Paula Grey - Birkenhead High School 1966 - 1974

Director of Public Health

Public health traces its roots back to the first Medical Officer of Health, Dr Henry Duncan, who practiced in Liverpool, 150 years ago, when he was faced with epidemics of cholera and typhoid. Today, Public Health practitioners are still trying to reduce the high levels of preventable ill health and deaths that affect many people, in this country and across the world.

Having qualified in medicine in 1979, I undertook several junior doctor jobs in hospitals around Merseyside. I worked as a registrar and then senior registrar in Public Health  Medicine, obtained my membership by examination and became a Consultant in Public Health in 1987.

At the time I entered Public Health it was confined largely to individuals with a medical degree. The last ten years has seen great changes and it is now a multidisciplinary profession, open to people from different backgrounds and with different interests. Specialists in Public Health work in all parts of the NHS and individuals with Public Health training are found in local authorities, voluntary agencies and in international organisations.  Reducing inequalities in health by tackling the high levels of health problems seen in poorer communities is the fundamental goal of most public health practitioners. Within the NHS the focus is around three key areas; firstly improving the health of communities by protecting health, involves the control of infectious diseases which are still common. Identifying the health effects of environmental hazards such as air pollution and emergency planning, including preparation against the threat of bio terrorism. Secondly, planning effective health services, which meet the needs of the local population – both in general practice and in hospitals, and finally working on programmes that underpin good health such as housing, education, employment and transport.

There are good opportunities to get involved in this work, whatever your background. Becoming a Public Health specialist requires education to degree level and a further five years training leading to a postgraduate qualification, usually a Masters in Public Health. Working in Public Health is not merely a desk job, but a vocation that requires practical skills, and involvement with local people as well as communication between different local agencies.

The nature of Public Health itself ensures that every day brings a different challenge, for which there is never, necessarily, a simple or correct answer. It ranges from dealing with the urgent and emotive issues raised when a child is diagnosed with meningitis to agreeing with partner agencies what impact a new airport runway will have on the health of the local population.

I am happy to be contacted via the Minerva Network Development Office.