Functions and standards of a

Public Health System

www.fph.org.uk
Functions and standards of a Public Health System

The Faculty of Public Health

The UK Faculty of Public Health is the professional standards body for public health
specialists and practitioners. We have around 4,000 members, in the four nations of
the United Kingdom and overseas.

We define public health as the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life
and promoting health and wellbeing, through the organised efforts of society.
 Functions and standards of a Public Health System

1. Introduction
Public health is essential to all aspects of health and wellbeing and is crucial
to reducing health inequalities and influencing the wider determinants of
health. Public health’s historic endeavours have led to enormous advances in
the control of communicable disease, through immunisation, clean water and
sanitation.

The UK has also seen successes in reducing smoking recognition and should be embedded in all community
rates, accidental deaths and the burden of non- strategies. There are unacceptably high levels of air
communicable disease. These advances are the result pollution in many towns and cities and the serious adverse
of successful lobbying for public health legislation, effects of this are now much better understood. We are
working with policymakers and partners to address seeing a fall in immunisation rates and screening uptake,
the wider determinants of health and empowering which are vital for the prevention of disease and disability.
local communities. As the needs of the population And our health services do not take full advantage of
have become more complex, so too has our approach preventing and controlling the premature onset of chronic
to improving the public’s health. Public health training and multiple diseases to the extent they should. We also
equips us to address current and new challenges, and need to protect the health of our planet, possibly the
public health works to ensure that resources are used greatest challenge to human survival. Public health lies at
wisely, represent value and contribute to reducing health the heart of all these issues and we must act now to secure
inequalities. the best possible health for future generations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on public This document draws together a range of different
health as never before, and highlighted the critical papers that the Faculty of Public Health has produced in
importance of having a strong, well-resourced and well- recent years to describe the essential functions of a public
trained workforce. The public health response to the health system, and the standards and contribution of the
pandemic has been nothing less than heroic, though specialist public health workforce that are crucial to a
many months, if not years, of painstaking work lie ahead robust UK public health structure.
in order to manage and control the virus.
Whilst focusing on the role of public health specialists in
However, public health is much wider than pandemics, this document, the Faculty of Public Health acknowledges
critical though they are. The UK faces a huge range the critical roles of practitioners and the wider public
of challenges, with widening health inequalities health workforce that underpin every function essential
between rich and poor and poverty and homelessness to a strong public health system (see FPH Practitioners
increasing. Infant deaths are rising, early years’ health document).1
is worsening and life expectancy has stalled for the first
time in a century. Public health approaches to knife Professor Maggie Rae PrFPH, FRCP Hon, FRSPH, FRSM
crime, gambling and drug misuse have been gaining President, Faculty of Public Health

1. Public Health Practitioners https://www.fph.org.uk/media/3029/fph_ph_practitioner_09_20-v2.pdf

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Functions and standards of a Public Health System

2. Functions of the national,

regional and local public
health system 2

Public health requires effective action by many different The public health functions are presented here within
organisations and players. The balance of responsibility the three domains of public health practice – health
will vary from place to place, but the essential functions protection, health improvement and health services - plus
which must be assured in every locality remain constant. the underpinning functions of public health intelligence,
What is critical is that there is clarity with respect to each academic public health and workforce development that
function as to who is accountable, who has responsibility are integral to each of the three domains. They align and
for leading, and what contribution is required of different map onto frameworks such as the WHO Essential Public
organisations and elements across the whole system. Health Operations.3

Health Protection
Action for clean air, water and food, infectious disease control, protection against environmental health hazards,
chemical incidents and emergency response.

Health Protection requires strong collaborative working between all levels of Public Health – National Regional and
Local. It needs to work with the NHS, Local Authorities the Voluntary Sector as well as well as other partners e.g.
Animal Health, Health & Safety Executive etc. It is vital that partners work together to deliver the functions listed and
make sure the system is effective.

Proactive prevention functions Health Protection Functions

Outbreak prevention Develop outbreak The development of plans and shared policies for the prevention and control
and control prevention and of communicable disease, including disease-specific outbreak control plans
control plans including Tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections.
Analyse short and long-term risk in relation to actual or perceived major
threats to health and wellbeing
Establish close liaison with environmental health, microbiology and tropical
diseases medicine
Identify effective interventions and services to control major infections and
diseases
Provide expert advice and assistance to the NHS, Local Authorities and others
on services to prevent and control communicable and environmental hazards

2. Functions of the Local Public Health System, Faculty of Public Health, originally published 2014
https://www.fph.org.uk/media/2425/functions-of-the-local-ph-system-final-200514.pdf
3. WHO Essential Public Health Operations
https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/Health-systems/public-health-services/policy/the-10-essential-public-health-operations

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 Functions and standards of a Public Health System

Proactive prevention functions Health Protection Functions

Emergency Planning Ensure emergency Prepare for emergencies including pandemics
and major incident
Provide an active role in capability, contingency planning and resilience
preparedness
Be prepared for monitoring and responding to an increasing variety of
infectious and environmental hazards and risk of deliberate harm to the public
Co-ordinate and support planning, training and exercises across the NHS and
other responding organisations
Set standards for NHS preparedness
Take a lead role in the local Health Resilience Partnership, supporting the
development of comprehensive multi agency plans for the anticipated threats
to public health
Reactive acute functions
Risk management Communicate advice Provide advice and challenge, especially advising on environmental threats
on threats to health including pollution, noise and contaminated land
and act to reduce
Communicate advice on risks (particularly with the public) on issues
risks
considered or perceived to be major threats to population health, wellbeing or
safety
Take on the role of Proper Officer within the local authority with a legal duty
to remove health risks from the public
Contribute to work on contact tracing
Lead epidemiological investigations of priority problems affecting health,
wellbeing and safety
Provide answers to specific questions about health risks associated with
exposure and the identification of causative agents of outbreaks and incidents
Infection control Local infection Plan, implement and review multi-agency or multi sectoral measures to
control work prevent, ameliorate or control risks to population health, wellbeing and safety
Local infection work including monitoring and providing advice on the
containment of Health Care Acquired Infections (HCAI)
Take an active role on the hospital infection control committee (HICC)
Liaise closely with environmental health
Outbreak Outbreak and Provide an expert 24/7 public health response to incidents and outbreaks
management incident control arising in the local area that place the health of the public at risk
Chair the outbreak or incident control team
Both proactive and reactive
Monitoring threats Monitor and advise Provide advice on novel threats to health
on risks to health
Proactively interpret data and use information systems to monitor disease and
disease trends
Identify current and emerging disease risks in the UK population and the
impact of this locally
Immunisation Advise on Implement and monitor immunisation and vaccination policies
immunisation and
Provide evidence-based advice on immunisation and the benefit and risk of
vaccination
implementing new vaccine programmes

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Functions and standards of a Public Health System

Health Improvement
Wide ranging action to improve health and wellbeing and to reduce health inequalities

Health Improvement Function Quality Function

Needs assessment Strategically assess Advise the Health and Wellbeing Board on the development of the Health and
the health and Wellbeing Strategy based on the assessed needs of the population and proven
wellbeing needs of interventions to improve health
the local population
Lead the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment to set strategic direction; provide
a vision for health and wellbeing; and communicate it effectively to a wide
range of stakeholders including local communities
Identify where new policies, strategies and initiatives are needed to improve
the populations’ health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities
Programme Commission Lead on the development, implementation and evaluation of health
development appropriate and improvement programmes across organisations, partnerships and
effective health and communities to improve population health and wellbeing and reduce health
wellbeing initiatives inequalities
Work closely with council colleagues, including planning departments to
identify areas which need a public health input
Lead work to tackle specific issues based on local needs assessment such as
childhood obesity and smoking,
Secure, prioritise and allocate resources to achieve optimal impact on
population health and wellbeing outcomes
Create and sustain infrastructure and cultures that enable strategic direction
and vision to be realised
Lead the local implementation of national public health policy, making
appropriate choices about the pace of implementation
Partnership working Build strategic Develop healthy, sustainable and cohesive communities through the Health
partnerships and Wellbeing Board, the wider Council and partners
Build and sustain strategic alliances and partnerships within a political
environment
Develop good relationships with councillors, senior council staff, council
colleagues, members of the CCG, members of the Local Area Team and Public
Health England, and members of both the voluntary and private sectors
Maximise leadership and partnership working skills to improve population
health and wellbeing, balancing the interests of organisational, political and
multi-agency agendas and priorities
Effectively use Health Impact Assessments to shape policies affecting the
wider determinants of health
Effectively use the powers of the local authority by-laws in improving health
Community Enable and support Ensure processes and infrastructure are in place to enable and support
Development communities communities in the articulation of their views and concerns about health and
wellbeing
Utilise a range of community development approaches and techniques
including surveys, focus groups, participatory appraisals and consultation
processes to engage with communities on the health and wellbeing agenda

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 Functions and standards of a Public Health System

Health Improvement Function Quality Function

Advocacy Act as advocates for Use a full range of communication tools including the media to communicate
health risks to health and wellbeing from lifestyle, physical, social and environmental
factors
Lead local, targeted campaigns to improve health
Assure continuity and quality of communication of the key health messages to
both the public and professionals (health and non-health)
Sustainability Build sustainable Lead on the sustainable development of capacity and capability to improve
capacity and population health and wellbeing
resources
Plan and implement training programmes to build public health capacity
across a wide range of professional groups and sectors
Evidence and Develop the evidence Use and develop the evidence-base for health improvement programmes
Evaluation and evaluate the
Evaluate local health improvement programmes
programmes

Health Services
Action in service planning, commissioning and development, clinical effectiveness, clinical governance and efficiency
working with Partners across the system in the NHS, Local Authorities and Voluntary Sector.

Health Services Public Health Function Quality Function

Health service Effective and Support commissioning groups in their work with the Health Boards, NHS
commissioning cost effective Commissioning Board and Local Authority
health services
Ensure that commissioning groups are able to contribute to the Joint Strategic
commissioning
Needs Assessment and to the agreement of overall priorities for health, health
services, health improvement and social care
Provide specialist public heath advice to commissioners on priorities for health
and social care spending and the appropriate configuration of services within
and between local authorities
Develop care pathways, policies and guidelines to improve health outcomes
Assess health and social care need, utilisation, demand and outcomes
Influence political and partnership decision-making to maximise the
application and use of evidence to improve health outcomes
Promote a population health prevention approach within health and social
care services
Health and social care Prioritisation of Provide Public Health strategic leadership to the integration of health and
service prioritisation health and social care social care services
services
Provide explicit, evidence-based advice to ensure commissioning groups are
well informed
Objectively balance needs and resources to ensure that the whole population
gets the best value for money
Evaluate clinical and cost effectiveness of health and social care interventions
to inform decisions
Produce high quality evidence summaries for exceptional treatment requests
using ethical and legal principles
Critically appraise business cases of proposals for new service developments or
configurations

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Functions and standards of a Public Health System

Health Services Public Health Function Quality Function

Equity Ensure equity of Support the commissioning of appropriate, effective and equitable health care
service provision from the NHS locally
Monitor access and use of health and social care services
Undertake health equity audits and equity impact assessments of services
Plan services for vulnerable groups using the appropriate evidence base
Address access issues and their impact on population health, wellbeing and
inequalities
Quality Ensure clinical Set and maintain a culture of continuous evidence-based improvement
governance and
Agree specifications and standards for services which clearly identify the
quality improvement
clinical, quality and productivity outcomes
Monitor and audit services to ensure delivery and to improve outcomes
Monitor performance, identify underperforming providers and make
recommendations
Generate information to support quality assurance
Benchmark variations in referrals and surgical procedures against NICE
guidance
Communicate and disseminate information that improves practices or services
Provide impartial interpretation and advice on the performance of primary care
and support commissioning groups to improve quality of primary care
Evaluation Provide healthcare Provide independent evaluation of services against NICE and other guidance
audit, evaluation and and utilising relevant process and outcome data, in collaboration with local
research higher educational institutions
Based on the evaluation of evidence, recommend any changes including the
discontinuation of services shown not to be cost-effective
Address access issues and their impact on population health, wellbeing and
inequalities
Promote research where there are gaps in evidence or knowledge
Share best practice through publication and dissemination
Ensure patient safety in commissioned services
Safety Ensure patient safety Participate in risk analysis and interpretation of data in incidents and serious
in any health-related untoward events
services provided by
Identify failures and implement procedures to address them
the local authority
Provide input into the management of incidents to reduce risks to the public
Learn from events and improve systems to prevent them from occurring in
future

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 Functions and standards of a Public Health System

Health Services Public Health Function Quality Function

Healthcare Contribute Lead the development of population healthcare, influencing local systems to
development to healthcare increase uptake of screening and immunisation programmes and integrate
development and prevention in to healthcare pathways
planning
Review new healthcare developments for effectiveness and affordability
Analyse costs, benefits and risks of new services, technology and processes
Engage relevant communities in the development of services
Contribute to service frameworks, specifications and models of care with
reference to need and evidence, including treatment thresholds
Plan and develop services across programme areas and specialities
Provide input into the planning of services for vulnerable groups, ensuring fair
access and addressing inequalities
Leadership Leadership for Lead through the development of pro-active and collaborative relationships
healthcare with clinicians, social services, local authority colleagues, the voluntary sector
and the private sector
Provide input to the development of solutions and innovations to address
challenges faced by the local health economy
Provide input to commissioning, prescribing, ad hoc enquiries and working
groups on health care
Provide a strategic view of future development in health care
Lead and facilitate changes in services
Lead across organisations, ensuring that they work together to take on the
challenge of priorities, applying and sharing good practice

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Public Health Intelligence
Surveillance, monitoring and assessment of health and the determinants of health, plus the development of the
public health evidence base and knowledge

Public Health Intelligence Function Quality Function

Health needs Assess the health and Assess and disseminate the health needs of the local population by carrying
health needs of the out Health Needs Assessments
local population
Identify the causes and distribution of ill health and interpret the results,
reporting on their implications
Produce a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment that provides a comprehensive
analysis of the local area, drawing on a wide range of data sources, including
qualitative information
Produce the DPH Annual Report, an independent report on the health of the
population, progress on improving health and reducing inequalities, with
recommendations
Map health needs against health indicators
Health outcomes Interpret intelligence Provide robust, quality assured intelligence about outcomes using both
about health quantitative and qualitative data
outcomes
Analysis Carry out Health Translate the findings of health needs assessments into appropriate:
Equity Audits and
recommendations for action
Health Impact
Assessments policy decisions and
service commissioning and delivery
Draw valid inferences from HIAs to influence the setting of policy and
priorities, and the performance of health systems
Develop and apply robust prioritisation frameworks
Information sharing Ensure access to Ensure a document library that includes both national and local sources of
health intelligence policy, is made accessible across the public sector
Ensure best evidence and evidence of effectiveness are made available to all
decision makers
Develop tools and frameworks to help people analyse information robustly
and consistently
Quality Improve quality of Ensure intelligence gathering is based on quality standards and clinical
health data governance
Continually review the health data and intelligence systems to ensure fitness
for purpose
Academic Public Health
Protect and promote evidence/knowledge base, evaluation, research

Academic Public Health Function Quality Function

Advocacy Advocacy to uphold Advocacy/ speaking out to protect evidence-base when actions are being
evidence-based taken that are counter to the evidence base.
public health
Making sure that decision makers are aware of the (health related) evidence
programmes
base
Research advocacy role outside “health” to other professionals in local
authorities (for e.g. in social care and education)
Research Collaborate on public Identify priorities for public health research
health research
Identify new areas for research into innovative solutions to health problems in
and development
collaboration with local higher educational institutions
with local higher
educational Make recommendations on how the evidence base can be improved through
institutions research and development
Work with local higher educational institutions to create possibilities for
relevant high quality research
Application of public Application/ Translate complex contemporary research results into local information and
health evidence translation of public knowledge that can improve population health and wellbeing
health information
Draw appropriate conclusions and make recommendations from research
and research
findings
(evidence-base)

Evaluation Evaluate health To seek rigorous and independent evaluation when new approaches are being
services and public implemented
health interventions
Apply a population perspective to evidence so that issues can be set in a
context of incidence, prevalence and marginal utility
Use one or more research methods to support work undertaken in a service or
research setting, disseminating findings appropriately
Identify research needs based on patient or population needs and in
collaboration with relevant partners (such as local higher educational
institutions)
Teaching Promote public Ensure all members of the public health team are able to critically appraise
health teaching and evidence, apply research findings to the local population and evaluate local
training public health interventions
Contribute to the education and training of other staff, medical students and
colleagues
Close working with relevant local higher education institutions
Supervise junior colleagues in a one-to-one project mentorship
Conduct group tutorials on research and academic topics
Develop teaching materials and contribute to the development of the public
health curriculum
Functions and standards of a Public Health System

Workforce Development
Training and development for public health professionals, registrars and colleagues

Workforce Development Function Quality Function

Leadership Provide leadership Realise the full potential of the leadership role of the Director of Public Health
for the professional
Recognise the Public Health Leadership role of those working in NHS and other
development of the
National Agencies.
public health team
Provide strategic leadership for improving health and tackling health inequalities
Maximise potential of staff to use their skills and knowledge to best effect
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
Capacity Ensure access to Ensure access to training and education opportunities in various public health
building learning opportunities settings
for all public health staff
Provide opportunities for learning outcomes in key areas of public health
Support the revalidation of public health professionals, meeting the minimum
requirements of the statutory regulators
Support all public health staff in the completion of their continuing professional
development
Ensure comprehensive processes are in place for the professional appraisal of all
public health professionals
Specialty Support the training of Ensure that the local authority has achieved and maintains accreditation as a
Training specialty registrars training location
Ensure that the organisation meets the standards required for specialty training as
sought through the annual reporting mechanism and Quality Panels
Provide a rich and diverse training experience for registrars

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 Functions and standards of a Public Health System

4. Public health specialists

What are public health specialists?
Public health specialists work as system leaders at Across Northern Ireland there are 29 public health
strategic or management level or executive level cross a specialists, though this number has been boosted
wide range of organisations. They come from a variety of recently with several retired specialists returning to
professional backgrounds and are trained and developed support the pandemic work. Of the 29 staff members,
to cover all aspects of Public and Population Health. To 3 work with the Department of Health (NI), 3 work
work in the UK they have to be registered specialists and in academic posts, 3 have joint service and academic
are required to maintain registration throughout their commitments and the remaining 20 (including one DPH)
careers through appraisal and revalidation. working in service development and health protection.

These are underpinned by specialist skills such as health In Wales there are currently around 79 consultants. They
intelligence, developing an evidence base, epidemiology, work centrally within Public Health Wales (around 42%),
health economics, audit and research, and interpersonal within Health Protection (around 13%), Local Public
skills such as communication, collaborative working, Health Teams (around 38%), with the others in Health
management and leadership. Boards, academia and the Welsh Government.

Currently in England there are about 1,000 public health In Scotland, before COVID-19, there were around
specialists (directors of public health or PH consultants) in 102 consultants, excluding those within the Scottish
England. They are employed by local authorities (~45%), Government and academic appointments. According to
Public Health England (~31%), universities (~15%) and a 2015 workforce report, there were approximately 125
the NHS (~9%).4 (wte) public health consultant posts in total, including
specialists and Directors of Public Health. These posts
were distributed across the NHS and local government.5

Specialist numbers
If it is the UK governments’ wish to aspire to a world This recommendation addresses the need of both service
class system then we recommend aiming for 30 whole and academic at Local, Regional and National levels. The
time equivalent Public Health consultants per configuration of posts is for each of the four nations to
million population. This figure is felt to be feasible, decide.
desirable and affordable.

4. Public Health Capacity review, 2019 (HEE): https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/public-health-specialist-capacity

5. 2015 Review of Public Health in Scotland: Strengthening the Function and re-focusing action for a healthier Scotland
https://www.gov.scot/publications/2015-review-public-health-scotland-strengthening-function-re-focusing-action-healthier-scotland/pages/3/

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Functions and standards of a Public Health System

What is the unique contribution PH specialists make?6

The combination of leadership and managerial skills n Work effectively with the NHS including clinical staff
together with high level of technical skills and knowledge such as doctors and nurses understanding the context
gives public health specialists a unique skill set essential and language of both healthcare and social care.
for improving the health and wellbeing of populations.
n Provide teaching and training to the public health
They can:
workforce – particularly specialists in training who are
n Interpret complex information from a wide range of the DPH pipeline.
sources and present to a wide range of audiences.
n Shape and drive action and interventions that improve
n Ensure decisions are based on best evidence available and protect the public’s health.
(research, intelligence), as well as a full range of views
Within the core public health team, public health
and perspectives (community, political, expert).
specialists have an extensive role across the whole
n Provide resilience: they can cover any current public spectrum of protection and prevention. These include
health problem and move quickly to deal with new promotion of health and wellbeing and addressing
threats to health. inequalities within the population as part of the wider
determinants-of-health agenda. Specialists also have
n Work as system leaders across organisations – they
knowledge and experience of a range of health-
have existing networks to draw on for expertise and
protection issues such as infectious disease outbreaks
have the credibility and are trained to develop new
and emergency preparedness.
networks as needed.

What roles can be done by others?

Specialists are much more effective when supported by n Staff who are skilled at data collection and analysis
colleagues who make their own distinctive contribution allow the specialist to focus on interpretation and
to improving and protecting the public’s health. For decision-making.
example:
n Staff who are experienced at procuring and
n Health protection specialists work effectively with contracting allow the specialist to focus on strategic
environmental health officers, microbiologists and others. commissioning.

What is the added value of a strong specialist workforce?

A strong public health specialist workforce provides n Provide resilience: to lead in major events such as
leadership, capability and capacity that can: outbreaks and flooding.
n Ensure the delivery of public health functions. n Anticipate changing environments and new hazards
n Provide a source of expert advice to political leaders and threats.
and other policy makers. n Reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases on
n Provide high quality decision-making: the ability to health and social care.
bring in research and intelligence and integrate with n Ensure succession planning, including future DPHs
community and other views. and other key roles.
n Improve health and social outcomes, ensuring the
best use of scarce resources.

6. The unique contribution of public health specialists, published by the National Standing Group on Local PH Teams
https://www.fph.org.uk/media/3022/the-unique-contribution-of-public-health-specialists-sept16.pdf

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 Functions and standards of a Public Health System

5. Standards in public health

Who sets the standards?

FPH is unique in setting the standards for the specialist n External, impartial assessors on consultant and DPH
public health workforce to improve and protect the interview panels
public’s health and wellbeing. The Faculty does this by:
n Maintaining a continuous professional development
n Review and approval of consultant level job (CPD) scheme with 1,600 participants7
descriptions
n Good Public Health Practice, providing the basis for
good professional practice in public health8

Standards for consultant posts

FPH works to maintain standards in public health n Understanding of the principles of radiological
by reviewing and approving consultant job level protection
appointments. This assures employers and the public
n Experience of budget management and financial
that individuals are being recruited to the highest
processes
standard required to protect the population’s health and
enables us to contribute to the planning of an efficient, n Experience in dealing with environmental hazards /
high quality public health workforce. As an illustration, chemical incidents
a consultant in health protection on appointment, in
n Ability to undertake prophylaxis, diagnosis and
addition to being appropriately qualified and registered
treatment of infectious diseases of public health
with a regulatory body, would be expected to have:9
importance
n Understanding of laboratory microbiology services
n Strategic thinking and leadership skills
n Understanding of clinical infectious diseases services
n Understanding of clinical toxicology services

7. FPH CPD scheme for consultants: https://www.fph.org.uk/professional-development/cpd/

8. Good Public Health Practice: https://www.fph.org.uk/professional-development/good-public-health-practice/
9. Job description templates available at: https://www.fph.org.uk/professional-development/public-health-appointments/public-health-appointments-useful-documents/

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Functions and standards of a Public Health System

6. Training tomorrow’s public

health specialists
Public health is a multi-disciplinary medical specialty The Faculty of Public Health is responsible for the training
– meaning the specialty allows people from medical and standard setting of public health trainees. The
and non-medical backgrounds to undertake equivalent training curriculum is produced by the Faculty and agreed
training – with a five year formal training programme. and regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC) and
Approximately 80 places are available each year and the United Kingdom Public Health Register (UKPHR). The
entry on to the training programme is extremely curriculum evolves with changes in public health practice
competitive; in 2019, there were 12 applicants for each and challenges; it was last revised in 2015 and is currently
training post, and as a speciality public health seeks to going through further changes which will include the
attract, train and nurture the very best available talent. impact of COVID-19.10

Knowledge

Public health skills during training are built on a n Organisation and delivery of health care including
knowledge base which includes: health intelligence
n Basic and clinical sciences including research method, n Knowledge of the law as it affects the population’s
epidemiological and statistical method, health needs health
assessment and evaluative technique
n Leadership and management skills including change
n Disease causation and prevention including health management and health economics
promotion, screening, communicable disease and
environmental hazard control and social politics

Skills and behaviour

The public health specialty training curriculum develops n Health protection

ten key areas of public health practice:
n Health and care public health
n Use of public health intelligence to survey and assess
n Academic public health
a population’s health and wellbeing
n Professional personal and ethical development
n Assessing the evidence of effectiveness of
interventions, programmes and services intended n Integration and application of competences for
to improve health or wellbeing of individuals or consultant practice
populations
A trainee moving into a consultant role will be able to
n Policy and strategy development and implementation demonstrate a consistent use of sound judgment to
select from a range of advanced public health expertise
n Strategic leadership and collaborative working for
and skills, and the ability to use them effectively, working
health
at senior organisational levels, to deliver improved
n Health promotion, determinants of health and health population health in complex and unpredictable
communication environments.

10. Public Health Specialty Training Curriculum 2015: https://www.fph.org.uk/media/2621/public-health-specialty-training-curriculum_final2019.pdf

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 Functions and standards of a Public Health System

Public health around the globe

The events of 2020 have starkly demonstrated the global In recognition of this, the speciality training curriculum is
nature of many of the public health challenges, needing designed to highlight the importance of the contextual
an understanding of the global dimensions of health links between local and global health and the context
and its influences. In an increasingly interconnected and in which public health practice is undertaken. It would
globalised world, public health professionals need to be expected that by the end of their training, registrars
have an understanding of the global influences on health would have been equipped with the knowledge, skills
to be able to improve the health of the population. and attitudes to make a positive impact on population
health in order that they can be effective public health
Global disparities in health represent the most stark leaders in a wide variety of locations.
health inequalities of all and an appreciation of this
global burden on health and the strategies to tackle For further information on the knowledge, skills and
these at a global and local level also need to be learning required to be a consultant in public health,
understood by the public health workforce. Public health please refer to the FPH Public Health Specialty Training
consultants should also have knowledge of the many Curriculum 2015.
national and international policies and institutions within
which global health operates its governance structures
and how the global health community responds to public
health threats and emergencies.

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Functions and standards of a Public Health System

7. Areas of practice for public

health specialists
Public health is vast. Specialists entering the profession can expect to find themselves working in a myriad of settings.
While the recent focus has inevitably been on the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health community’s response to
it, pandemics and disease control is only a part of the world of public health.

n Alcohol Misuse n Health inequalities

n Cancer n Health protection
n Cardiovascular disease n Healthy ageing
n Child and maternal health n Injuries and violence
n Comparison, practice and performance n Learning disabilities
n Dementia n Public Mental health
n Disease control, including pandemics n Neurological conditions
n Drug Misuse n Obesity, diet and physical activity
n Environmental health and climate change n Oral public health
n Emergency Planning n Palliative and end of life care
n Health Needs Assessments – Health Profiles n Screening
n Health economics and return on investment n Sexual health
n Health impact assessment n Smoking cessation

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Functions and standards of a Public Health System

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