Public Health is about helping people to stay healthy and protecting them from threats to their health. A career in Public Health can provide you the opportunity to work in:
- Health Protection – working to protect people’s health and wellbeing such as controlling infectious disease, implementing food safety measures and planning emergency responses.
- Health Improvement – working to improve people’s health and wellbeing through activities such as behaviour change, policy research and individual and community health improvement activities
- Healthcare Public health – working at a population level by preventing disease or improving health-related outcomes through healthcare interventions or treatments.
The Public Health Speciality and Practitioner programmes outlined below are just some of the opportunities to get into a formal Public Health Career, but there are also many others. Scroll down the page to find out more.
You can also explore different roles in Public Health here.
If you want to discuss your Public Health career options, there are leads in Hampshire and Isle of Wight who can support you:
- Hampshire – Louise Bevan
- Isle of Wight - Calvin Wright
- Portsmouth – Rob Anderson-Weaver
- Southampton – Clifford Enobun
- Office of Health Improvement and Disparities – Elizabeth Burchett
- Wessex – Em Rahman or Lauren Kirk
There are also many other people whose paid or unpaid role is not primarily concerned with Public Health but who have opportunities within their roles to support the public’s health and wellbeing. This could include enhancing your capabilities in Making Every Contact Count (MECC) or smoking cessation. Check out our training opportunities page to further develop your skills and knowledge.
Specialty Training
Public Health Specialists focus on health at a population level. They require skills in three domains of public health, but in practice they may specialise in one area:
- Health protection - focussing on inequalities, the wider determinants of health and factors such as alcohol, tobacco and obesity.
- Health improvement - focussing on infectious diseases, chemicals, radiation, environmental health hazards, emergency response, screening and immunisation, vaccinations and sustainability.
- Healthcare public health - focussing on ensuring services meet the population need, are planned appropriately, are of high quality and are equitable efficient.
Health Education England have a statutory responsibility for the training of public health specialists.
Find more information about the specialty training programme in Wessex here.
In the video below Public Health Registrar Christopher Johnes gives us a brief perspective of what it is like to be trained in the Public Health Specialist Training programme. Please take a watch.
Practitioner Training
Public Health Practitioners make up a core part of the public health workforce. They work across the full breadth of public health in a wide range of settings and sectors, and contribute to public health outcomes and improving health and wellbeing.
Health Education England support the development of public health practitioners through registration schemes, with the delivery of these schemes being regionally planned and delivered.
Find more information about the practitioner training scheme in Wessex here.
Public Health Practitioner Apprenticeship
The Public Health Practitioner Apprenticeship is a three-year work-based programme that combines practical public health experience with a bachelor's degree.
It provides another entry route to becoming a public health practitioner and is ideal for those seeking to start a career in public health across any of the public health domains.
Entry onto this course requires no prior knowledge or experience of public health.
Find out more about the Public Health Practitioner Apprenticeship here.
Paula Guest, Population Health Senior Administrator, NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB
'I applied for the Public Health Practitioner course because I wanted to build on the knowledge and understanding of public health that I had gained through working in the Population Health and Health Inequalities team. When I found the course at Teesside University, which offered the flexibility of remote online study alongside an apprenticeship, it seemed like a great opportunity and thankfully the application process was straightforward. Since starting the course, I have really enjoyed being able to link what I am learning academically with my own experiences at work and with real public health issues. The course has challenged me to think differently, increased my confidence and broadened my understanding of areas such as health inequalities, prevention and partnership working. I hope to continue developing my knowledge and skills throughout the course and use what I learn to make a positive contribution to improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities through my work.'
Postgraduate Certificate Population Health
The Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) in Population Health is a one year part-time course designed for health, care and public sector professionals who want to strengthen their understanding of population health and health inequalities.
Delivered entirely online, the course enables learners to develop practical skills that can be applied directly within their workplace.
Find out more about the PgCert Population Health here.
South East Public Health Secondments
The South East Public Health Secondments page brings together all opportunites for the South East public health workforce.
Secondments allow staff to develop and share their knowledge and expertise across the whole public health system, whilst retaining them within the workforce.
Explore opportunities that could help you take the next step in your career.
