Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Please find below a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the Thames Valley Specialty Registrar Public Health Training Programme.

If you cannot find an answer to your query below, please get in touch with the Programme Support Manager (Public Health).

As per the rest of the UK, applications to the Specialty Registrar Public Health training programme is through the national application process hosted by Health Education England East Midlands which starts from start of November through to end of April (when final offers are confirmed). Details of the application process and FAQs regarding recruitment can be found here https://www.fph.org.uk/training-careers/recruitment/recruitment-information/. This also includes information on eligibility criteria for medics and those from a professional background other than medicine.
Further information can be found on the following Health Education England (HEE) national specialty training website regarding recruitment timelines, person specifications (including entry requirements for the training programme), competition ratios etc. https://specialtytraining.hee.nhs.uk/.

Registrars complete a total of 60 months training which includes completing a full-time MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology for 12 months. If you have completed an equivalent MSc you will generally start your training in Specialty Training Year 2 (ST2), completing 48 months of training.

Registrars are required to start their full-time Masters in the October after their August start date in the first year of training (ST1). The MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology course is at the University of Oxford.

Details of the MSc can be found here:
https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/courses/msc-global-health-science-and-epidemiology

The TPD will advise the MSc course organiser which optional modules the Public Health Registrars should complete. Registrars cannot complete any other MSc in their first year of training.

If you are successfully appointed as a Registrar on the training programme, the MSc arrangements will be organised through the Thames Valley School of Public Health with the University of Oxford.
The University of Oxford will assign you to a college during your MSc course e.g. Linacre College, St Catherine’s College, St Anne’s Collete etc. when you are successfully enrolled for the MSc course.

Yes. If you are successfully appointed to the Registrar training programme your MSc will be paid for by the Thames Valley School of Public Health which is currently £11,300 for course fees. Your MSc registration fee which is currently £75.00 can be reclaimed from the School.

New Registrars start on the first Wednesday in August. If you are starting at Specialty Training Year 1 (ST1) and have not completed an appropriate MSc, you usually will complete your first two months at the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford (NDPH) from August to October then you will start your MSc from October to the following September.

If you are starting at Specialty Training Year 2 (ST2 level), you will start at a local authority for a period of 12 months whole time equivalent.

This depends on individual Registrar’s preferences and areas of interest. Every Registrar must complete a minimum of 48 months of training in GMC approved training placements including a minimum of 12 months WTE in a service placement (local authority) and three months WTE with the Thames Valley Health Protection Team (this is currently a four month placement). Registrars will need to enrol with the Faculty of Public Health when they start the training programme (including during their MSc year).

Examples of training by year as follows:

Specialty Training Year 1 (ST1)
Two months at Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford from first Wednesday of August. Complete the MSc full-time from October to September for 12 months. You will not be in a placement during your MSc.

Specialty Training Year 2 (ST2)
Four months with the Health Protection Team (HPT) placement WTE followed by 12 months WTE with a local authority placement.

Specialty Training Years 3 & 4 (ST3 & ST4)
Completion of local authority/HPT placement.

The placements are arranged on an individual basis in discussion with the Training Programme Director depending on outstanding learning outcomes and exam progression. There are opportunities after passing the Faculty of Public Health Final Membership Examination (MFPH) to apply to placements outside of the training programme such as nationally approved training placements (NATPs).

Registrars are expected to rotate around the training programme, working in different local authorities and other training placements as part of the five year training programme.

Specialty Training Year 5 (ST5)
Generally, Registrars choose a senior placement in a public health domain that links to where they will ideally be appointed in a consultant role post-CCT.

There is an extensive variety of placements available on the training programme.
There may also be opportunities for placements in GMC approved training placements across the South East which can be discussed with the Training Programme Director.

Examples of training placements available include:

  • Buckinghamshire Council, Aylesbury
  • Bracknell Forest Council
  • Milton Keynes Council
  • Oxfordshire County Council
  • Reading Borough Council
  • Slough Borough Council
  • The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
  • West Berkshire Council, Newbury
  • Wokingham Borough Council
  • UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) (Chilton)
  • Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • Milton Keynes General Hospital
  • Oxford University Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH)
  • NDPH Teaching Fellow
  • British Heart Foundation Centre (BHFC)
  • Cancer Epidemiology Unit (CEU)
  • Centre on Population Approaches for Non-Communicable Disease (CPNP)
  • Clinical Trials Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU)
  • Oxford Centre for Ethics and Communication in Health Care (ETHOX)
  • Health Economics Research Centre (HERC)
  • National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU)
  • Office for Health Improvements and Disparities (OHID) (Chilton)
  • NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) – Healthcare Public Health
  • NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) – Screening and Immunisations
  • Local Knowledge and Intelligence Service, South East (LKIS)
  • Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards
  • Solutions for Public Health

Academic Clinical Fellows (ACFs) are recruited each year (between October and January) to commence the following August and are advertised on the Oriel recruitment system. Further information can be found at https://thamesvalley.hee.nhs.uk/recruitment/academic
There have been NHIR Public Health ACF posts available in the past for Thames Valley which have been successfully appointed to, however, there are currently no allocation for ACF posts for 2021/2022.

There are however many opportunities to complete an academic placement on the training programme and a number of Registrars have successfully completed a DPhil/PhD during the training programme (OOPR). Further details are available to successful Registrars on appointment.

During your five-year training programme your employer and contract will be held by the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Registrars who are from a medical background will be paid according to the Terms and Conditions of Service for NHS doctors and Dentists in Training (England) 2016: https://www.nhsemployers.org/publications/doctors-and-dentists-training-terms-and-conditions-england-2016

Registrars that are from a professional background other than medicine will be paid according to the NHS Agenda for Change pay scales: https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/annual-pay-scales-202122

Any discussion regarding starting salaries should be held with the employing HR department at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on appointment.

Yes, all registrars will be required to go on the on-call rota once you have completed the mandatory Health Protection Team (HPT) placement for a minimum of four months, passed Part A of the Faculty of Public Health Diplomate examination and completed the MSc. Registrars are required to complete HPT ‘refresher days’ every year as part of their training programme.

The number of local authority (LA) placements available varies each year. Allocation to LA placements is by the Registrar’s rank at national selection against their preference and the local authority placements available at the time. Registrars will be emailed a preference sheet approximately 6 months before their LA placement is due to commence and exceptional circumstances will be considered.

The local authorities (LA) where registrars are based depends on LA placement availability at the time. This is dependent on Educational Supervisor availability and whether other registrars are currently working at the local authority.

The current list of local authority Placements includes:

  • Buckinghamshire Council, Aylesbury
  • Bracknell Forest Council
  • Milton Keynes Council
  • Oxfordshire County Council
  • Reading Borough Council
  • Slough Borough Council
  • The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
  • West Berkshire Council, Newbury
  • Wokingham Borough Council

Registrars can apply to work Less-than-full-time (LTFT) during the Registrar training programme depending on individual needs. All requests will need to be discussed with the Training Programme Director with an official application for LTFT to HEE Thames Valley. More information can be found at https://thamesvalley.hee.nhs.uk/resources-information/trainee-information/training-options/less-than-full-time-training-ltftt/.

Registrars can apply for “Out of Programme (OOP)” for different categories during their training programme on discussion with the Training Programme. There are different categories depending on the individual circumstances during their training and an HEE application for OOP is required. Further details can be found at https://thamesvalley.hee.nhs.uk/resources-information/trainee-information/training-options/out-of-programme-oop/.

Yes, all Registrars will be required to sit the Faculty of Public Health diplomate (DFPH) and Final Membership (MFPH) examinations to fulfil training requirements and to be eligible for your Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).

The Diplomate exam is usually sat following completion of the MSc or in your first year of training if starting in ST2. The Membership exam is usually sat in the ST3 year and above. Details of the exams can be found at:
https://www.fph.org.uk/training-careers/the-diplomate-dfph-and-final-membership-examination-mfph/
There is a lot of support provided by the training programme such as mock exams, exam practice sessions, registrar study groups set up for those sitting the exams. Study leave is available for Registrars preparing for the exam and for the exam dates.

Registrars on the training programme are provided with a range of support and supervision. This includes the Training Programme Director for educational and individual support to Registrars. As well as an induction with the TPD, there are regular meetings with the TPD to discuss training plans and there are catch up meetings between the TPD and Registrars once a month.

Every Registrar is allocated a trainer who also their Educational Supervisor for each placement to meet regularly and ensure progression of competencies through training.

Buddies are allocated to every Registrar, which is another registrar on the training programme, at the start of the training programme. Buddy catch up sessions are also organised by the Registrars. Registrars organise teaching sessions and also social catch ups; including a WhatsApp support group. The Registrars also have a business meeting to allocate specific training programme roles which are held for 12 months.

Registrars may sometimes have an activity/project supervisor if they are undertaking a specific project which is not being directly supervised by their Educational Supervisor. Academic support is provided for Registrars in academic placements at the University of Oxford.

Health Education England Thames Valley (HEETV) also provide Supported Return to Training (SuppoRTT) to registrars who have taken time out of their training programme for a number of reasons e.g. sick leave, parental leave etc. Details can be found here: https://thamesvalley.hee.nhs.uk/resources-information/trainee-information/supported-return-to-training/

Registrars can also access the Professional Support & Wellbeing Service (PSWS) which provides a free service to Registrars and is a useful resource. Details can be found here: https://thamesvalley.hee.nhs.uk/resources-information/professional-support-wellbeing/

Information on resources available to Registrars on the Health Education England Thames Valley training programme can be found here: https://thamesvalley.hee.nhs.uk/resources-information/

Registrars will need to follow the Faculty of Public Health Specialty Training Curriculum and complete the required competencies to complete their training. The curriculum can be found at:
https://www.fph.org.uk/training-careers/specialty-training/curriculum/

The Faculty of Public Health website has useful information on Specialty Training in Public Health as follows:
https://www.fph.org.uk/training-careers/specialty-training/

Mastering Public Health: a postgraduate guide to examinations and revalidation (Geraint Lewis); Practising public health: a guide to examinations and workplace application (Adam DM Briggs, Paul A Fisher and Rob F Cooper); Essential medical statistics (Betty R Kirkwood, Jonathan AC Sterne); Screening: evidence and practice (Angela E Raffle, Anne Mackie, and JA Muir Gray). Registrars who have recently been through the MSc may also provide useful information. Please contact the Programme Support Manager (Public Health) who will put you in touch with the relevant registrar once you have been appointed to the training programme.

Yes, you may be eligible for relocation expenses. Information and criteria can be found as follows: https://thamesvalley.hee.nhs.uk/about-us/policies-guidance/relocation-and-excess-travel/.

There are many opportunities for Consultants in Public Health across all domains of public health including working in a local authority, Health Protection Team, Clinal Commissioning Group and acute Trust.
https://www.fph.org.uk/media/2659/specialise-in-the-bigger-picture-booklet-sept-2019v4.pdf