From the President
Welcome to October's ebulletin.
This a crucial time for the future of public health in the UK, with the reforms in England having implications for public health training and practice in all four nations. Cuts to NHS budgets are already having a serious impact on public health departments, despite Anne Milton's reassurance – repeated when I met her recently - that public health resources would be protected.
Against this background, it was a real pleasure to spend a day at the end of September at Public Health Wales' annual conference. The transition to the new public health arrangements in Wales has taken time and was not always comfortable; but the system now in place makes a lot of sense and the enthusiasm of those working it and with it is palpable - and infectious. We must achieve the same for England, too.
That's why FPH and the other leading public health organisations are continuing to work with DH officials and to lobby parliamentarians. The Health and Social Care Bill goes to the House of Lords next week where it is sure to be hotly debated. It is vital that we continue to present a united front to give strength to our position as a profession.
Some of you may have seen the recent article in The Lancet in which the editor made a number of ill-founded accusations against FPH, accusing us of showing no leadership in the current crisis. He did not substantiate his arguments with any hard evidence and we totally refute his allegations - you can see our rebuttal on our website. We've been overwhelmed by the many expressions of support for FPH's strong leadership and pragmatic approach that the article has stimulated. Thank you!
You will also no doubt have seen - and may even have signed – the letter FPH circulated which expressed the concerns of a group of highly respected public health experts. FPH did not sign up to the letter – although we do share concerns about the proposed reforms, our position (which has been steered and approved by our members) has been one of engaging with the Government in order to influence and challenge. We did, however, think it important to provide members with every opportunity to express their individual opinions – which is why we circulated the letter.
We need your support now, more than ever, so that we can continue our work - with government and with partner organisations - to make things happen. It's taking a frustratingly long time to see tangible results but I do think that there are some signs of progress; and with your help we will continue to make an impact – not just make noise.
Lindsey
FPH news
RCGP and FPH sign a memorandum of understanding on commissioning
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and FPH recognise the value of joint working to develop a close understanding of the value of public health sciences, and the needs of CCG GP commissioning.
We have established a Memorandum of Understanding that will support:
- The Centre for Commissioning and the FPH working together in developing a range of advice, guidance and support on public health competencies and practice in relation to commissioning.
This includes input into future curriculum development for RCGP. - The overall aim for FPH to become the main vehicle for the centre in providing this advice.
In establishing this collaboration, FPH and the centre also recognise the importance of working closely with RCGP in all aspects of policy development on public health issues.
Further information on the RCGP/FPH collaboration.
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Director of Training – curriculum and assessment
FPH is seeking to recruit a new Director of Training to lead on the areas of curriculum and assessment and to support the delivery of work by the Education and Training Department.
Accountable to the Academic Registrar and Head of Education and Training, the key role of the Director of Training – Curriculum and Assessment is to ensure that FPH's curriculum is up-to-date and fit-for-purpose, and that the methods used to assess Registrars are valid and reliable. FPH is accountable to the General Medical Council and the UK Public Health Register for both of these tasks.
This is an exciting and important role within FPH functions and would serve as a valuable addition to the successful applicant's personal development.
Please see the Work for FPH webpage for a detailed job description and person specification. Interested parties should submit their CV and a citation (no longer than 500 words), explaining why they feel they would be suitable for the position. Completed applications must be submitted via email to educ@fph.org.uk by 21 October 2011.
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Vacancies for the Equivalence Committee
The FPH Equivalence Committee is seeking to appoint new assessors. The Equivalence Committee is responsible for carrying out those functions necessary to enable FPH to make recommendations to the General Medical Council (GMC) regarding those matters about which the GMC must be satisfied in relation to CESR/CESR (CP) applications.
It is expected that an individual assessor will contribute to assessing approximately 2-3 CESR applications per year (subject to availability). Applicants need to be GMC registered.
Please find the job description and person specification here.
Interested members should apply in writing to educ@fph.org.uk with a short citation (300 words) explaining why they should be considered and a short CV (one page) not later than 31 October 2011.
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Revalidation update - responsibility officer
Revalidation is a mandatory GMC, not FPH, process by which you demonstrate to the GMC that you are up to date and fit to practice. It is based on evaluation of doctors' performance through local annual appraisal. Doctors will need to maintain a portfolio of supporting information to evidence that they are up to date and complying with the relevant professional standards.
You will be revalidated by the GMC on the recommendation of a responsible officer (RO). Every five years the RO will make the necessary recommendation to the GMC on the basis of these appraisals. If you have an NHS employer you will revalidate through that organisation. If you fall outside of this group, you will revalidate through FPH with the Vice President of Professional Standards (currently Edmund Jessop) as your RO. Please see the flow chart to help you establish what designated body/RO you will report to.
FPH sets out 'specialty specific guidance' for ROs in other organisations to use so that they are aware of the special requirements of public health in relation to GMC's Good Medical Practice. The process is still under development and ongoing pilots will feed into this process. Revalidation is expected to begin in late 2012. The UKPHR have a voluntary parallel process.
For further information please refer to the GMC website, the UKPHR website, the Revalidation Support Team website or email revalidation@fph.org.uk
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ACCEA 2012
The Department of Health has not yet confirmed that the 2012 round of ACCEA awards will go ahead or notified us of the date when the 2012 online applications system will be available.
However, FPH is working on the basis that applications will open in October with an ACCEA submission deadline in early December 2011. FPH is therefore now welcoming applications from members to apply for FPH support for the ACCEA 2012 round.
- Applications for FPH support at platinum level will close at 17.00 on Monday 17 October 2011
- Applications for FPH support at bronze, silver and gold level will close at 17.00 on Friday 4 November 2011
For further information and relevant forms please see the FPH ACCEA webpage and the ACCEA website.
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The case for local action on tobacco
Following the successful pilot of Action on Smoking and Health's (ASH) Local Action Toolkit, FPH is pleased to endorse the toolkit's full launch this month.
Informed by a robust evidence base and geared specifically towards directors of public health, this powerful resource provides essential information allowing targeted work with councillors, ensuring that tackling tobacco use is high on the local public health agenda.
The toolkit allows users to demonstrate local scales of harm and the contribution tobacco makes to health inequalities; the cost to local communities, economies and service providers; and evidence of the effectiveness of local action. With a new reckoner for local economic impacts, the materials facilitate the easy integration of data from the APHO local tobacco control profiles.
You can find the toolkit on the ASH website.
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Primary Care Live
FPH has secured 50 free places for FPH members at Primary Care Live at ExCel in London on 19-20 October 2011. The places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. To register your attendance please call 0845 056 8339 quoting DIS-FPH-1X.
The event is billed as London's largest gathering of nurses, GPs and primary-care practitioners.
Highlights include:
- Complementary birthing therapies showcase: the latest innovations in complementary therapy for mothers and babies
- Woundcare demonstration: see the latest innovations in woundcare
- Scenario planning & role play: childhood and obesity communication workshop/roleplay
- Demonstrating compliance clinic: assessing and assuring GP compliance
- Keynote agenda: the ideal opportunity to get an overview of primary care in one visit
- Lunch discussion tables: your chance to sit face-to-face with your peers and discuss key challenges in your sector
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Online Members' Area
The new FPH online members' area is up and running. You can update your membership information, tell us about policy areas you're interested in, find out about the work of FPH, and about opportunities to get involved.
The area is still in the early stages of development, but we're working on it so that you'll be able to pay your subscription fees, register for the conference and other FPH events, and get access to pre-published copies of FPH reports.
To get started, just follow the link from the FPH homepage and where it says 'Activate account' simply enter your email address and click 'submit'. If your email address matches the one we have logged on our register, then a notification will be emailed to that account with a password.
If your email address doesn't match, then contact omasupport@fph.org.uk
Public health news
Specialty Training Placements at NICE
A placement with NICE is particularly useful to registrars in phase three of their training who are interested in health technology appraisal, research interpretation and synthesis, health service quality, health policy and planning. Opportunities for evaluation of the impact of guidance and the actual implementation process are also available.
Although registrars are based with an educational supervisor in either the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation or the Centre for Clinical Practice, they are encouraged to work across the organisation, including the Centre of Public Health Excellence and NHS Evidence. Registrars will be based in the London or Manchester offices, but flexible working arrangements, including remote access to the NICE server for home working, means that registrars should not be discouraged from applying for experience at NICE on the basis of location.
Anyone interested can contact educational supervisors Judith Richardson at Judith.richardson@nice.org.uk, tel 0161 219 3831, or Hannah Patrick at Hannah.patrick@nice.org.uk, tel 020 7045 2263.
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Invitation to apply for the role of Chair to the Diabetes in Pregnancy update of the NICE clinical guideline
The National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health (NCC-WCH), which is hosted by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), has been commissioned by NICE to update the 'Diabetes in Pregnancy: management of diabetes and its complications from preconception to the postnatal period' guideline
We are currently seeking to appoint a chair to this guideline and an advertisement has been posted on the NICE website. The closing date for applications is 21 October 2011. For further information, contact Juliet Kenny at jkenny@ncc-wch.org.uk, tel: 0207 438 3029.
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Healthy children's food underpins good public health
The School Food Trust is the Government's leading expert advisor on children's food. In its response to the public health white paper it called for the proposed minimum membership of the statutory Health and Wellbeing boards to include a children's food specialist.
Over the years we have learned how complex it can be to make improvements to children's food. The School Food Trust would like to work with a couple of public health teams as the Health and Wellbeing Boards are established to help them make the step change in the food children eat that is undoubtedly necessary.
Anyone interested in talking to the School Food Trust about how you might work together should contact Barbara Roberts at barbara.roberts@sft.gsi.gov.uk
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Researcher-led call - Local Sustainable Transport Fund
The NIHR PHR programme is interested in receiving high-quality outline applications to the researcher-led workstream to evaluate health-related outcomes of initiatives funded by the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
For more information, please visit the Local Sustainable Transport Fund webpage. Proposals must be within the remit of the PHR programme and will be considered by the Programme Advisory Board (PAB) for public health importance in competition with other applications received. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their proposals with PHR programme staff at an early stage.
Please send enquiries to info@phr.ac.uk or tel: 023 8059 9697. The next researcher-led outline call closing date is 21 November 2011, by 1pm.
Applicants can submit outline proposals to the researcher-led workstream at any time during the year, with three cut-off dates when applications will be considered by the Programme Advisory Board.
In this issue:
From the President
FPH news
FPH events
Public health news
FPH in the news
Public health events
FPH events
Quality, Public Health and Scotland: Improving Standards in a Changing Climate
Date: 10-11 November 2011
Venue: Macdonald Aviemore Resort, Scotland
FPH IN SCOTLAND ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Scotland's health is improving, but the major challenges of obesity, tobacco, alcohol misuse and mental ill health or illness remain. The demands on health improvement and healthcare services and the climate in which we operate are changing not least due to demographic changes, new technologies and financial pressures.
How should the public health community continue to promote and secure changes to improve health in this increasingly challenging climate? What are the key elements of successful leadership in times of hardship and how can best practice be inspired?
These are just some of the questions we will explore in this year's programme which will feature keynote presentations from a range of influential speakers.
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Global Public Health Conference: Trading Health
Venue: Wellington House, 133-155 Waterloo Road, SE1 8UG London
Date: Wednesday, 16 November 2011 from 9.30am to 5.15pm
Price: £30
This year's Global Public Health Conference, organised by FPH's Global Health Registrars' Group, will provide an opportunity to learn about the key interactions between trade and health. The conference will explore ways in which we can make a difference in our local organisations by looking at ethical procurement and will involve an interactive exercise using the BMA's recently launched Ethical Procurement for Health workbook.
Confirmed speakers include Professor Richard Smith, Head of the Faculty of Public Health and Policy and Professor of Health System Economics at LSHTM and author of the Lancet's 'Trade and Health' series, and Dr Mahmoud Bhutta, advisor to the BMA's medical fair and ethical trade group. During lunch and the afternoon, you will have the chance to hear from and to 'speed date' a range of public health professionals who have maintained a global health flavour to their training and/or career.
Registration can be accessed at the Global Public Health Conference website. If you have any questions about the conference please email ghrgconference@yahoo.co.uk
If you are a public health registrar and would like to join the Global Health Registrars' Group, please contact Jenny Hall at jenny_hall33@yahoo.co.uk
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Children's Public Health in the Foundation Years (pregnancy to five years): A professional update
Date: 9 November, 9.30am to 4.30pm
Venue: Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, 5-11 Theobalds Road, London WC1X 8SH
The Faculty of Public Health, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Department of Health are pleased to invite local consultants in public health to a professional update event on children's public health. Recent years have seen significant developments in knowledge, evidence and practice relating to early child development and public health, and we are keen to support the profession in its local leadership role for children.
The event includes presentations on the latest evidence from national experts as well as the opportunity to explore what this means for local working in the context of changes in the public health system.
Further information on the event.
To register your interest, please contact Karen Tidy, FPH Events Officer.
Spaces are limited to 100 attendees. This is a free event.
FPH in the news
Health workers urged to get flu jab
The Guardian
Health leaders attack the Government's winter flu plan
The Independent
Doctors furious over decision not to advertise free flu jabs
The Guardian
Over-65s be warned: Britain facing worst winter flu outbreak in years
Daily Mail
Councils must embrace new community health initiatives
The Guardian
Councils warn of 'death tax' backlash over certification fees
The Guardian
Scotland's first minister outlines minimum pricing plans
netdoctor
On the FPH blog
"Without proper safeguards and a solidly regulated public health system, the compensation lawyers, the media and Her Majesty's Opposition will all have an absolute field day."
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
Sexual Health Webinar
Date: 6 October 2011
Venue: Online
Child Health Webinar
Date: 7 October 2011
Venue: Online
Finding Young Medical Authors: From Inspiration to Ink
Date: 19 October 2011
Venue: Royal Society of Medicine, London
Primary Care Live
Date: 19-20 October 2011
Venue: ExCel, London
Global Health Education for Tomorrow's Doctors
Date: 20 October 2011
Venue: The Austin Court, Birmingham, B1 2NP
Transforming Child Protection Services: Working in Partnership to Deliver a Child-Centred System
Date: 3 November 2011
Venue: Broadway House, Tothill Street, London SW1H 9NQ
Meningitis and Septicaemia in Children and Adults 2011
Date: 8-9 November 2011
Venue: Royal Society of Medicine, London
Quality, Public Health and Scotland: Improving Standards in a Changing Climate
Date: 10-11 November 2011
Venue: Macdonald Aviemore Resort, Scotland
Global Public Health Conference: Trading Health
Date: 16 November 2011
Venue: London
Concepts of Epidemiology: Seventh Crash Course
Date: 5-9 December 2011
Venue: University of Edinburgh
Faculty of Public Health Medicine Winter Scientific Meeting 2011
Date: 14 December 2011
Venue: RCPI, 6 Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Eire
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
For more information please visit the FPH events website
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