Job Description - South West Peninsula Deanery

ACADEMIC CLINICAL FELLOW
Public Health
Job Description
2013
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Job Description
Peninsula Medical School
ACADEMIC CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP IN PUBLIC HEALTH
This three-year post is part of a broad programme to improve academic medical career
pathways and is co-ordinated by the NIHR Trainees Coordinating Centre (NIHR TCC), see
www.nihrtcc.nhs.uk. It is part of the South West Region’s Public Health Specialty training
scheme and will provide a grounding in service Public Health and an introduction to academic
Public Health. The post is open to all doctors who can meet the entry requirements as
specified in the person specifications.
The Fellow will spend the first year of training obtaining a Masters (or equivalent) in Public
Health (MSc / MPH) and will be expected to pass Part A of the Faculty of Public Health
membership exams by the end of this year. By the end of the second year of training they will
submit an application for a research training fellowship leading to a higher degree (PhD/MD).
By the end of Year Three they will be expected to have passed Part B of the Faculty of Public
Health membership exams.
The academic base will be in the Peninsula Medical School (Universities of Exeter and
Plymouth) with an attachment to one of the PMS research sites and groups listed below.
However, there are currently changes occurring within the Peninsula Medical School which
will be confirmed with the appointed candidate upon commencement. The service base will
be within a Public Health department located in a local authority setting within the Peninsula
Deanery boundary. The post is split 25:75 between PMS and the local Public Health service
base.
The Postgraduate Dean has confirmed that this placement and/or programme has the
required educational and dean's approval.
The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry
Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry (PCMD) is based in the Universities of Exeter
(UofE) and Plymouth (UofP) and has research sites mainly in Exeter, Plymouth and Truro.
Investment in public health research has been exceptional, and critical mass is enhanced by
collaboration with internationally excellent researchers in psychology, sports and health
sciences, nursing and maths and statistics at the parent universities. Peninsula has been
chosen to be one of eight universities nationally contributing to the NIHR National School for
Public Health Research.
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PCMD has strengths in four key public health research areas:
(1) Epidemiology and Public health needs assessment (lead Prof. David Melzer). Professors
Melzer (PCMD) plus Hennessy and Asthani (U of P) all use clinical or epidemiological data to
identify risk factors, measure needs, evaluate the impact of interventions ‘in the real world’,
and inform policy. Recent successes include reporting on 32 RAND treatment quality
measures in England (BMJ, 2008). An NIHR/MRC methodology project (£355K) will develop
the Prior Event Rate Ratio (PERR) method for estimating intervention effects in observational
data.
(2) Developing and evaluating health behaviour change interventions (Lead Prof Charles
Abraham). Peninsula hosts a large interdisciplinary group pursuing research into behaviour
change intervention design and evaluation. Effective interventions developed by the group
have increased weight loss in Weight Watchers programmes, increased physical activity
through engagement with the local environment, increased cognitive functioning among
elderly people in residential homes through enhanced social interaction, and used physical
activity to promote smoking cessation and reduce depression.
(3) Health promotion and protection in the natural and work environment (Lead Prof Lora
Fleming). We have established the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, in
Truro, Cornwall, with EU support of £12m. The centre has assembled a formidable team of
toxicologists, epidemiologists, economists, microbiologists, geographers and ecologists
researching ways to promote health in the occupational and natural environment, and
protecting health from environmental hazards. Early successes include Healthy Workplace
Cornwall, an intersectoral program led by Dame Carol Black to increase the health and
wellbeing of workers and their families through increased interactions with the natural
environment.
(4) Synthesising Public Health Evidence (Lead Prof Ken Stein). Peninsula Technology
Assessment Group (PenTAG, >£7.5m funding from NIHR, NICE, DoH) is part of the NICE
Technology Appraisal system and is one of only two academic Collaborating Centres
supporting NICE's Public Health Guidance function. PenTAG provides particular expertise in
qualitative research synthesis, usually to identify barriers and facilitators of the
implementation of public health interventions. Recent successes include reviews of the harms
of ecstacy (for the Home Office and Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs); screening
for hepatitis C in intravenous drug users (HTA Programme); weight management schemes for
the under 5’s (HTA Programme); and screening tests for child physical abuse in A&E
departments.
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There are also opportunities to work with academics in developing areas of research within
the Medical School such as implementation science, realist evaluation, and health-service
public health, and enquiries about work in these areas are welcome.
Service Public Health training
The service base will be within a Public Health department located in a local authority setting
within the Peninsula Deanery boundary. The service base will be confirmed upon
appointment.
Exeter is the site of the newly created Health Protection Agency’s SW (South) Acute
Response Centre, the hub and co-ordination point for health protection activity across Devon,
Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset. As part of his or her training, the fellow will spend a threemonth
attachment with the Health Protection Agency where his or her training will cover
control of communicable diseases and environmental hazards.
Teaching
Public Health contributes to teaching on the undergraduate degree for medical students,
including modules on evidence based medicine. There are also opportunities to contribute to
the post-graduate programmes. All new lecturing staff joining the University can attend a parttime
Teaching and Learning Programme. This provides, on a modular basis, a practical
introduction to teaching in Higher Education. The successful applicant would be expected to
actively participate in the school’s undergraduate medical student teaching programme and
post-graduate programme.
The training programme
The post will be supported by established supervisors (one educational, one academic) who
will regularly review training needs based on the Faculty of Public Health’s assessment
guidelines. On the basis of joint review with the fellow, a suitable training programme will be
agreed and regularly updated, to ensure satisfactory progress towards obtaining the
Certificate of Completion of Training in Public Health. All Fellows will be part of the region’s
existing programme of Annual Review of Competency Progression (ARCP) reviews.
Academic time will be protected and will be based in a different location from NHS service
work. There will be more academic sessions in the earlier part of training as the trainee
prepares their research training fellowship application. A Public Health tutorial programme is
co-ordinated for all trainees within the region. A programme of update sessions on
communicable disease/environmental health topics is led by the Health Protection Agency.
Within the local Public Health Network there are CPD/Governance/Audit meetings and
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attendance records are kept. All staff are part of an annual process of Individual Performance
and Development Review.
Academic clinical fellowships in public health will have direct access to PCMD’s NIHR
approved research training programme that is available to all ACFs in the Peninsula region.
Typical examples of research training opportunities can be viewed on PCMD’s website via
this link http://www.pcmd.ac.uk/postgraduate.php?tab=research_training
Milestones
Year One The fellow will take a Masters in Public Health (MPH) and additional training in
preparation for the Part A membership of the Faculty of Public Health. They can attend the
five-day pre-Part A course organised by the University of Bristol School of Social and
Community Medicine. The fellow will keep in regular contact with their trainers, meeting them
two to three times per term. They will sit MFPH Part A towards the end of the year.
Year Two: Three to three-and-a-half days per week NHS service work (based in the PCT) and
the remaining time in the academic centre developing research ideas / papers and engaging
in a small amount of teaching. As research fellowship applications will need to be submitted in
the early part of Year Three, a greater amount of academic contact will occur in year Two
compared to year Three. Cross cover arrangements will not be required to cover public health
on-call commitments. Fellows will have monthly three-way meetings with both supervisors to
co-ordinate and review the training programme. The fellow will have more frequent (every one
to two weeks) dedicated one-hour meetings with their educational supervisor and academic
supervisor.
Year Three By the third year of the fellowship the fellow will be expected to have submitted for
publication in peer-reviewed journals two to three papers and to have presented at one or two
national Public Health conferences. Final preparation of the research fellowship application
will be led by the candidate with support from their academic trainer, the fellowship
supervisor(s) and appropriate research staff in Peninsula (statisticians / economists /
qualitative researchers as required). Contact with the academics will decrease to a regular
single day per week after the research fellowship applications have been submitted. Regular
meetings with the educational supervisor and academic supervisor will continue throughout
the year.
At the end of the three-year post, post-holders who are successful in obtaining a doctoral
fellowship award will apply to the Faculty of Public Health and the Deanery for time ‘out of
programme’ to complete their PhD. During the ‘out of programme’ time, it is expected that the
post-holder will become an employee of the relevant University.
Programme Management and Administration
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The post-holder will join the South West Public Health Specialty training scheme: Programme
Director Dr. Chris Hine. The scheme has regular “training the trainer” events for new and
existing educational and academic supervisors. Trainees have monthly study days. Trainees
undergo regular appraisal with their supervisors (see above) and have an annual review of
training through an ARCP by internal and external panel members. Progress to the next year
of training is dependent on the outcome of this review. If there are concerns about aspects of
training the fellow will be reviewed earlier. Fellows wishing to return to mainstream NHS
training will have alternative recognised training locations identified in the locality. The training
programme in the region is overseen by a Regional Training Committee, which includes an
academic representative and meets four times per year. The training departments, including
the academic centre, are part of the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) quality assurance
programme of annual visits by external representatives of the FPH. Public Health trainees in
the South West have a well-developed buddy system where a more experienced trainee on
the regional training programme is paired with the new trainee.
In the academic department the fellow will be provided with office accommodation, a
computer and software, filing space, adequate privacy, proximity to key members of staff, a
telephone and access to suitable accommodation to conduct interviews and meetings.
Training subsequent to completion of fellowship
To obtain a CCT in Public Health the post-holder will need to complete up to 2 years further
training after completion of the fellowship, so that CCT requirements are met. Post-holders
will be able to obtain this further training either by successfully competing for one of the
Lecturer posts in the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, or other academic
institutions in the UK or by returning to an NHS service public health post in the South West
region (or in another region by inter-deanery transfer). This latter route back into NHS training
will be available as a matter of course assuming they have previously made satisfactory
progress as judged by ARCP assessments.
Induction Programme
During the first four weeks, the post-holder will be given the opportunity to meet all members
of staff in both the academic and service departments and attend important meetings. A brief
resume of the post-holder’s past experience will be made available to members of both
Departments in order to facilitate their incorporation within the organisations. Initially daily
contact with either the Educational or Academic Supervisor will take place.
On-call Duties and Supervision
After appropriate training in Health Protection, the post-holder will participate in the local oncall
for the Health Protection Agency. This commitment will be no more than on a one in eight
basis and will always be supervised by a member of Consultant staff. They will not be placed
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on the on-call rota until they have completed their three months health protection training
(unless this has already been undertaken in another region)and passed the on-call
assessment plus a local induction programme.
If the post-holder is successful in obtaining a doctoral fellowship award and have an ‘Out of
Programme’ period agreed by the Deanery continuing on the on-call rota is not guaranteed.
Office Accommodation
The post-holder will be provided with adequate office accommodation. As a minimum this will
include provision of own desk, adequate filing space, adequate quiet and privacy where
necessary, proximity to key members of staff, reasonable access to a telephone and access
to suitable accommodation to conduct interviews and meetings.
Statistical, Computing and Clerical Support
The post-holder will have access to expert statistical advice when necessary, will receive
basic training in computer skills, will have access to a computer for word processing,
spreadsheet, graphics and statistical packages. They will have full access to the
Postgraduate Short Course Programme.
Study Leave Entitlement
The post-holder will be entitled to leave with pay and expenses for the purposes of approved
courses and conferences as specified in the South West Public Health Specialty Training
Programme Policy.
Travel and Subsistence Allowance
This will be provided in accordance with the South West Public Health Specialty Training
Programme Policy.
Salary
Salaries will be on the Specialty Registrar scale.
Additional Information: For additional information contact Dr. Iain Lang (Senior
Lecturer in Public Health, Peninsula Medical School and Consultant in Public Health, NHS
Devon: tel. 07970 799249 or email iain.lang@pms.ac.uk).
Information about the South West Public Health Training Programme can be found at:
http://www.swph-education.org.uk/
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Details of PCMD NIHR approved research training programme opportunities can be viewed
on PCMD’s website: http://www.pcmd.ac.uk/postgraduate.php?tab=research_training
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