Public Health Forum

Health Visiting discussion paper

The RCN produced a discussion paper (PDF 183KB) on the definition and direction of travel for health visiting and sought the views of the membership in Autumn 2011. Please see our summary of the responses (PDF 14KB).

DH England Public Health operational information released 20 December 2011

The Department of Health has today published documents detailing the role and responsibilities of local government in public health, the operating model for the new executive agency Public Health England and an overview of how the whole system will work. To download factsheets from the DH website, please follow the link here

We still await operational information regarding the public health outcomes framework, along with other key documents on funding and the launch of the public health workforce strategy consultation.

You can read the RCN’s press release here

Message from Jan Maw - RCN Public Health Adviser - 12 December 2011

The RCN is concerned that significant changes are being made to public health staff, in the absence of the guidance promised by the Government. At this moment in time thousands of nurses are left in limbo, seeing changes on the ground but with no real news or updates from the people making them.

In the Update and Way Forward policy statement in the middle of July, the Department of Health committed to producing updates on the five key areas of reform during the autumn. Just to be clear, this set of work is an overhaul to the way we tackle public health issues, it isn’t a list of mere tweaks and small changes. In case you aren’t aware, the five areas are:

public health outcomes framework
Public Health England operating model
public health in local government and the director of public health
public health funding including shadow local authority allocations for 2012-13
public health workforce strategy consultation

Here at the RCN, we understand that the shadow budget allocations and consultation on the workforce strategy may not be released until 2012. What’s more, there is no sign of updates on the remaining three areas as 2011 draws to a close; meanwhile, RCN members are being affected right now.

Back in early November, the RCN welcomed the Health Select Committee’s report on Public Health; it recommended that uncertainty around the future structure and focus of public health in England must be resolved as quickly as possible. You can understand then, why we’re now concerned.

At the time, the RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, Dr Peter Carter, commented that “Many public health nurses are currently in a state of limbo as they wait to see how proposed transfers to local authorities will affect their jobs and the services they offer to the public.”

Whilst we understand that the issues requiring consideration are significant, nursing staff need clarity and deserve answers. On behalf of public health staff everywhere, I very much hope that 2012 provides us with more information, not only for the benefit of staff, but the patients who are so dependent on the care that they provide.

Read Jan Maw’s message appearing on the blog of the Faculty of Public Health “Better Health for All” here, together with contributions from other key public health stakeholders.

Proposed changes to public health in England

Changes to the funding, commissioning and delivery of public health services in England have been proposed by the Government in the White Paper Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our Strategy for Public Health in England.

The RCN has been promoting the role of nursing in discussions at every stage of the consultation process, please see below for the chronology of developments with most recent developments at the top.

The Future Forum published “interim advice” on 17 November 2011 to inform the 2012/13 NHS Operating Framework and the plans around a new public health system. The final report on all four consultation areas including Public Health is due early December. The interim advice can be read here
The RCN hosted a Future Forum listening exercise for Professor Steve Field’s team on 15 November 2011 at Cavendish Square. A number of Public Health forum members were invited to participate to put forward the nursing view on proposed changes to Public Health.
The Health Select Committee Inquiry into Public Health produced its report on 2 November 2011. You can read the RCN response here
RCN published its response to NHS Future Forum consultation on 18 October 2011. You can read the RCN response here
The RCN has launched a survey of members linking to the wider RCN Frontline First Campaign to identify members at risk of compulsory transfer or redundancy.
Please go here for more information
On 14 July the DH published Healthy lives, healthy people: update and way forward, the initial response to the White Paper consultation. Please see the RCN’s press release on this issue
On 13 May the Commons announced a Health Select Committee Inquiry into Public Health
The RCN responded to this enquiry but the evidence has not yet been placed in the public domain
On 6 April, the Government announced that it would "pause, listen and reflect" to improve the Health and Social Care Bill and established the NHS Future Forum chaired by Professor Steve Field as an independent advisory panel. Please see the letter from Dr Peter Carter to Professor Steve Field
On 13 June the NHS Future Forum published its recommendations to Government
On 20 June the Government responded to the NHS Future Forum report including the proposed establishment of Public Health England as an executive agency of the Department of Health. Please see the RCN’s press release on this issue
On 30 November 2010 the DH published the White Paper Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our Strategy for Public Health in England.
The RCN produced a summary of this document explaining how the proposed changes might affect members
The RCN launched an extensive consultation exercise with members including a podcast, a webcast, and a survey
After collating the views of members, the RCN issued the following Executive summary and response to the white paper consultation as well as responses to the complementary consultations on Transparency in Outcomes, Proposals for a Public Health Outcomes Framework and the funding and commissioning routes for public health.