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11 April 2003

30,000 UK SCHOOLS BEING SURVEYED ON ‘POOR AND SMELLY’ LOOS

School nurses are surveying the state of the UK’s 30,000 primary, secondary and special schools in a bid to improve school toilets and drinking water facilities for students and pupils.

The CPHVA, which represents the majority of the UK’s 2,500 school nurse work force, is asking its members to contact head teachers for their support and to answer the questions. The survey ends on 13 June when the results will be analysed.

The campaign is being organised by the CPHVA, the Enuresis Resource and Information Centre, School Councils UK, and the British Toilet Association.

The CPHVA’s Professional Officer for School Health and Public Health, Pat Jackson said: ‘Our members have reported that many school toilets are in a poor and often smelly condition. This survey will give us the necessary data to lobby government and local education authorities for improved toilets and the proper provision of drinking water.’

Nickie Brander, Campaign Officer, The Enuresis Resource and Information Centre, said: ‘The current health and safety legislation fails to provide adequate standards for school pupils.’

‘There is also a growing catalogue of evidence of short and long term health problems - both physical and psychological - that affect children’s health and learning due to sub-standard toilet and drinking water facilities.’

‘We will be identifying examples of high standards as well as those where improvements could be made.’

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NOTE TO NEWS EDITORS

For further information, please contact:

Pat Jackson ( 07798 53 10 27

Nickie Brander ( 01252 78 27 77

Shaun Noble Communications Officer ( (020) 7939 7043

mobile ( 07768 69 39 40

CPHVA press releases can be seen on the CPHVA website: amicus-cphva.org

The CPHVA represents health visitors, school nurses, practice nurses and registered nurses working in the community in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The CPHVA is an autonomous professional section of the amicus trade union. MSF joined with the AEEU to form amicus, the UK’s second largest union, on 1 January 2002.
(ERIC) is the UK children’s medical charity that provides information, research and support on childhood bedwetting, daytime wetting, constipation and soiling for families and health professionals. ERIC is the founder and co-ordinator of the national Water is Cool in School campaign, The CPHVA and School Councils UK have teamed up with ERIC to promote this Campaign.
School Councils UK promotes and develops effective student councils in British schools through training and resource provision.
The British Toilet Association is a campaigning body to raise the standards of all public ‘away from home’ toilets wherever located – including schools. It is a founder member of the World Toilet Association and will be hosting the World Toilet Summit in the UK in 2005.

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NOTE TO NEWS EDITORS

For further information, please contact:

Shaun Noble Communications Officer ( (020) 7939 7043

mobile ( 07768 69 39 40

CPHVA press releases can be seen on the CPHVA web site: amicus-cphva.org

The CPHVA represents health visitors, school nurses, practice nurses and registered nurses working in the community in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The CPHVA is an autonomous professional section of the amicus trade union. MSF joined with the AEEU to form amicus, the UK’s second largest union, on 1 January 2002.

NOTE FOR NEWS DESKS

For further information, please contact

Shaun Noble Press Officer (020) 7939 7043 Mobile 0468 69 39 40 MSF

press releases can be seen on our web site: www.msf.org.uk

Amicus/MSF represents 65,000 health service professionals including the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, laboratory scientific staff, the College of Health Care Chaplains, the Community Psychiatric Nurses Association, the Medical Practitioners' Union, clinical psychologists, speech therapists, the Hospital Physicists Association and the Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association.

Amicus/MSF has 400,000 skilled and professional members in a wide range of industries. It is the UK's second largest union.

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