Lack of career paths for public health intelligence specialists

The effectiveness of public health information and intelligence is dependent on the quality and range of skills and competences of public health intelligence specialists.

There seems to be a consensus that there is and continues to be a lack of transparent careers pathways into, and training provision for, public health intelligence. It is unclear what routes would be most effective in remedying this situation at specialist and practitioner levels. Public Health England does have a defined role in public health intelligence, indicating that a leading role should be taken by this agency in developing career pathways. This would enable public health intelligence staff to achieve professional recognition and registration at the appropriate levels, which will result in better health intelligence. Better health intelligence will assist in prioritising and focusing public health work so that the workforce is better enabled to become more proactive in practice.

Sources or references

• Healthy Lives, Healthy People (White Paper)
• Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Towards a workforce strategy for the public health system
• Marmot Review: Fair Society, Healthy Lives
• Wanless Report: Securing good health for the whole population
• UK Public Health Skills and Career Framework
• Health Informatics Career Framework
• Evidence for the need to develop a robust public health practitioner workforce (2010) Zolle, O, NHS South Central Report, Aug 2010
• Review of the regulation of public health professionals Nov 2010) Scally, G DoH

Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.