Health Promotion. Professional Perspectives (2nd ed.)

Citation

Vinten, G. (2001), "Health Promotion. Professional Perspectives (2nd ed.)", Journal of Management in Medicine, Vol. 15 No. 5, pp. 405-408. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmm.2001.15.5.405.1

This has continued the tradition established in its first edition of 1996 of being groundbreaking in presenting a comprehensive view of this multi‐faceted and interprofessional and agency topic. Rhetoric has historically failed to match reality, and the text indicates sufficent evidence that this remains the situation, although there are some grounds for cautious optimism. The “Issues concerned with theory and practice”, which forms Part 1, has Keith Tones sounding his prophetic warning notes rooted in his view of health promotion being the militant wing of public health, and the essential need to achieve individual and community empowerment. This is followed by an analysis of the pitfalls and possibilities of the politically encouraged partnership and interprofessional working approach.

Part II is on the Health Service in the light of the now reasonably settled primary care groups (PCGs) and primary care trusts (PCTs). A helpful case study of a PCG in Bristol is presented. Community nurses are considered key, and those in hospital nursing practice are encouraged to assume a wider role. The tensions and dilemmas of specialist health promotionists is the other topic treated.

Part III is on “Local authorities”. The role of the environmental health department may be slightly overstated, given the legislative encumbrance and denial of powers they suffer under. As a residual department, social services can never fulfil a global remit, but nevertheless they have a significant remit among the most vulnerable. Finally, the positive role of the local authority in promoting physical activity is outlined, and one might have expected some consideration of private sector involvement, with shares in such companies generally trading successfully.

Part IV concerns “Education and youth organisations”. The nursery school level would complete the coverage which starts with the National Curriculum and progresses to university level, outlining one promising initiative at the University of Central Lancashire. Worry is expressed at the likely disappearance of the school nurse. The role of Youth Work is also dealt with, and here there is the potential to work through peer groups which is likely to be efficient and effective.

Part V is on the “Voluntary sector” with its mixture of local self‐help provision and national organisations, some of which work through local groups, sometimes with tension between centre and periphery. Although recognised, the current stress on partnership working is placing stress on the voluntary sector, which if it is not careful becomes the servant of the funder, and suffers from budgetary uncertainty and turbulence. The local government side can be slow to recognise all this, although there are examples of good practice which can be included in the third edition. The Audit Commission is complacent about giving this any priority as an issue of national concern and public interest.

Part VI is on the “Workplace”, investigating trade union involvement and the patchy occupational health schemes. Nothing significant seems to have developed here since the classic Tonbridge Report, and when back in the 1970s I spoke with Sir Ronald he was unable to produce many examples of exemplary practice. The sometimes ugly politics and organisational behaviour in the workplace give rise to huge amounts of lost production and illness each year, and this must constitute one of the most significant topics in this book.

It is a pity that coming to the end of such perceptive analysis and scenario painting, there are no conclusions or even recommendations provided. This would have rounded off this splendid text and maybe even helped in policy formulation. This book is used as an Open University text, and has established itself as the authoritative test on the subject.