UK Faculty of Public Health

Advocating for health

Minimum unit pricing for alcohol will save lives

The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) is alarmed by reports that the government is intending to withdraw its plans to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol (MUP). FPH has written, with the Association of Directors of Public Health, to the Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, outlining its concerns. Read the letter in full.

FPH asks its members to sign this e-petition by the Alcohol Health Alliance and the British Medical Association urging the government not to backtrack on MUP and to put health and lives first.

NEW: listen to Professor Lindsey Davies sharing her initial thoughts about the Francis enquiry on this Audioboo file

Contact us with your media enquiries

If you are a journalist looking for a comment or to talk to an expert, our press office is here to help.  We regularly respond to media enquiries on a range of public health issues such as 'flu, alcohol, smoking,  mental health, sexual health or sustainable development.

The clock is ticking - time for standardised packaging

It is more than six months since the consultation on standard packs closed, and every day another 430 children in the UK start smoking. With the Department of Health consultation on the standardised packaging of tobacco products now closed, and the government considering the evidence, this is a critical moment to influence and lobby for this important and achievable public health measure.  FPH supports the Smoke Free Action Coalition and the Plain Packs Campaign - please see their tobacco clock and write to your MPs.

What public health professionals can do

• Read our response to the consultation on plain packs
• Find out why plain packaging works
• Use information from the local tobacco toolkit to calculate the costs of smoking to your area
• Template letter for DsPH to lobby local MPs
• Template letter for all other FPH members to lobby local MPs
• Website to help you find and send emails to local MP.

CPD

Continuing professional development (CPD) is the component of learning and development that occurs after the formal completion of postgraduate training.

In public health, the overall aim of continuing professional development is to ensure that those who work in the field develop and maintain the necessary knowledge, skills and attributes to practise effectively and work towards improving the health of the population.

CPD is a professional obligation for all public health professionals.

In order to comply with the Faculty's minimum standards for CPD and to remain in good standing, all Faculty members must either submit a satisfactory CPD return for the previous calendar year, or have been formally exempted by the Faculty from this requirement.

The Faculty has adopted common standards for CPD for all its members.

Full CPD guidance document [pdf]
New CPD policy from 1 April 2012 [pdf]

The online diary allows users to keep an accurate online record of their learning activities. It also allows them to submit their annual return online.

Log in or sign up to begin using the online diary.

Regulation

On the 23 January 2012, the Secretary of State Andrew Lansley announced plans to legislate to ensure that all public health consultants were appropriately regulated. The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) welcomes this outcome, which is in no small part down to the hard work and commitment of FPH members, officers and staff.

FPH has now received further details from the Department of Health on the legislative process, practicalities and timetable for implementation. The legislation that will be used is Section 60 of the 1999 Health Act which will enable amendment of the Health Professions Council's (HPC) primary legislation, using secondary legislation, to establish a statutory register for public health specialists.  A draft legislative order will then be produced, which requires three months' consultation.  A revised order is then drafted.  It then has to be considered by the Scottish Assembly and then approved through a debate in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, prior to approval by the Privy Council. 

The process will begin in late 2012 and should take between 18 and 24 months, depending on the complexity of the legislation. During that time, the HPC will work with FPH, the United Kingdom Public Health Register (UKPHR) and other interested parties to develop and agree the regulatory systems and standards within HPC to enable UKPHR-registered specialists to transfer at the appropriate time when legislation is completed.

Recruitment 2013

Specialty Training 2013 – ST1 Opportunities in Public Health

Selection into Public Health Specialty training in 2013 will be run separately for:

• England, Scotland & Wales
• Northern Ireland

Vacancies currently declared are set out below. Potential applicants should check these pages or the pages of their preferred programmes for updates.