Stansted success: public health practitioners home in on value of registration

The sixth annual practitioner celebration, held at Stansted on 26th November 2015, focused with laser-like accuracy and intensity on the value of registration.

A “can do” audience of enthusiastic practitioners identified the value  that there is in registration for the core practitioner public health workforce, the wider workforce, employers, commissioners and providers of public health services and the public.

All day, characteristics of registration such as assurance of competence, recognition of achievement and maintenance of standards were constantly reinforced. Speakers from England, Scotland and Wales spoke of the need for employers and the public to know about and understand the skills, knowledge and sheer hard work that go into achieving and maintaining registration as a public health practitioner.

With wider recognition comes greater support from policy makers such as governments, the NHS and local authorities. It offers opportunities for improved education and training leading to stronger personal and professional development. Career progression becomes clearer and ensures that public health practice is an attractive option.

Professor Anne McMillan, Registrar of UK Public Health Register said:

“Registrants like the four new registrants receiving presentation of their certificates from me fill me with pride for the robustness of the UK’s practitioner registration system. I am confident we are registering individuals who will rise to the challenge of improving the public’s health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities in our society. There is an enormous amount of energy behind UKPHR’s efforts to develop and assure the competence of the public health workforce.”

Practitioner registration scheme coordinator for the East of England scheme, Alix Sheppard said:

“East of England is a new scheme and we were delighted to host this annual, UK-wide celebration of practitioner registration. Practitioners in our area are enthusiastic and committed and we have no shortage of individuals wishing to achieve registration. I was delighted to learn of initiatives from other parts of the UK in support of practitioner registration such as a “time bank” approach to allowing time for preparing portfolios for assessment and changes to employers’ appraisal schemes so as to recognise the specific competences of public health practitioners.”

At the end of a busy, action-packed day, those attending the celebration departed on a mission to promote the value of practitioner registration to a wide range of audiences.