Specialist registration by portfolio will be updated and continued

At UKPHR’s Board meeting on Thursday 28 September, it was agreed to set dates for when changes to registration routes for public health specialists will be implemented.

Following a second extensive and detailed consultation, the Board has decided to create a portfolio retrospective assessment route to be called “Specialist registration by portfolio”, an equivalence route to registration for public health specialists. Our target is to start receiving portfolios under this route from 01 September 2018 onwards.

UKPHR has a number of tasks to complete before it is in a position to invite applications by this route. These include:

• Re-writing the application form
• Potentially, the introduction of an electronic portfolio,
• Production of a revised Framework and revised Guidance for applicants
• Training for assessors
• Arrangements for the route’s ongoing Quality Assurance by UKPHR’s Moderators.

The Board has agreed to establish an implementation group, involving relevant stakeholders, to advise it on the practical preparations for this route and oversee implementation. There are a number of issues still to be settled, for example around evidence and eligibility, and the Board will consider these at its next meeting in November.

The Board has decided that in due course the RSS (Recognition of Specialist Status) and defined specialist portfolio assessment routes will be discontinued and a target date for closure has been set of 31 August 2019. Portfolios received under these routes which are received by this date will continue to be processed.

Chair of UKPHR’s Board, Andrew Jones, said that the target dates were being announced now to give clarity to UKPHR, potential applicants for registration and wider stakeholders:

“UKPHR has been working on this project for some time and there is widespread expectation that changes will be made. We decided to announce target dates for implementation, whilst acknowledging that many details still remain to be worked out, in order to provide some certainty and allow future applicants for registration as public health specialists to plan for the future. Those who may be considering making application for registration by way of portfolio assessment have time to study which route would be best for them. Anyone thinking about preparing a portfolio can start to gather evidence”

“We understand that people will also want to know about the Board’s consequential decisions and will want to see guidance. We will attend to these matters as quickly as possible. In the meantime, it may be worth my reminding everyone that for the route called Specialist registration by portfolio, access to UKPHR’s public health specialist register will be by demonstrating achievement of the learning outcomes in the 2015 Public Health Specialty Training Curriculum.”

UKPHR’s Moderators, who provide the Quality Assurance for all UKPHR’s operations, recently published informal tips for people who might be considering making an application to UKPHR for registration as public health specialists by portfolio. In part, this states:

“We recommend that if you have not yet begun to write your portfolio, you should pause until UKPHR’s Board considers the responses to our latest consultation which closed on the 7th July.”

Now that UKPHR’s Board has decided how it intends to proceed, potential applicants can weigh up which route to registration might be most suitable for them. UKPHR’s office staff will be pleased to respond to enquiries from interested persons about related matters.