White Paper on Public Health welcomed.

PRACTICE nurses have welcomed the Government's White Paper on Public Health and its package of measures to encourage people to achieve healthier lifestyles. Although some commentators savaged the Government's failure to completely ban smoking in public places and to outlaw junk food advertising to children, practice nurses said the paper contained a number of good policies that would reinforce the health promotion work they are already doing. These include promises of more training to help practice nurses and other staff give appropriate healthy living advice and the introduction of a new breed of NHS accredited 'health trainers' from 2006 to give patients advice on lifestyle. …