How can you support the public’s health?

We know that 9 out of 10 members of the public trust health and lifestyle advice from the wider workforce. Our 2015 report Rethinking the Wider Public Health Workforce investigated this powerful statistic, and identified a workforce of over 15 million which could play a vital role in improving the public’s health. Included in this group is the accredited registers (AR) workforce.

The AR workforce, currently nearing 80,000 nationwide, comprises a wide variety of healthcare practices with the potential to make a significant contribution to promoting and protecting the public’s health. The public health challenges facing the UK today are deep-seated and varied, and if we are to continue to make progress on priorities such as obesity and smoking, we must embrace all opportunities to improve and protect the public’s health, embedding healthy lifestyles within communities.

A key finding from our recent report Untapped Resources, developed in partnership with the Professional Standards Authority, noted that AR practitioners typically build trusted long-term relationships with their patients and so are naturally well placed to have healthy conversations: many already provide support on mental wellbeing, signposting to healthier lifestyle services, and advice on physical activity.

Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) is working with the Accredited Registers to support the continuation of this great work, and is partnering with the National Counselling Society (NCS) to facilitate access to RSPH Associate membership for its members. Usually priced at £75 for the first year, NCS members can join RSPH for £40.

RSPH is an independent health education charity, dedicated to improving and protecting the public’s health and wellbeing. We help inform policy and practice, working to educate, empower and support communities and individuals to live healthily. We are the world’s longest-established public health body with more than 6,500 members drawn from the public health community both in the UK and internationally. Our operations include an Ofqual recognised awarding organisation, a training and development arm, health and wellbeing accreditation, and e-learning service. We also produce a wide variety of public health conferences; our publishing division includes the internationally renowned journal Public Health; and our External Affairs department undertakes research, develops policy and campaigns to raise awareness of health and wellbeing issues.

Our vision is that everyone has the opportunity to optimise their health and wellbeing

The RSPH brand and reputation has grown and developed significantly over the last few years. Key campaigns helping to raise our profile include Health on the High Street which explored how social deprivation is associated with a higher proportion and clustering of retailers which are deemed “unhealthy”; the Alcohol calorie labelling campaign, Taking a New Line on Drugs, looking at drugs within the context of public health, and not just as a criminal justice issue. #StatusofMind explored how social media impacts on young people’s mental health, and Life on Debt Row, in partnership with End High Cost Credit Alliance, which explored high cost credit and impact on overall health and wellbeing.

Associate membership of RSPH is for anyone interested in public health or working in a profession that has a new or growing public health element. This grade was created for our Wider Public Health Workforce and is particularly aimed at professions such as the AR workforce. RSPH membership provides a range of benefits including:

. Use of post nominal letters: AMRSPH

. An annual certificate of membership

. Online access to the Perspectives in Public Health journal

. Monthly membership newsletter with topical public health updates

. Access to exclusive content in our online Members’ Area

. The chance to join one of our Special Interest Groups

. Networking opportunities at our conferences and events

. Free member events

. Free webinars on topical public health themes

. The opportunity to participate in our campaign and policy work.

More information on the partnership and membership offer.