Choosing health

In March 2004 the Department of Health issued a consultation entitled ‘Choosing Health?’ about the future Government public health strategy.

Initially the Academy contacted a selection of its Fellowship expert in public health, as well as its Officers, for comment. A Working Group then prepared a draft response that was sent to key stakeholders for consultation. The Academy response was published in June 2004.

The Academy recommended:

• Strengthening public health surveillance.
• Streamlining current research regulation.
• Strengthening the academic base of public health.
• Recognition that the aims of public health research are often longer term than those of clinical medicine.
• That public health should be promoted through appropriate government polices as well as encouraging informed individual choice.

The Academy has continued to follow up work in the areas of public health and research regulation.

Professor Andrew Haines FMedSci (Chair)
Dean, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Professor Roy Anderson FRS FMedSci
Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Head of Department, Imperial College London

Professor Sir Richard Doll OBE FRS FMedSci

Professor William James CBE FMedSci
Director, Public Health Policy Group and Chairman, International Obesity Task Force

Professor Kay-Tee Khaw FMedSci
Professor of Clinical Gerontology, University of Cambridge

Professor Michael King
Professor of Primary Care Psychiatry, Royal Free and University College London Medical School

Professor Sir Michael Marmot FMedSci
Professor of Epidemiology and Public health, University College London

Professor Nick Wald FRS FMedSci
Professor of Environmental and Preventative Medicine, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry

Professor Jonathan Weber FMedSci
Jefferiss Professor of GU Medicine and Communicable Diseases, Imperial College School of Medicine, London