The Oxford School of Public Health (OxSPH) oversees all aspects of training for both specialists and practitioners in Public Health for NHS England working across Thames Valley. This encompasses Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, including Milton Keynes.
The aim of the Oxford School of Public Health is to recruit and train doctors and those from disciplines other than medicine to enable them to acquire the knowledge, skills and experience required to be effective public health specialists. The objective of those working in Public Health is to achieve better population health thus making a difference to peoples’ health and their lives. The School aspires to provide excellent training and a supportive environment to enable trainees specialists and practitioners to realise their potential and achieve their career aspirations.
Public Health specialists look at the ‘bigger picture’: Public Health is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of populations rather than individuals (characteristic of most clinical medicine). An important aspect in achieving this is to reduce health inequalities among different population groups. Outcomes (unlike in most clinical specialities) are not immediate but become apparent over a longer period of time. However, they have the potential to positively affect and improve the lives and health of many people.