About PHMEG: membership and ways of working

The Five Nations Public Health Medicine Environmental Group (PHMEG) was founded in the early 1980’s.

The aims of the group are:-

a) To promote interest in communicable disease control, environmental health and other aspects of the work of Consultants in Communicable Disease Control (CsCDC) and other epidemiologists and specialists working to protect the public health.

b) To facilitate contributions and developments by establishing and maintaining a list of members with special expertise.

c) To provide a forum for the exchange of information and ideas on health protection, including communicable disease control, environmental health and emergency response.

d) To be a source of expert comment and authoritative advice on policy, consultative documents and development of new guidelines.

e) To act as an expert advisory group to the Faculty of Public Health Medicine (FPHM) in the specialist area of health protection.

f) To establish and apply standards for communicable disease control, environmental health and other aspects of health protection.

g) To facilitate and undertake audit and research.

h) To represent the views of CsCDC and other specialists in the health protection field.

Currently, there are over 200 members most of whom are CsCDC or Consultant Epidemiologists. In addition, other specialists working in the field of health protection are encouraged to join.

Members working in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic and each of the regions in England elect a representative to the Executive. The Executive meets quarterly and between meetings corresponds with members through a closed electronic e-mail system. This ensures that members participate actively in all PHMEG discussions and decisions.