Public Health

Royal College of Nursing (2021) Leaving no-one behind: the role of the nursing profession in achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals in the UK. London: RCN. 

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Royal College of Nursing (2016) Nurses 4 public health: promote, prevent and protect. The value and contribution of nursing to public health in the UK: final report. London: RCN.

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Royal College of Nursing (2019) Public health in England. London: RCN.

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Health Foundation: Useful publications and resources on healthy lives.

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The Health Foundation (2018) The nation’s health as an asset. London: Health Foundation.

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Marmot M, Allen J, Boyce T, Goldblatt P and Morrison J (2020) Health equity in England. The Marmot review 10 years on. London: The Institute of Health Equity.

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Marmot M (2010) Fair society, healthy lives: the Marmot Review. London: The Marmot Review.

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Office for Health Improvement and Disparities: Public health profiles.

• A collection of public health data from England.
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Public Health Wales: The Public Health Wales Observatory.

• A collection of public health data from Wales.
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The Scottish Public Health Observatory: Online profiles tool.

• A collection of public health data from Scotland.
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Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (2015)  All our health: personalised care and population health: a framework of evidence to guide health professionals in preventing illness, protecting health and promoting wellbeing. Updated 2024.

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Public Health England (2016) The public health skills and knowledge framework (PHSKF). London: PHE.

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Townsend P (1988) Inequalities in health: the Black Report and the health divide. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

• Borrow from RCN library services

UK Health Security Agency (2022) Clostridioides difficile: guidance, data and analysis.

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We would like to thank the RCN Public Health member community for their input into the development of this subject guide.

Use these links to see details of books the RCN libraries hold on each topic.

• Community health nursing
• Disasters
• Health inequalities
• Health promotion
• Patient safety
• Preventive medicine
• Public health
• Public health nursing

Use these links for details of journal articles on each topic.

• Disasters
• Environmental Health
• Health education
• Health inequalities
• Patient safety/patient welfare
• Public health nursing
• Public health nursing policies
• Quality of life
• Self care

Journals of interest for public health. Use these links to see details of availability.

• Advances in Public Health
• Open access journal:
  BMC Infectious Diseases
• Open access journal:
  BMC Public Health
• European Journal of Public Health
• Health and Social Care in the Community
• Health Education Journal
• Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
• Journal of Public Health
• Perspectives in Public Health
• The Lancet Public Health

RCN exhibition: A healthful form of work, the history of public health nursing

• Public health nursing has its origins in the 1800s with the rise of social reform and efforts to improve the health of the poorest in society. This exhibition highlighted the development of public health nursing and the roles nurses have played in improving public health from the 19th century to the present day. From vaccination programmes and health visiting to sanitary and welfare reform.
  View online exhibition

Past Caring: Public health

• Frances explores perspectives of public health, past and present.
  Listen to Podcast (Soundcloud)