1. Introduction
Public health professionals monitor, diagnose and regulate the population’s health, respond to outbreaks of disease, develop and advocate for policies that minimize health risks, and promote the health of diverse communities. This is done through various activities such as health protection, health improvement, preventive medicine and screening, health services and public health research. Public health is an incredibly multi-disciplinary profession. All government departments have a role in improving the health of the population and so health professionals could be involved in work that is about improving housing, education, transport or the environment. Through the various activities undertaken and the multidisciplinary work involved, public health careers suit those who are flexible and who want to excel in whatever they do. Public health makes a big difference to people’s health and well-being and professionals work in a variety of settings. Some may work in local health protection teams or in environmental health in local government, while some work in national bodies such as Public Health England, in the NHS, in social care like substance misuse services, or in universities. The Faculty of Public Health (FPH), a registered charity in the United Kingdom, has some training programs. Public health is a growing field and currently the UK has a high demand for the profession. It is estimated that the government in England will employ a few thousand public health specialists over the next ten to fifteen years. This reflects recent policy changes which expanded the role of public health and the separation of health and social care budgets, to include health protection for the population. Such policy changes, particularly in public health work in government, are expected to bring about innovative initiatives and more partnership working with other bodies.
Public health focuses on the health of entire populations. Whether at a national level, in a region, at a local authority or in the NHS, this type of work is about making things better for all of us.
1.1. Importance of Public Health Workforce
Public health initiatives have incredible potential. However, they rely on the strong and proficient work of the public health workforce. By ensuring that such workforce continues to adapt to modern and globalising society, explore new technological advances, and produce sufficient evidence-based research, it is clear that the data and work that they produce will continue to make monumental steps towards improving the health of communities on a global scale.
As outlined in the 2017 Government Report ‘Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families’, EYs have found that early cancer diagnosis could be improved using data analysis and management from the public health and cancer experts. The document evidences that through the study of the public health workforce, real advancements in patient care can be made. From developing innovative solutions and helping to further prevent complex health issues like diabetes in society, to supporting existing services and offering new ideas, the importance of the workforce cannot be underestimated.
It is important for the public health workforce to recognise that the world on which it focuses is constantly changing; technological advancements, such as computerised health records, NICE guidelines and intelligent health apps, provide the opportunities to improve health through the collection and sharing of data, resulting in better and more efficient services and treatments. Additionally, the world’s population is living longer. By 2030, it is expected that half of the EU’s citizens will have been born before 1970, and there will be more than 5 million people over the age of 100 years. It is clear that the demands on future health care will be numerous and mounting, with land use rising and resource pressures rocketing. These evolving challenges mean that the public health workforce must be proactive in adapting to new ways of working, exploring fresh opportunities and ultimately embracing change.
Every year, PHE produces the ‘Remit Letter’ which sets out the role that it is expected to perform in the forthcoming financial year. The ‘Remit Letter’ for 2017 to 2018 describes three main areas of focus; ‘providing leading edge protection against infectious diseases and environmental hazards’, ‘supporting local and national reform to improve health in the population, securing and assuring the quality of modernised, person-centred public health services, and ensuring the system meets essential public health standards’ and finally, ‘reducing differences in health and wellbeing across the range of PHE’s work and working through all functions to drive improvement across the country’.
Public Health England (PHE) is an executive agency of the Department of Health that has a special focus on public health with national leadership and direct delivery of public health activities. Through its main offices, regional centres and extensive communications network, PHE employs around 5,000 people – including scientists, researchers, public health professionals, field staff and administrative and support staff – in delivering its promise to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities.
Public health initiatives – decisions and actions that need to be taken to improve health in a defined population – are made based on evidence and data – for example, looking at the biggest health problems and issues in the area. It is the responsibility of the public health workforce to collect and analyse that data, whether it is provided from hospital laboratories, the government, research establishments, other healthcare professionals or local communities.
The health of communities and populations can be significantly improved by the work of the public health workforce. They are employed in a variety of settings to carry out different roles, such as protecting the population from infectious diseases, ensuring safe food and water, and improving health outcomes through health promotion and preventing premature death and illness.
1.2. Impact of Community Health Outcomes
Understanding community health is about understanding what a group of people need to live a healthy life. Everyone in a community can work together to make their community a healthier place. First, you might want to understand the health of your community. You could ask questions such as “What do people die from?” or “What do people get sick from?” or “How long do people live?” This type of information is called “health outcomes”. If you look at health outcomes over time, you might begin to see a pattern. For example, you might notice that some people who live in one area live much longer than people who live in a nearby area. Or, you might notice that people from different backgrounds have a higher chance of getting some type of disease. We call these patterns “health disparities”. When there is a difference in health that is closely linked with social, economic or environmental disadvantages, we call that a health inequity. Health disparities and health inequities can be passed on from generation to generation but they don’t have to be. If we work together to make sure everyone has access to the same opportunities to be healthy, we can begin to close the gaps and make sure everyone has the chance to live a longer, healthier life. This is why it is important for the public health workforce to pay attention to these patterns of health and work with communities to find ways to improve health outcomes for everyone in the community. If we could understand in advance when a baby would likely be born too soon, we could prevent many premature births. If we could help people stop smoking, we would cut the number of deaths from lung cancer. If we could reduce the risk of heart disease in all segments of the population, we could lower death rates caused by this condition. With well-trained workers in the public health field, these types of goals are possible. For these reasons, public health professionals are interested in knowing about the health of our communities. By collecting and studying data on the health of different populations, public health workers can learn about the problems that need to be solved. Public health workers can then help community leaders develop ways to help people in the community live healthier lives.
2. Public Health Workforce Roles and Responsibilities
2.1. Epidemiologists and Disease Surveillance
2.2. Health Educators and Promotion Specialists
2.3. Environmental Health Specialists
2.4. Public Health Nurses
2.5. Health Policy Analysts
3. Factors Influencing Community Health Outcomes
3.1. Socioeconomic Status
3.2. Access to Healthcare Services
3.3. Health Behaviors and Lifestyles
3.4. Environmental Factors
3.5. Social Determinants of Health
4. Strategies for Improving Community Health Outcomes
4.1. Health Education and Awareness Campaigns
4.2. Policy Interventions and Regulations
4.3. Community Engagement and Empowerment
4.4. Collaboration with Healthcare Providers
4.5. Targeted Interventions for High-Risk Populations
5. Challenges in Public Health Workforce Development
5.1. Workforce Shortages and Recruitment
5.2. Training and Education Needs
5.3. Retention and Burnout Prevention
5.4. Technological Advancements and Adaptation
5.5. Funding and Resource Allocation
6. Evaluating the Impact of Public Health Workforce on Community Health Outcomes
6.1. Data Collection and Analysis
6.2. Outcome Measurement and Evaluation Methods
6.3. Case Studies and Success Stories
Public health workforce and community health outcomes
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