Susan C. Powell

Development of methods for standardised HACCP assessment

Purpose – Assessment of HACCP systems is a key element in assuring the effective management of food safety. However, there is no accepted approach or common methodology available to HACCP practitioners, auditors or regulatory bodies. This paper seeks to examine this situationDesign/methodology/approach – This paper reviews previous approaches to HACCP audit and describes developments in audit and audit methods based on a long‐term study of HACCP in a multinational organisation.Findings – The proposed audit tools provide a useful method for collection of data on the effectiveness of HACCP plans and their implementation.Research limitations/implications – Limitations of using this approach are identified and discussed.Originality/value – New audit tools for validation and verification of HACCP effectiveness are proposed.

Post‐training assessment of HACCP knowledge: its use as a predictor of effective HACCP development, implementation and maintenance in food manufacturing

Purpose – HACCP training is acknowledged as a key requirement for the development of effective HACCP systems. However, there are few measures of the standards of training being offered or of the effectiveness of learning that takes place and no agreed methods to measure HACCP knowledge following training. Sets out to investigate this issue.Design/methodology/approach – A HACCP knowledge questionnaire was developed to measure HACCP team member knowledge following training. Data were collected from 91 individuals in a multinational organisation and predictions were made on likely effectiveness of HACCP systems based on team‐member knowledge.Findings – This paper outlines the preliminary results from a research project investigating the impact of training on effective HACCP implementation in a multinational organisation.Research limitations/implications – Limitations concerning sample size, timing and possible lack of understanding are discussed.Originality/value – A new tool to measure HACCP team member kno...

A comparative study of food retail premises by means of visual inspection and microbiological quality of food

The relationship between visual inspection ratings given to ten food retail premises and the microbiological quality of food samples was examined. Viable counts of bacteria and of Staphylococcus aureus were determined for cooked meat samples from each of the premises. There was no correlation between potential risk of foodborne infection, as assessed by total inspection rating, and bacteriological counts in food (P < 0.05). Neither was there a consistent relationship between scores given to any component of the total rating and the bacteriological quality of food. The effectiveness of the current UK inspection scheme in assessing risk of foodborne infection is questioned. Inclusion of appropriately weighted criteria such as food temperature abuse is suggested to improve the scheme.

The use of ATP-bioluminescence as an objective measure of food hygiene standards

Surface ATP-bioluminescence was used in food retail premises to give an objective measure of biological contamination and hence hygienic standards expressed in relative light units (RLU). There was no relationship between surface contamination, reflected in high RLU readings, and the total inspection rating or any components of the rating of premises examined. A significant difference was found between RLU reading obtained from surfaces before and after routine cleaning in food premises. The potential use of ATP-bioluminescence as part of the inspection rating system for retail food premises is questioned. Incorporation of this technique into verification or audit procedures for risk assessment systems in food premises and as a measure of the effectiveness of cleaning is suggested.

Implementation of collaborative governance in cross-sector innovation and education networks: evidence from the National Health Service in England

BackgroundIncreasingly, health policy-makers and managers all over the world look for alternative forms of organisation and governance in order to add more value and quality to their health systems. In recent years, the central government in England mandated several cross-sector health initiatives based on collaborative governance arrangements. However, there is little empirical evidence that examines local implementation responses to such centrally-mandated collaborations.MethodsData from the national study of Health Innovation and Education Clusters (HIECs) are used to provide comprehensive empirical evidence about the implementation of collaborative governance arrangements in cross-sector health networks in England. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data from a national survey of the entire population of HIEC directors (N = 17; response rate = 100%), a group discussion with 7 HIEC directors, and 15 in-depth interviews with HIEC directors and chairs.ResultsThe study provides a description and analysis of local implementation responses to the central government mandate to establish HIECs. The latter represent cross-sector health networks characterised by a vague mandate with the provision of a small amount of new resources. Our findings indicate that in the case of HIECs such a mandate resulted in the creation of rather fluid and informal partnerships, which over the period of three years made partial-to-full progress on governance activities and, in most cases, did not become self-sustaining without government funding.ConclusionThis study has produced valuable insights into the implementation responses in HIECs and possibly other cross-sector collaborations characterised by a vague mandate with the provision of a small amount of new resources. There is little evidence that local dominant coalitions appropriated the central HIEC mandate to their own ends. On the other hand, there is evidence of interpretation and implementation of the central mandate by HIEC leaders to serve their local needs. These findings augur well for Academic Health Science Networks, which pick up the mantle of large-scale, cross-sector collaborations for health and innovation. This study also highlights that a supportive policy environment and sufficient time would be crucial to the successful implementation of new cross-sector health collaborations.

The usage of NHS direct by different ethnic and gender groups in an urban population.

The aim of this study was to determine the level of usage of National Health Service Direct (NHSD) by ethnic and gender groups within an urban population. The study population comprised all individuals in the City of Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom, who had used NHS Direct between 01 July 2003 and 31 December 2003. The ethnic and gender composition of this population was compared with that of the total population within the study area. The United Kingdom census information was analyzed to determine the ethnic composition of the total population studied. The expected and actual usage of NHS Direct was determined for each section of the population and compared by means of Chi-square analysis and the use of standardized residuals. Females from the white ethnic group used the service more than expected, whereas females from all ethnic groups combined used the service less than predicted. For male callers, Black-African, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Asian groups used the service more than expected. Particularly high usage was observed in Indian and Pakistani groups. The findings of this study show that NHS Direct is being under-used by certain ethnic groups and a difference in usage exists depending on gender. As the NHSD is intended to be the first port-of-call for healthcare advice, determining why certain groups use the service more than others is important. Census data show that the ethnic minority communities have grown significantly in recent years. Information is lacking, however, on the differences in the usage of healthcare services by different ethnic components of the population. A consequence of this situation is that certain decisions relating to health care policy cannot be targeted effectively. This limitation is important as the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 places a statutory duty on NHS organizations to promote race equality, in policy and service delivery. Our findings also raise questions relating to the reliability of some current forms of disease surveillance and also show that NHS Direct data to determine patterns of disease, within the population, will be biased by the uneven usage of the service.

Healthy universities: Shaping the future

Jennie Cawood, from the English National Healthy University Network at the University of Central Lancashire, along with Mark Dooris, Director of the Healthy Settings Development Unit at the University of Central Lancashire, and Sue Powell, Head of Academy for Health and Well-Being at Manchester Metropolitan University, argue that the higher education sector offers an ideal setting for promoting health and well-being

An evaluation of the collection and analysis of epidemiological data for support of food safety control systems

Food-borne disease data collected by three U. K. environmental health departments were used in this study. The data were analyzed using a database designed to rank disease agents, food ingredients, and processing factors which contribute to cases of food-borne disease. The results established changes in patterns of food-borne disease over time, pattern differences between U. K. localities and differences between areas of the United Kingdom and the United States. This type of analysis of epidemiological data provides scientific underpinning for hazard analysis critical control point systems for food safety control. The work highlights the need for a consistent procedure for collection of food-borne disease data and for a national database to facilitate analysis.

The public health view on closing the gap between public health and primary care

This paper outlines the public health issues relating to the north-west region of England. The role of Primary Care Trusts in addressing the health and well-being issues is described and the development of Teaching Public Health Networks to support capacity and capability building in the public health workforce is outlined. Healthy weight management is used as a case study of how public health and primary care can be brought closer together by describing the role of the Food and Health Action Plan in addressing healthy weight management and its relationship with primary care.

Student perceptions of a healthy university.

UNLABELLED As complex environments within which individuals and populations operate, universities present important contexts for understanding and addressing health issues. The healthy university is an example of the settings approach, which adopts a whole system perspective, aiming to make places within which people, learn, live, work and play supportive to health and well-being. The UK Healthy Universities Network has formulated an online toolkit, which includes a Self-Review Tool, intended to enable universities to assess what actions they need to take to develop as a healthy university. This paper presents findings from consultative research undertaken with students from universities in England, Scotland and Wales, which explored what they believe, represents a healthy university. METHODS Student surveys and focus groups were used to collect data across eleven universities in England, Scotland and Wales. A priori themes were used to develop our own model for a healthy university, and for the thematic coding phase of analysis. FINDINGS A healthy university would promote student health and well-being in every aspect of its business from its facilities and environment through to its curriculum. Access to reasonably priced healthy food and exercise facilities were key features of a healthy university for students in this study. The Self-Review Tool has provided a crucial start for universities undertaking the journey towards becoming a healthy university. In looking to the future both universities and the UK Healthy Universities Network will now need to look at what students want from their whole university experience, and consider how the Self-Review Tool can help universities embrace a more explicit conceptual framework. CONCLUSION The concept of a healthy university that can tailor its facilities and supportive environments to the needs of its students will go some way to developing students who are active global citizens and who are more likely to value and prioritise health and well-being, in the short and long term through to their adult lives.