Letter from the adviser - Jan Maw
Published: 01 February 2012
The last few months have been both stimulating and challenging. Apart from invaluable input into the various public health consultation papers, the forum Chair and steering group have worked hard during the year and, alongside Assistant Public Health Adviser Emily Pollinger and I, have been able to deliver on a number of key projects on behalf of Public Health Forum members. These include:
- publication of the revised Occupational Health Nursing: Career and Competence Development guidance
- publication of new guidance for occupational health technicians
- steering the development of a complex multidisciplinary public health conference to take place in London on 17 February
- publication and launch at the conference of a new document highlighting the role and contribution of nurses in the public health agenda
- launch of a new Learning Zone resource Sexual Health for Non-experts.
More to come
The next 12 months is also set to busy time for the forum chair and steering group, who will be meeting in March to discuss and agree work streams for the coming year. Work already scheduled includes:
- revision and publication of two sexual health publications relating to lesbian, gay and transgender care
- revision and publication of the travel health competency framework and guidance
- a new publication for TB case management
- A response to the Department of Health consultation on the public health workforce strategy and commenting on policy papers throughout the year.
Public health reforms in England
In December, more details were published of the design of the new public health system, including 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.
The factsheets, which aim to help the partner organisations and staff involved to understand and implement these reforms, are:
- overview
a summary [The New Public Health System: Summary] of the public health system reforms and key points on the design of the new system - public health in local government
these factsheets detail the roles and responsibilities of local authorities in the new public health system, including local authority public health functions, the role of the director of public health and commissioning responsibilities:
Public Health in Local Government (all factsheets)
Local Government Leading for Public Health
Local Government’s New Public Health Functions
The Role of the Director of Public Health
Commissioning Responsibilities
Public Health Advice to NHS Commissioners
Professional Appraisal and Support, and Capacity Building - Public Health England’s operating model
These factsheets detail the design of Public Health England:
Public Health England’s Operating Model (all factsheets)
Mission and Values
Functions
Organisational Design
Status and Accountability
Next Steps – Establishing Public Health England.
The new public health system, due to be implemented from April 2013, will see local authorities take the lead for improving health, co-ordinating local efforts to protect the public’s health and ensuring health services promote population health.
At the same time, Public Health England will be created to deliver a range of services, including health protection, providing information and intelligence, and supporting the development of the public health workforce.
Further operational details – including a public health outcomes framework and details on public health funding and workforce issues – were announced by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley on 23 January 2012. In addition, as we prepare this e-newsletter, we eagerly await the publication of the Department of Health consultation on the public health workforce strategy, due at the end of January.
We are keen to gather your views on the strategy consultation so please take time to look at the document and respond. Your views do count and will help shape the future, but only if you engage with the debate. Please do send me your comments and views.