Prof of Public Health @EdinburghUni and Chief Social Policy Adviser @Scotgov - https://t.co/d8C6I7ZygN . Director @SPECTRUMRes & Co-Director @BehaviourRes_UK
Apr 11, 2023 • 20 tweets • 6 min read
🧵(1/21) on research & policy. Today @NeilDotBrien (Minister for Primary Care & Public Health) announced the roll out of a national incentive scheme in 🏴 for #smokingcessation in #pregnancy. This is underpinned by 20 years of studies & teamwork. Reflections on #lessonslearned
Building the evidence for prevention policies like this take time, but if the evidence is robust, wider societal shifts are in favour, you work with funders, respected #advocacy partners, research participants and experienced civil servants it can happen. gov.uk/government/new…
Sep 25, 2020 • 10 tweets • 3 min read
A lot of discussion about separating those at risk to protect them from becoming infected w. SARS-CoV-2. ‘Let’s protect the elderly & vulnerable from Covid19 & the rest of us get on with our lives’. New paper shows how challenging this would be (PREPRINT not peer reviewed) 1/10
Compared Covid-19 outcomes among shielded and non-shielded populations in one part of Scotland. Led by @BhauteshJani with @jill_p_pell@FrancesMair & colleagues 2/10 medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
Sep 11, 2020 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
Don't know any of the details regarding this decision, but a few thoughts on this from a research perspective (Thread) 1/9
Mass media is a powerful tool to promote public health. Not just campaigns (see our @NIHRresearch funded series of systematic reviews on this) but also for policy makers & professionals to explain why measures, interventions or services are needed 2/9 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK54070…
Aug 19, 2020 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
Please to see today the release of more data from 🏴Scotland’s #TestandTrace (Test and Protect) via @P_H_S_Official. More to follow. But this is progress. Important for transparency & comparisons within UK & internationally. 1/7 beta.isdscotland.org/find-publicati…
Since 28th May, 1,835 individuals in the system with a positive test & 7,449 contacts traced (around 4 contacts per index case). More detailed data only available from July 21st for the whole country by which point all NHS Boards were using the same Case Management System. 2/7
Jul 15, 2020 • 7 tweets • 5 min read
*Important document* for Scotland - won’t make the headlines, but publication of Covid-19 Surveillance and Response plan today. Will be key in terms of how the pandemic is monitored and responded to in 🏴the coming months. Key points 1/8 gov.scot/news/monitorin…
Surveillance: Existing and new data, plus information via #TestAndProtect. But from #TestAndProtect we also need to understand % of positive cases successfully contacted, % of identified contacts who could be reached, and whether self-isolation guidance followed 2/8
Jul 11, 2020 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Thinking about this a bit more - the #smokefree#facecoverings comparison. I do think it is relevant, but with caveats. In March 2016 I visited a main railway station in Scotland the day before and the day after the smokefree law came in. 1/5
The day before, people were smoking on the concourse, in cafes at the station and elsewhere. The next day, no one I saw was smoking. Not a single person. The difference was sudden and really noticeable. Plus in time, data showed that overall compliance was strikingly high. 2/5
Jun 24, 2020 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Been meaning to compose a thread to thank all the journalists for the hours they've put in during this #COVID19 pandemic in the UK & further afield. Often working from home, juggling like the rest of us. 1/6
They get a lot of grief but so many are brilliant and a wealth of information & insight. I’m a public health researcher but it’s so difficult to keep up with #COVID19 developments, moving so quickly that I and others simply can’t just rely on academic networks for updates. 2/6
Jul 19, 2019 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
Thread
1/4: How to accelerate progress to eliminate smoking in Europe: recommendations from @Marc_Willemsen, @daniel_kotz, Bethany Hipple-Walters and I. tobaccopreventioncessation.com/What-is-needed…@Marc_Willemsen@daniel_kotz 2/4
Generate more scientific evidence RELEVANT to EACH country (surveillance, primary research, evaluation and implementation of Article 20 and 22 of the WHO FCTC). Funding from EU Research & Innovation needed.
