The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #69408

Fiona M sim, MB, FFPHM, Department of Health, Department of Health, England, Skipton House, 80 London Road, London SE1 6LH, London SE1 6LH, United Kingdom, (+44)207 972 3837, fmsim@aol.com

Until 2002, the most senior posts in public health practice in the UK National Health Service were open only to physicians who had completed specialist training in public health medicine. Specialists from backgrounds other than medicine could reach the highest academic positions in schools of public health, but in the National Health Service, a medical qualification was a prerequisite for those aspiring to public health leadership positions. Physicians have a well -established national competency based training and credentialing scheme. Until very recently, no equivalent systems existed for non-medically qualified public health specialists. A feasibility study concerning the development of national standards for specialist public health practice paved the way to a major project between 1998 and 2001, to develop these standards. It was agreed from the outset that the standards would apply to any specialist, regardless of their primary academic or professional qualification. England's Public Health Strategy, published in 1999 , introduced as national policy the proposal that public health specialists should come from a variety of backgrounds in addition to medicine. Since April 2002, non-medically qualified specialists have been eligible for appointment to director of public health posts in the NHS. This paper describes the evolution to a truly multiprofessional public health specialist workforce, the processes whereby national standards of practice have been introduced, an assessment framework developed to ascertain compliance with the standards, and a new regulatory structure designed to ensure public protection.

Learning Objectives:

• By the end of the session participants will be able to:
• 1.contextualise the recent major organisational changes in England's public health delivery system
• 2.recognise the need for robust, consistent standards for multiprofessional public health practice
• 3.consider the applicability of the English model for professional regulation in the US
• identify drivers and barriers to innovative practice in relation to professional regulation and public accountability

Keywords: Accreditation, Accountability

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: The English National Health Service
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employment