PR and Med Ed news in brief

Iím not eating that

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is using shock tactics in its latest campaign to improve childrenís diets and fight obesity. The charity has released posters that show burger and hotdog buns filled with bone and gristle ñ some of the common ingredients found in burgers, chicken nuggets and hotdogs. The Food4Thought campaign comes in the wake of a survey by the BHF that revealed 36 per cent of 8 to 14-year-old children could not name the main ingredient of chips.

The BHF plans to call on Tony Blair to take more action in the battle to improve childrenís diets and has enlisted the help of sports presenter Gaby Logan to deliver the list of actions it believes should be addressed.

Free COPD tests

The British Lung Foundation is joining forces with Superdrug to offer lung function testing to people at high risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) next week ahead of World COPD Day on November 16. People over the age of 35 who have smoked the equivalent of 20 cigarettes a day will be able to get a free test at one of the 21 Superdrugs participating in the initiative. Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer, Vitalograph and the Association for Respiratory Technology and Physiology are supporting the scheme which is aimed at raising awareness of COPD and its symptoms.

A helping hand

The Healthcare Communications Association (HCA) has launched a package of highly interactive training workshops designed to address the major issues of 2006 and beyond, including code of practice regulations, ever-changing NHS programmes and continued pressure to demonstrate return on investment.

The first of the workshops, Capitalising on the Changing Healthcare Landscape, which addresses the agenda for change within the NHS and looks at the implications for PR and communications takes place on November 18.

RoI and Evaluation (November 23) provides a forum for senior level communications and marketing professionals to address one of the biggest challenges facing the industry today.

The third session, Maximising International PR Campaigns (December 5) focuses on strategies for improving the planning and implementation of international PR.

The courses are open to anyone working in PR, marketing and communications either in-house or agency-based.Ü For further information go to www.hca-uk.org.