From the President
We wanted to get this month's bulletin out to you as soon as we possibly could but have noted that some links are missing from it. Here is the final version and our apologies for this.
Welcome to the December ebulletin
This time last year, few of us thought that in December 2012 we would still be debating the detail of the 'reforms' to public health and the NHS in England. The results of our recent survey show clearly how dispiriting the continuing uncertainty about the way forward for public health is for everyone, and how deeply concerned our members are about the changes to the NHS and the public health system. This concern - and anger - has built over the year as the details of the changes have emerged and the financial climate has begun to bite.
At the FPH Board meeting in November, we discussed the way forward. Should we continue to focus our efforts on mitigating the serious risks to health and wellbeing – and the public health profession - inherent in the new public health system? Or should we commit our lobbying resources to the NHS reforms? There are strong arguments for both, but our resources are limited – all the more so since the recent restructure, essential to keep us financially stable while the recession takes its course.
None of us want to see the privatisation and dis-integration of the NHS, but, if that does happen the public will need a coherent, well-resourced public heath system more than ever. There are many voices able and willing to speak out on the NHS changes, but the plain fact is that FPH is one of the few organisations which understands the public health reforms and is prepared to put time and effort into getting them right. Maintaining and developing high standards of public health practice is, after all, our primary purpose and, if we don't do this, then nobody else will fight our corner for us.
As the House of Lords debates the bill and - in a parallel universe - the Department of Health drafts guidance rooted firmly on the assumption that the bill will survive unscathed, the next few weeks are absolutely critical, and FPH must be at the tables and in the lobbies. So the Board decided to continue to prioritise our fight to secure a safe and effective public health system, to use our survey results to bring our concerns on the wider issues to the attention of politicians and the public, and to work with others to bring into sharp focus the risks to health posed by the NHS reforms.
And that's what we're doing. Our letter to The Times generated a lot of interest and positive feedback. Andrew Lansley has invited us to meet him to discuss the survey results. Many members of the House of Lords are speaking to amendments designed to make the changes we know are needed, in line with the principles we've been articulating for the last year.
These are difficult times. The "Christmas come early" we were promised by Ann Milton 18 months ago feels more like Christmas in the trenches for many of us. But it's not over until the ink is finally dry and until then we must – and we will - keep fighting.
Lindsey
FPH news
Epetition on Health and Social Care bill
To support members in being able to express their individual views on all aspects of the Health and Social Care bill, FPH has agreed to circulate an online petition created by the public health doctors, specialists and academics who co-ordinated the letter to the Daily Telegraph.
The petition can be found here.
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Child and adolescent health in secure settings
FPH is seeking an expert member to represent the organisation on a joint initiative looking at developing a consistent set of standards for child and adolescent health across the secure estate – namely YOIs, secure children's homes and secure training centres. FPH is supporting this work as part of an intercollegiate group, lead by the RCPCH.
If you have the expertise to represent FPH on this important group, contact Lindsey Stewart by 9 December 2011, with a one-page outline of your skills and expertise and a supporting statement (no more than 500 words).
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Continuing Professional Development reminder for all FPH members
CPD returns for 2011 (or applications for exemption) must be submitted to the FPH office by 30 June 2012. All FPH members must meet minimum CPD requirements in order to remain in good standing, either by submitting an annual return or by ensuring that FPH has formally agreed to the reasons for your exemption. Submit a return at the FPH CPD Portfolio and Online Diary page.
If you have any queries about the completion of your return or your application for exemption, please contact cpd@fph.org.uk If you wish to discuss your CPD requirements, please contact your regional/country CPD co-ordinator.
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Revalidation with UKPHR
In the November e-bulletin, we erroneously stated that revalidation was voluntary for multidisciplinary specialists. We would like to take this opportunity to clarify that revalidation is in fact mandatory for all UKPHR registered specialists who wish to remain on the UKPHR register. We would like to apologise for any confusion this may have caused.
UKPHR intends to ensure a system of revalidation that is rigorous, timely, effective, affordable and appropriate to its multidisciplinary and multiprofessional membership, and that is equivalent to those in public health being revalidated by other, mainly statutory, regulators (e.g. GMC).
Revalidation will be mandatory for all Specialist registrants who intend to remain in active practice from the date of implementation. The Register intends to commence implementation of revalidation of Specialist registrants by the end of 2012 as an Assured Voluntary Register under the auspices of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE).
The revalidation system will be based on the five principles of regulation. It should be:
- transparent (clarity of standards/remediation process)
- equitable
- consistent
- proportionate
- targeted where action is needed.
In addition, the regulatory system needs to sustain the confidence of both public and professionals. It should contribute to ensuring and maintaining a high quality workforce. Revalidation should be robust, whilst proportionate to the risks to patients and/or the public posed by registrants.
Collaboration between UKPHR and other, statutory, regulators is aimed at minimising the additional burden of revalidation for those who are dually registered. Revalidation involves affirmation of good practice in the field of the registrant's current sphere of practice. It will normally complement other governance processes at local level.
Revalidation will be based on meeting the requirements of Good Public Health Practice and of the specialist public health competencies deployed by the registrant during the period of revalidation, which it is proposed will be five years.
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Guidance on revalidation from the GMC
On Monday 5 December, the GMC started to mail out a leaflet about revalidation to all doctors on the medical register. The leaflet is due to reach every UK doctor by the final week before Christmas.
The leaflet outlines what doctors should be doing to get ready for the introduction of revalidation in late 2012. It says that doctors should be having regular appraisals, reading the GMC's revalidation guidance, and thinking about whether they need a licence to practise if they don't work in the UK or their role doesn't require them to have one. It also states that the GMC will ask doctors in the spring of 2012 to confirm the organisation they will link to for revalidation (their prescribed connection).
This will be the first in a series of direct contacts between the GMC and doctors to make sure they are ready for revalidation in 2012.
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FPH travel insurance cover
The travel insurance policy held by FPH covers all members (up to the age of 80) whilst travelling on FPH business. If you require any further details on the cover provided, or are aged over 80 and will be travelling on FPH business, please contact Paul Scourfield.
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Vacancy for the Chair, Part A MFPH Examiners
FPH is seeking to appoint a new Part A Chair. Professor Jenny Kurinczuk, the current Chair of the Part A Board of Examiners, will complete her three-year term of office in July 2012. FPH is therefore seeking a replacement Chair who can shadow Professor Kurinczuk and take over as Chair following completion of the June 2012 sitting of the Part A examinations.
The Chair is accountable to the Academic Registrar and Head of Education and Training in helping to deliver objectives set out in the FPH business plan and FPH Education Committee business plan. He or she will work closely with the Deputy and Part A examiners to ensure communication links are made with the Part B Executive Committee. Please find the job description and person specification on the FPH website.
Interested applicants should send their CV and letter including a 500-word expression of interest to the FPH Examinations Manager at grantfisher@fph.org.uk by Friday 13 January 2011.
Interested applicants are welcome to discuss this post with Prof Kurinczuk, who can be contacted via email at jenny.kurinczuk@npeu.ox.ac.uk
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FPH Assessors
FPH is seeking to expand its pool of Assessors for senior public health appointments. FPH has a statutory role in the appointment of senior public health consultants. Assessors play an integral role in quality assuring and ensuring standards in public health by assisting in short-listing candidates, sitting on AAC panels and ensuring that only appropriately qualified individuals are appointed to public health consultant posts.
All applications are welcome. However, we would particularly welcome applicants from backgrounds other than medicine. For more information on the criteria to become an assessor go to the Work for FPH webpage. For further information on the role of an Assessor see the Faculty Guidance webpage.
Interested members should complete the form and email it to aac@fph.org.uk
Public health news
Cancer Research UK - healthcare staff training needs survey
This survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and you are free to withdraw at any time. It forms part of Cancer Research UK's needs assessment for work it are undertaking to deliver cancer awareness training to community-based staff.
The charity is focusing on staff who interface with the public and have a role in cancer prevention and early diagnosis. It plans to use the information to tailor its future training strategy to ensure that it meets local need.
All the information that is collected will be anonymous, unless you choose to provide contact details, and will be kept strictly confidential. Your personal data will be held in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. All details that can identify you will be removed before storing the data.
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Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI): three members
Currently, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI, the Committee) is a statutory expert Standing Advisory Committee established in England and Wales under the NHS Act 1977 and the NHS (Standing Advisory Committee) Order 1981 as the Standing Advisory Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
The Committee has no statutory basis in Scotland or Northern Ireland although their Ministers may choose to accept, or to ask for, JCVI's advice. The Appointments Commission is looking for three members to take up post in February 2012.
In this issue:
From the President
FPH news
Public health news
FPH in the news
Public health events
FPH in the news
Student nurses left unprotected after being refused flu jab
Nursing Times
Health and social care 'still not joined up'
Public Service
Choosing the comfortable path is a route towards trouble
HSJ
Obesity panel disbanded amid claims of bias
Financial Times
Health emergencies will be harder to manage after reforms, experts warn
GP Online
'Nightmare' NHS reforms will worsen health inequalities
IFA online
'Reforms' undermine public health
National Health Executive
Public health faces chaos and fragmentation
On Medica
On the FPH blog
"How FPH is fighting for public health and our members"
FPH is looking for new blog writers. If you are interested, please send a 50-word pitch to Liz Nightingale. Anything topical and public health related will be considered.
Public health events
For more information on any of these events please visit the FPH events website
The Management of Stable Angina
Date: 12 December 2011
Venue: Royal College of Physicians, London
Motivating, enabling and prompting behaviour change for health
Date: 13-14 December 2011
Venue: Stirling Management Centre, University of Stirling in Scotland
Faculty of Public Health Medicine Winter Scientific Meeting 2011
Date: 14 December 2011
Venue: RCPI, 6 Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Eire
Public Mental Health and Wellbeing: measurement, determinants and promotion
Date: 06-10 February 2012
Venue: Warwick Medical School
Alcohol-Related Harms and Chronic Diseases: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?
Date: 7 February 2012
Venue: The Royal Society of Medicine, London
Population Health - Methods and Challenges
Date: 24-26 April 2012
Venue: The ICC Birmingham
ePIC 2012, the 10th International ePortfolio and Identity Conference
Date: 09-11 July 2012
Venue: IET Savoy Place, London
For more information please visit the FPH events website
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