Public Health

Public Health in East Sussex is part of East Sussex County Council. Our role is to work to improve population health across East Sussex and to reduce health inequalities. We work across the Council at county and district / borough level as well as support the Clinical Commissioning Groups (who commission most of the healthcare provided in East Sussex)

Our team is made up of:

• Acting Director of Public Health
• Public Health Consultants
• Health Improvement specialists
• Health Information and Intelligence analysts
• Health protection and Emergency Planning specialists

Our mandated role includes the following:

Commissioning health improvement services (including stop smoking, weight management services and NHS health checks); sexual health services, drug and alcohol treatment services, 0-19 services through The Healthy Child Programme (health visiting and school health)

Provide assurance of screening and vaccination programmes, health protection and emergency planning across the country, working with Public Health England and other partners to protect the health and wellbeing of our population.

We also provide Public Health support to the Clinical Commissioning Groups in East Sussex, who commission most of the health services that local people receive

On the Job Training, What to Expect?

What is the aim of the placement in Public Health?

The aims of a placement in Public Health are:

• To gain an insight and understanding of public heath as a specialty
• To develop a range of public health skills that can inform clinical work (epidemiology, critical appraisal, presentation, audit, research, publishing, communication, team working, leadership, meeting management)
• To gain an understanding of a local authority public health team
• To broaden knowledge of the local health and social care system

‘Public Health placement opens your eyes to the world of healthcare beyond the hospital or GP Surgery. It encourages you to consider the wider determinants of health and how it affects patients.

You will have a better understanding of how the NHS works, how funds are allocated, and how some health manifestos are interpreted and carried out on a local level. I felt it was a valuable experience and also a chance to sit down, think, write and critically analyse data – opportunities we don’t often get as busy doctors!’

‘

I was lucky enough to get a four month placement in Public Health, based at East Sussex Country Council in Lewes, one of the few Public Health training opportunities available at FY2 level. The placement is a dramatic change from the hospital based rotations. There is a real sense of merely “fire fighting” on the front line of health care and it has been an incredibly valuable experience to witness the processes from a different perspective. I am involved in several projects which have the potential to make dramatic changes to the access, delivery, and experience of healthcare. The work has been really enjoyable with plenty of opportunities to tailor the placement to cover areas of personal interest in a positive and encouraging work environment. I would recommend this placement to anyone who has even a vague interest in Public Health’ – Dr

How will the placement be structured?

During the placement FY2 doctors will gain knowledge and experience across the three key domains of public health (health improvement, health protection and healthcare public health) They will also have the opportunity to work with the health intelligence team, either as a part of a larger project requiring data manipulation, analysis and interpretation, or as a stand-alone piece of work covering these areas

An insight into Health Protection will be provided via shadowing Speciality Trainees at Public Health England, based in Horsham

An induction period of two weeks will be provided, so that council governance requirements are met and the FY2 doctor is introduced to:

• The Local Authority public health team
• Public Health England health protection team (Surrey and Sussex)
• Public health as a specialty: who, where, why
• East Sussex: population, geography, demographics, health care challenges
• Local health and social care economy: structures and functions (health and local government responsibilities, finance, accountability, challenges)

What kind of work will be offered?

The type of work carried out by the FY2 doctor will vary depending on the time of year, workloads and programme timetables, as well as the individual interests of the FY2 doctors. Examples of types of work include the following, although this list is not exhaustive:

• Shadowing opportunities within the department (key meetings e.g. stakeholder groups, partnership boards, health and wellbeing board, CCG governing body and other executive meetings, emergency planning exercises)
• Shadowing specialty registrars in public health
• Literature and evidence reviews
• Evaluation of projects or programmes
• One-off project work as part of wider public health programme
• Audit, including equity audit
• Teaching: other FY2 doctors, CPD sessions

Research Opportunities / Publications

Projects should be based on topics relevant to the work of public health and be required by the public health team in terms of quality improvement, filling gaps in service provision or recommending future services, evaluating current services, influencing and making recommendations

The FY2 doctor should be able to present their work at relevant meetings and ideally see projects through to completing. Consideration of publication and presentation of the work more broadly is encouraged

Educational Opportunities

FY2 doctors will be encouraged to attend relevant training days and events including:

• FY2 training at ESHT
• GP and public health training days in London
• Research skills and critical appraisal
• London – KSS public health specialty training days
• Public Health Network CPD events

What competencies can be achieved?

The following table provides an indication as to what extent the Foundation Programme Curriculum 2012 syllabus areas can be met during a public health placement.

The assessment requirements for FY2 placement

Assessment of supervised learning events will be provided. There could include: chairing a meeting, media work, presenting or teaching, structured session on a particular, relevant, topic etc.

Additionally, there are a number of opportunities to address specific assessment tools or areas:

Clinical leadership development tool – LEADER could be completed. This tool helps examine leadership competencies in a structured way with a record of any discussion about strength and areas for development.

Developing the clinical teacher – This form aids the development of foundation doctor’s skills in teaching and/or making a presentation. The nature and content of the teaching encounter should be chosen jointly by the foundation doctor and trainer to address the learning needs of both the foundation doctor and those being taught. Feedback and actions advised for further learning are recorded solely for the foundation doctor’s benefit. One of these has to be completed over the F2 year.

Towards the end of each placement, the foundation doctor and clinical supervisor will meet to complete a summative assessment of the foundation doctor’s overall performance and progress in the placement.

Examples of work that FY2’s have carried out in East Sussex include:

• Pre-recorded radio interviews to encourage people to have their flue vaccine
• Work with the Health Information and Intelligence team using the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment to analyse local data
• Design of an action plan to encourage uptake of Chlamydia testing
• Development of an action plan for reducing smoking in pregnancy
• Audit of people killed and seriously injured on the roads in East Sussex
• Audit of self-harm pathway in A&E
• Literature review of self care management