UK Faculty of Public Health

Health reforms

The Government has announced its plans for a radical transformation of the public health service in England, as part of the Health and Social Care Bill.

The Bill sees the creation of a new, integrated, national public health service, Public Health England, and a return to local authorities for local public health teams, bringing with them a new imperative to put health at the heart of public services.

FPH’s response to the Health and Social Care Bill

FPH has been lobbying hard for the concerns of our members to be heard since the planned reforms were first announced, and we have continuing areas of concern. We wrote a letter to the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley MP, in November 2011 to share the results of our members’ survey about the bill.

Our main concerns are:

• Clarification on who will lead on local emergencies   
• The preservation (and strengthening) of public health capacity – now and in the future
• Statutory registration and appointment of all public health specialists – irrespective of professional background
• The creation of Public Health England as an NHS organisation, such as a special health authority

We will continue to lobby and engage with government to address our members’ concerns.

• Get a detailed summary of FPH’s concerns about the Bill and how we have been engaged in an extensive advocacy programme to address them.

We are taking every possible opportunity to contribute constructively to national thinking and can intervene locally if standards of public health practice are threatened. We want to hear your views on what the Bill means for you as a public health professional and public health as a whole. Please send your comments to policy@fph.org.uk

What FPH and our members are doing

FPH has written to the Prime Minister David Cameron, Secretary of State Andrew Lansley, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband as well as MPs and Lords, outlining our key points and outstanding issues. Many of our 3,500 members are actively canvassing their own MPs.

We are also meeting with members of the House of Lords to discuss our concerns and suggested amendments to the Bill, particularly on the issue of statutory regulation of public health professionals. We responded to the Scally review of this regulation – and FPH is submitting further evidence to the Department of Health to make a robust case for it.

Find out more about our work on the public health reforms and the evidence we have submitted.

2012 Recruitment

Recruitment into public health training in the UK will commence soon. Information on the process, including person specifications, assessment processes and dates, can be found at Recruitment 2012.  Applications into the UK training schemes will commence on the following dates:

England and Wales  – midday (GMT) on Friday 25 November 2011
Northern Ireland  – Monday 14 November 2011
Scotland  –  09:00 (GMT) on Monday 28 November 2011

Careers

Have you considered specialising in public health?

Are you passionate? Do you possess the drive and vision to make all our lives better by improving how and where we live?

Are you a leader, facilitator and skilled communicator?

A strategic and critical thinker whose field of vision always encompasses the 'bigger picture'?

Do you enjoy statistics and finding evidence-based solutions to complex problems?

And do you believe that we all have the right to better health?

Could you be a public health consultant?

Specialty Training 2012 – ST1 Opportunities in Public Health Recruitment

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]

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.