Working in Public Health An introduction to careers in public health

What can you contribute to improving and protecting the health of your community? Public health is becoming an increasingly central area of healthcare practice and people working in public health come from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds.

This practical and accessible book maps out the range of exciting and varied options open to people considering a career in public health, and provides helpful information on how to get there, either as a fully-fledged specialist or in an operational practitioner role. Designed especially for those wanting to learn about public heath, it looks at public health work in a range of settings, from health services to the commercial sector, and in a range of different roles, from health protection to public health intelligence.

Numerous personal accounts and case studies from highly experienced practitioners and specialists, as well as those new to their roles, illustrate what their roles involve and how have they had an impact on improving health and reducing inequality. This is the ideal book for anyone interested in putting public health at the centre of their working lives.

Foreword Duncan Selbie Foreword Martin McKeeSection 1: Introduction to this Book Introduction Fiona Sim and Jenny WrightSection 2: Functions Introduction Fiona Sim and Jenny Wright 2.1 Health Improvement Richard Parish and Em Rahman 2.2 Health IntelligenceAlison Hill 2.3 Healthcare Public Health Diane Bell and Jan Yates 2.4 Health ProtectionPeter Sheridan, Lorna Wilcox,Ian Gray andSurindar Dhesi2.5 Academic Public HealthKatie Cole, Muireann Kelly, Jane Willsand Helen Hogan2.6 Global Public HealthMala RaoSection 3: Settings Introduction Fiona Sim and Jenny Wright3.1 Local GovernmentAnita Parkin, Clare Ebberson, Martin Seymour and Rebecca Hams3.2 National Health Service (NHS)Frances Fairman3.3 Health Policy Mohit Sharma 3.4 International and GlobalJenny Amery, Manpreet Singh and Manuelle Hurwitz 3.5 UK Voluntary & CommunityPaul Lincoln, Claire Everett and Sue LloydSection 4: Getting into Public Health Introduction Fiona Sim and Jenny Wright4.1 CoursesJane Willsand Helen Hogan4.2 Public Health Specialist TrainingAmy Potter4.3 Personal and Professional Development Em Rahman Section 5: How to Proceed from Here Fiona Sim and Jenny WrightAdvice from the PHORCaST team Conclusion Fiona Sim and Jenny WrightAppendices List of useful professional organizations for public health

Fiona Sim is a Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a visiting chair at the University of Bedfordshire, UK. She is a former Head of Public Health Development at the Department of Health, where she was responsible for the national development of the public health workforce.

Jenny Wright is executive director of Solutions for Public Health, the largest NHS public health agency in the UK. She has been involved with the development of the public health competence framework and led the project developing and running the UK-wide public health careers website, Phorcast.