Priority work areas
Partnerships and networking
We work closely with a range of organisations, individuals, and initiatives across the North East, and link with other TPHNs and the Department of Health nationally, in order to share best practice.
NETPHN's strategic priorities:
Strategic priority: Developing public health curricula through higher and further education
NORTH East Teaching Public Health Network curriculum development director Annie Wallace is actively working with the region’s universities and colleges to embed public health principles and values in education delivery by helping develop the curricula on several programmes.
Sunderland University: NETPHN is working with module leads to develop and deliver the public health element of the pharmacy programme, as well as to develop the programme for the next academic year’s intake.
Durham University: NETPHN has met with post-graduate students to garner views on links across social work and public health.
Teesside University: A foundation degree in public health and wellbeing has been written and is currently being prepared for validation.
Newcastle University: The university is developing a public health research skills CPD programme.
Northumbria University: Public health skills are being developed through health pre-registration programmes such as nursing and occupational therapy.
New College Durham: NETPHN has written a module for the college’s podiatry degree, and will be undertaking continuous professional development (CPD) with staff on a general public health update and on introducing resources to use in teaching public health.
NETPHN is also working with the four primary care organisation (PCO) collaboratives in the region to develop educational opportunities such as health apprenticeships, which are likely to be piloted across Durham and Tees.
Strategic priority: Developing public health educator capacity and capability
TO ensure the best academic delivery of public health education, NETPHN’s Educator Capacity Group is actively mapping and boosting the teaching skills of public health educators. To do this the Network is developing a comprehensive database of public health educators and their skill set.
In addition, a self-assessment tool is being developed to help provide a more extensive working of the academic defined area of the Public Health Skills and Career Framework.
This tool will be used alongside continuous professional development (CPD) to support the specialist and practitioner workforce. The Educator Capacity Group is also currently seeking funding for a CPD programme it is currently developing to support the specialist and practitioner workforce.
Strategic priority: Promoting healthy universities and colleges
THIS priority, led by NETPHN’s Health Improving Universities Group, is a holistic approach to improving health and wellbeing across the university community. All five North East universities together with partners in primary care public health are involved in developing a partnership approach as part of the regional drive to make every setting a healthy one. The initiative builds on existing good practice in promoting health and wellbeing across the region’s educational settings.