The Cheshire & Merseyside Health Protection Unit are examining public health practice with respect to a range of environmental issues. They are asking environmental professionals to answer a short questionnaire on public health practice to help to inform their study.

The environmental issues that they will examine include: the built environment (including industry, commerce, transport of any kind, housing); the natural environment (including air, land, water); chemical and radiation spills and contamination; fires, floods and natural disasters; climate change and sustainability issues; clusters of non-communicable disease; planning issues, environmental permits (IPPC) etc.

The HPA are looking at what interaction public health practitioners of all kinds have with health issues that are related to or affected by the natural or the built environment, in order to make recommendations about possible future directions for practice. The questionnaire is HPA's attempt to harness knowledge and experience from a much wider audience. The HPA is also conducting interviews locally as well as examining records to see what kinds of issues have been dealt with historically and what the training needs might be. They are interested in gaining the views of those working in both health and the environment.

The questionnaire will remain open until 6th February 2013. The HPA will not identify any person or agency in any report.

Click here to answer the questionnaire.