Published: 25/11/2004, Volume II4, No. 5933 Page 9
The NHS risks being overrun with enthusiasts that do more harm than good if the government gets its strategy for developing community 'health trainers' wrong, Faculty of Public Health president Professor Rod Griffiths has warned.
Following publication of the white paper on public health, Professor Griffiths wrote to health secretary John Reid pledging the organisation's broad support for the paper and saying he hoped to work with the Department of Health on its promised workforce strategy.
But he also warned it was vital that the government's promised national competency framework to give all NHS staff skills in public health meshes with similar work on 'generic health competencies' already underway by the faculty.
Professor Griffiths told HSJ there were risks attached to training people in generic public health skills unless clear lines of referral were established so that 'trainers' did not find themselves giving advice beyond their expertise.
He said: 'The risk is that, as these people become trusted sources of information, what happens if they get asked something beyond their expertise? We have to have these people operating within clear lines of referral.' Professor Griffiths told HSJ that getting it right would give PCTs the opportunity 'to invest in regeneration of communities'. But he warned: 'If we get it wrong We are in danger of enthusiasts doing more harm than good.' The white paper promises a public health workforce strategy, to be devised by a yet-to-be appointed health improvement workforce steering group. It also calls on strategic health authority directors of public health to oversee work with SHA workforce leads, training directors, deaneries and regional directors of public health on local workforce plans. Investment of£5m for 2005-06, and then£30m has been pledged annually to support this work.
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