Public health reforms

Public health commissioning in England has been radically changed as part of the recent reforms, with responsibility for commissioning services moving from the NHS to local authorities and a new body, Public Health England.

Visit the HR transition process and workforce issues section of this website for information on how the changes affect staff working in public health services.

RCN resources

Many of the resources on this page are available in PDF format [see how to access PDF files]. Please note: NHS England was known as the NHS Commissioning Board until 1 April 2013, so some resources may use the organisation's original name.

• Download the Public health reforms in England: A guide to the changes and the RCN position (PDF 174KB).
• Download the RCN position statement on public health (PDF 192.5KB).
• The Department of Health published its Public Health White Paper Healthy lives, healthy people on 30 November 2011. Download the RCN response to the Public Health White Paper (PDF 78KB).  
• Visit the RCN Public Health Forum web page for more information and up-to-date news.