even surprise you.  Pain This may be the most obvious consequence of bad posture, but sometimes it can be difficult to…

Could you reduce your meat consumption? Many red and processed meats are high in saturated fat. Too much saturated fat in the diet can raise the amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood. The NHS recommends a daily meat intake of no more than 70g. Reducing your intake of red and processed meats will not only benefit your health, but it is also good for the environment. We have some tips to help you reduce your red and processed meat consumption. What are red, white and processed meats? Red meat includes beef, lamb and pork and it tends to be…

As winter turns to spring and the days grow longer, it’s the perfect time to consider how you can lead a healthier lifestyle.  As winter turns to spring and the days grow longer, it’s the perfect time to consider how you can lead a healthier lifestyle. But we don’t all have the time, energy or desire to commit to running a marathon or climbing mountains. Here are 10 simple health tips from legal healthcare   1. Rise early – as sunrise gets earlier, hauling yourself out of bed early and getting outside can help boost your level of vitamin D, most of which…

Analysis of data from over 16,700 patients has revealed that ethnic minority patients with heart failure are at much higher risk of death than White patients. According to the study, supported by the British Heart Foundation and presented this week at the British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester, there are sizable inequalities in heart failure treatment and outcomes. The risk of death in ethnic minority heart failure patients was calculated to be 36 per cent higher than that of White patients after an average of 17 months. The research also showed that the disparity was greater if patients also had…

People are being reminded of the importance of regular testing as National HIV Testing Week gets underway. Run by HIV Prevention England, the annual event highlights how regular testing is helping to reduce the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV, or who are diagnosed late. Testing is free, quick and confidential, and the only way for people to know their HIV status. Anyone diagnosed with HIV will be able to access free treatment and support. Testing for HIV is also useful for HIV-negative people who are considering interventions such as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of…

Mindful eating is an approach to food where you pay full attention to eating. Research has shown that eating mindfully can improve digestion, help regulate appetite and helps us enjoy our food much more. Here we share some simple ways to incorporate mindful eating into your daily routine: Preparing your food For many people, cooking can feel like a chore but it doesn’t have to be a rushed experience or something we do on autopilot. Whether you’re chopping, slicing, or marinating, the art of being mindful when you are cooking is an ideal opportunity to focus your attention on textures,…

We all spend at least some of our time each day sitting down, whether it’s when we are working or watching the television, but research shows that too much sitting can be bad for our heart. We should ideally aim to sit down for no more than 8 hours each day, but this can be difficult, especially if we have a desk-based job. Here are some tips on how to be more active: Set a Movement Reminder If you are working at a desk, try setting an alarm once every hour to get up and move. This could be as…

Mindful eating is an approach to food where you pay full attention to eating. Research has shown that eating mindfully can improve digestion, help regulate appetite and helps us enjoy our food much more. Here we share some simple ways to incorporate mindful eating into your daily routine: Preparing your food For many people, cooking can feel like a chore but it doesn’t have to be a rushed experience or something we do on autopilot. Whether you’re chopping, slicing, or marinating, the art of being mindful when you are cooking is an ideal opportunity to focus your attention on textures,…

The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) takes place every year on 6 February and is a day dedicated to raising awareness of and taking action against this harmful practice that affects millions of women and girls globally. FGM is when the female genitals are deliberately cut, altered or removed for non-medical reasons. It’s also known as female circumcision or cutting, but has many other names including sunna, gudniin, halalays, tahur, megrez or khitan. The consequences of FGM are severe and can have lifelong physical, psychological and social implications. It’s important to remember that FGM is…