For the Attention of all Sexual Health Advisers
CLICK HERE to see the UK Public Health register circular about the review of Public Health Regulation.
I was invited to a meeting of the UKPHR advisory group last week and someone from the DOH review team discussed the format of the review and what it would potentially cover.
At the last DOH meeting to look at regulation of Sexual Health Advisers, it was felt that the upcoming review may offer us as a profession some answers particularly for those who are Non Nurses. The work around standards and regulation that a group of us had undertaken with the Voluntary Public Health Register around practitioners was seen as an important step for all Sexual Health Advisers to eventually establish our Public Health credentials, and this work to some degree had been put on hold until this review was completed.
It should be remembered that the UKPHRs original remit and aim was to provide the public health workforce with a regulatory ‘home’ and professional recognition for those who work in public health; and to give public protection.
The review appears to be somewhat divisive, the proposals giving one home to the generalist specialists, another to the defined specialists, and only a brief review as to where practitioners may fit.
“It is understandable that non-medical public health specialists should be on a statutory register in the same way that their medical counterparts are, but we need assurance about where that leaves other practitioners in relation to the UKPHR.”
SSHA will be commenting on this as we feel it is important for us as practitioners.
Please feel free to send any comment directly to Carol English or myself and we will forward it.
Jamie Hardie
SSHA President