Better Health For All

Rachel Thomson is a third year specialty registrar from NHS Ayrshire & Arran in Scotland, currently on a six month attachment with the FPH Policy and Communications team. She has agreed to keep a regular blog during her placement, to provide a window into the work of the Policy and Comms team and inspire other registrars to follow her lead! In this second entry she marks the halfway point of her attachment discussing what she’s achieved so far, and what’s still around the corner.

I’ve now been working with the FPH policy team for just over three months, and I can honestly say that it’s flown by. Most of that time has involved remote working from Glasgow, but I’ve been able to travel to London to work from the office for a few days about once a month so far. Making that in-person connection with the team (and the other registrars working on the policy campaigns) has really helped solidify our working relationships, and given us plenty of opportunities to make sure we adapt my work plan to meet my training needs.

As I mentioned in my last blog – and as you’ll have seen if you follow either me or FPH on Twitter – my biggest focus so far has been on launching and running the #PublicHealthLooksLike photo competition. It’s a crucial part of the wider Public Health Funding campaign: we want it to generate a diverse range of inspiring photographs showcasing the hugely meaningful work occurring daily within public health, helping to make the case for its importance in an innovative and visual way. No pressure then!

#PublicHealthLooksLike: I helped to design this Twitter banner to promote the photo comp

A couple of weeks ago, I got the chance to present a competition update to the Public Health Funding Campaign Advisory Board, and I made it clear that we’ve been overwhelmed with the level of engagement from members and non-members alike. We’ve had such positive responses from across the public health community and others I’ve approached to help disseminate information about the competition, including universities, arts societies and public health networks. I’ve also had a great time seeking out potential entries on Twitter – the number of people online who don’t necessarily realise what great amateur photographers they are is incredible! – and we’ve had a fantastic number of high quality entries as a result.

By the time this blog goes live we’ll probably have passed the deadline to enter, but I wanted to take this chance to personally thank EVERYBODY who’s gotten involved to help spread the word and support the competition over the last couple of months. You’ve made my job so much easier, and in doing so I hope you feel that you’re helping FPH more effectively tell the story of what public health means to all of us today. Please do follow up that support by voting for the winners when the 20 shortlisted entries are circulated to the membership next month!

Alongside the closing stages of the photo comp, my next move is into the world of design and publishing, with the planning and implementation of a special edition eBulletin updating members on the work of the Public Health Funding campaign so far. It’s early days with this, but I want to pull together something that properly represents the huge amount of work the policy team have put into the campaign so far – even having been involved for only a short time, I can see that it has the potential to really affect change, adding to the evidence base and call for improved funding of public health services in the UK. I’m thrilled to be part of that, and to have the chance to champion it to all FPH members in the coming weeks – look out for the special eBulletin landing in November.

I was given the opportunity to speak to the new cohort of registrars

Finally, one of the many extra fun things I’ve had the opportunity to do as a result of this attachment is attend the induction day for new public health registrars on 3 October, where I gave a short presentation about what it’s like to undertake an attachment with the FPH policy and comms team. It was great to see and meet some of the next generation of public health professionals. Hopefully some of them will have been at least a little inspired to follow in my footsteps and take up an opportunity like this in the future!

Written by Rachel Thomson, specialty registrar and member of FPH’s Public Health Funding project group. You can follow her on Twitter @rachel_thomson. If you’re a Specialty Registrar, want to get comms experience that will help you achieve your learning outcomes and are interested in joining our Project Scheme, click here for more info or email policy@fph.org.uk to find out how you can apply. Please note that applications to apply for a comms role will be opening soon.