Royal College of Nursing Representing nurses and nursing, promoting excellence in practice, shaping health policies

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Our work

Find out more about the work of the Public Health Forum and the other organisations we work with 

How we represent forum members

  • Support professional learning and development of the public health nursing community
  • Promote the public health nursing contribution
  • Support and promote good practice/dissemination of education and learning and development resources
  • Help to provide the public health nursing expertise and input into the RCN
  • Provide support to shape local, regional, national and international policy
  • Help to disseminate relevant public health nursing information and resources
  • Develop educational standards
  • Consult with other bodies to ensure members can help influence policy and guidance
  • Develop relationships providing guidance on clinical nursing standards and patient care guidance

Our strategy

  • Providing an effective Public Health Forum committee
  • Engaging with Public Health Forum members
  • Maintaining a visible presence in public health nursing
  • Being accessible to RCN members
  • Providing professional development resources
  • Through our Public Health Steering Committee Charter 2022-2023

Occupational Health update:

  • Working with the DWP – Health and Work Unit, in particular the Occupational Health Nurse Exploratory Group to address occupational health nurse shortages.
  • SOM Update:  The Chief Nurse of England has agreed to support the forum with this year's conference in November 2019.

Other organisations we work with:

  • ICN Global Nursing Policy Leadership Institute
  • European Public Health Alliance
  • Council for Work and Health
  • RCN Credentialing Advisory Group
  • QNI Homelessness Network
  • PHE working group for Making Every Contact Count (MECC)
  • Obesity Health Alliance Obesity Action Coalition
  • SCPHN National Curriculum Development Stakeholders Group
  • RCP Alcohol Health Advisory Group
  • British Global and Travel Health Association (BGTHA)
  • Faculty of Travel Medicine (FTM), The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG) UK organisation
  • Health Protection Scotland (HPS TRAVAX)
  • The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC)
  • TB nurses network
  • TB joint committee UK group
  • TB PHE working groups
  • British PaediatricTB association
  • PHE Blood Pressure System Leadership Board
  • RSP Tobacco Advisory Group (TAG)
  • All-party Parliamentary Group on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (APPMG)
  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Travel Aware Campaign 
  • National HIV Nurses Association working groups Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG) 
  • All party parliamentary group on Domestic Violence
  • Joint TB Committee: once yearly, UK meeting, representation from all relevant bodies from all countries: microbiology, paediatrics, BHIVA, MDR, BTS, medical students, PHE, British infection association, TB alert.
  • TB Workforce (Task & Finish): part of TB Strategy, work in progress / audits, training etc.(England only).
  • Underserved Population (Task & Finish): part of TB Strategy, work completed as resource published. No further meetings planned - only via e-mail. (England only). There is a newly BPTBA (British Paediatric TB Association) being put together; The Forums TB lead has been attending, but membership being confirmed for individuals and relevant bodies.
  • TB Nurses Forums: London and Central England. Work in progress to have a national forum. NHSE Future sexual health workforce – training and education needs.
  • Occupational health nurses: FOHN meeting to discuss support/collaboration
  • PHE Work as a health outcome project
  • DWP fit note review – extending signatories to nurses
  • RCOT joint work to recruit nurses in clinical practice as champions for health and work

International organisations the forum works with:

  • The International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM)
  • The Northern European Conference on Travel Medicine (NECTM)

The Forum has key network groups of specialists, which includes:

  • Cardio Vascular Network Group
  • Migration Access to Health Services
  • Health protection nurses
  • TB nurses
  • Travel health nurses
  • Occupational health nurses

Page last updated - 13/02/2024