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Emergency Services SIG

The Emergency Services SIG was established in 2023 to promote the advancement of knowledge in relation to the role of public health and the emergency services.

There has been a surge of interest in public health approaches in policing, the ambulance service, and the fire service, as an effective way to reduce crime and violence, prevent ill health, and increase health and wellbeing.  The emergency services SIG will support FPH in its aims to act as an authoritative body for the purposes of consultation and advocacy, in matters both of educational and public interest, by acting as an expert resource in this area (for the FPH and its members); and by ensuring that public health develops with a view to maintaining the highest possible standards of professional competence and practice.

The emergency services SIG will support the FPH priorities around workforce, standards, knowledge, advocacy, and partnership.

Vision and Aims

The Emergency Services SIG exists to promote amongst our peers:

  • The need for public health approaches in emergency services
  • The need for public health professionals to collaborate with emergency services to address complex problems (like addressing the social determinants of health), and connect our emergency services colleagues with existing work where applicable
  • The need for public health professionals to share their expertise around data management, understanding, and interpretation with emergency services colleagues

We will establish and strengthen knowledge of these areas, and facilitate networking within the SIG. 

We will create a space for development and sharing of public health expertise related to work with the emergency services.

Contact

The Emergency Services SIG reports to the Health Services Committee (HSC) and is chaired by Rachel Forbes and Christina Downham. 

FPH members can join this SIG by logging into their FPH members’ portal account, selecting the ‘Committees/SIGs’ button and choosing the correct SIG. You will then be asked to provide a few details, following which your application will be automatically approved. Further details on FPH membership are available here.

Workplan

Activity: Within the SIG, we will strengthen knowledge of:

  • The need for public health approaches within emergency services
  • The need for public health professionals to collaborate with emergency services
  • The need for public health professionals to share expertise around data

Outcome: Regular meetings of the SIG (bi-monthly)

Target date: Review June 2024

Named lead: Co-chairs

Progress to date: Our SIG has met three times since its formation in June 2023. Membership has grown to 21 members. 

Activity: We will promote among our peers:

  • The need for public health approaches within emergency services
  • The need for public health professionals to collaborate with emergency services
  • The need for public health professionals to share expertise around data

Outcome: 

  • Hosting webinars/talks from key stakeholders and partners focused on these topics.
  • Production of resources (e.g. in the form of a handbook) aimed at Public Health professionals interested in engaging and working with emergency services.
  • We will explore how our SIG can showcase and promote learning from successful anti-racism work taking place in Emergency Services.

Target date: Review June 2024

Named lead: Christina Downham and Laura Parker

Progress to date: 

The Emergency Services SIG hosted a well-attended webinar on 20 October 2023, with presentations from speakers discussing public health approaches in policing, fire, ambulance, and emergency medicine.

We are exploring hosting a Public Health in Emergency Services themed event during Global Public Health Week in April 2024, and will seek opportunities to collaborate with other SIGs for this event. 

Activity: We will explore and provide opportunities for trainees.

Outcome: 

  • Scoping exercise exploring existing opportunities nationally, linking in with national SRC work around placements/projects.
  • Making the case for registrar placements with emergency services.
  • Curate list of project ideas.
  • Scope out whether we could offer a registrar project to explore the current landscape re: existing linkages between emergency services and public health nationally.  This project would aim to identify areas where stronger links could be beneficial and where value could be added.

Named lead: Clare Oliver- Williams

Progress to date:

We are working on creating a NATP which will formalise and make more equitable a placement that has existed with Linda Hindle in OHID since 2018, working on emergency services and public health.

We have also prepared for submission a FPH Project Brief for a registrar project exploring the current links between public health and each of the emergency services, nationally and locally. It will identify where links need to be strengthened and where the SIG can contribute.

Both the NATP and Registrar Project will be advertised to all registrars nationally and offer remote working, with the intention of making these opportunities accessible to a diverse audience of registrars. 

Webinar recordings

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