Workforce

WORKFORCE SURVEY 2005

KEY POINTS

  1. The 2005 survey of the specialist public health workforce identified 1107 individuals working at consultant level in public health in their primary post, 224 (17%) less than in 2003. About 20% of this fall is in service pubic health posts.
  2. The problem is particularly acute in England , with only 36% of Primary Care Trusts England believing that they have sufficient capacity and capability to deliver public health effectively. This is compared to Northern Ireland , Scotland and Wales where 70%, 60%, 56% respectively of those surveyed agreed their team was adequate to deliver the public health agenda.
  3. Academic public health has shown a decline of 53.3% reduction in numbers. This fall is consistent with data from the Council of Heads of Medicals Schools (CHMS).
  4. The restructuring of Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities following Commissioning a Patient-Led NHS (CPLNHS) could result in 100-150 more senior positions being lost.
  5. There is a 40% reduction in planned recruitment for public health training for 2006, compared with 2005. Sources within the Deaneries reveal that 4 of the 13 regions plan to cancel their public health training completely for this year.

Download the full Workforce Survey 2005

 

Further workforce publications

Public Health Capacity, the Challenges for Public Health [PDF]:
A Report from three capacity workshops held jointly by the Faculty of Public Health, the Department of Health for England, the Health Protection Agency and the Health Development Agency (May 2004)

Raising Health: Organisational Options for Delivering Improved Public Health [PDF]
Report by OMP and the Faculty of Public Health (May 2004)

Public Health in NHS Trusts [PDF]
The Faculty of Public Health and BAMM (May 2004)

Public Health and Strategic Health Authorities: Implications of Regional Changes [PDF]
Faculty of Public Health [May 2003]

Public Health Sciences: Challenges and Opportunities [PDF]
An independent public health sciences working group, convened by the Wellcome Trust, has published a report which considers the current state of the public health sciences in the UK and recommends measures that it believes will enhance their impact upon the public's health. The working group is chaired by Faculty fellow, Professor Stephen Frankel

Enabling the Development of Public Health Networks [PDF]
National Public Health Network Learning Set Programme Summary Report by the Department of health and the Public Health Resource Unit (March 2004)

The specialist public health workforce in the UK
This key report describes the state of the current specialist public health workforce in the UK, using different models to recommend national targets for levels of consultants and specialists in public health to ensure delivery of a safe and effective public health system. A limited number of printed copies can be ordered through the Faculty. (March 2004)

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