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Faculty of Public Health Medicine Cross Border Collaboration
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Faculty of Public Health Medicine Cross Border Collaboration

A senior delegation from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland met with public health leaders and Trainees in Belfast this month at a pivotal time of health system change for both jurisdictions.

Professor Cecily Kelleher, Dean of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, was among the delegation, which included Dr Paul Kavanagh, Honorary Secretary of the Board and Public Health Medicine Consultant Lead with the Tobacco Free Ireland Programme, Dr Kevin Kelleher, Honorary Treasurer of the Board and formerly Assistant National Director of Public Health with the HSE, and Dr Anne Sheahan, National Specialty Director and Southwest Area Director Public Health.

“This visit was an important and timely opportunity to meet with our valued partners in public health in Northern Ireland,” Professor Kelleher said.

“We are in the midst of the Sláintecare roll out, with public health consultants playing a vital role, and our colleagues in Northern Ireland are refreshing and realigning the Public Health Agency as we emerge from the pandemic, so this was a crucial opportunity for us to build on our existing relationship to enhance strategic links, share our experiences and look to the future.”

A visit to Stormont was first on the agenda, where they met Mr Peter May, Permanent Secretary, Professor Lourda Geoghegan, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Naresh Chada, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, and Dr Lisa Cromey and Dr Anna Ferguson, Specialty Registrars in Public Health.

With a solid foundation of established relationships and a strong shared history, they delved quickly into areas of mutual interest and common challenges across all domains of public health practice – Health Protection, Health Improvement, Health Intelligence and Health Service improvement.

It is this strategic relationship between our two jurisdictions, according to Professor Lourda Geoghegan, who is also member of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine Board, that will enable us to engender positive public health outcomes across the island of Ireland.

“Our strong links empower us to support our profession through education and training, through enhanced professional networks, and through crucial advocacy for public and population health,” Professor Geoghegan said.

“Tobacco control continues to pose a significant public health threat. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the smoking ban, we are faced with emerging and alarming vaping use across the population.  

“Health inequalities and early life interventions for child health were also a strong focus with discussions touching on longitudinal data and long-term benefits of early interventions from pregnancy and beyond.

“Climate change will have significant impact population health and those already suffering from inequalities are likely to feel those effects more deeply. Health equality and sustainability planning and policy must go hand in hand.

“As we all face the impact of rebuilding health systems and the health of our populations coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, future preparedness is a key issue, looking at invigorating structures, examining policy and planning and exploring opportunities to work together.”

Supporting and developing the medical workforce has been to the front of pandemic response and will be further strengthened and renewed in the context of multidisciplinary working.

“There are significant cross border opportunities to collaborate and learn from each other bringing fresh thinking to strengthen public health practice, creating opportunities for skills development,” Professor Kelleher said.

“And, as consultants in public health medicine working in the establishing regional health areas across the country, we will learn and grown with our colleagues across specialties to have a greater and lasting impact on population health.”

The delegation from the Faculty of Public Health Medicine later met with Specialty Registrars undertaking training in Public Health in NI.  

Following a similar study path through Higher Specialist Training, Trainees in both jurisdictions share common experiences and the programmes are mutually recognised.  There are also some differences which were explored, such as access to non-medical applicants, which is not available through the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland’s programme, and differences in the timing and delivery of the membership exams.

There was a shared commitment to fostering more engagement and a meeting of public health registrars from both jurisdictions took place on 17 May.

“I see plenty of opportunities for exchange and placements and there was great interest in meeting together,” Professor Kelleher said.

“The All-Ireland Institute of Public Health is an important body and FPHMI has an accredited training placement there.

“We look forward to welcoming our colleagues and in particular registrars from Northern Ireland at our Winter and Summer Scientific Meetings.”

Next on the agenda was a meeting with the Public Health Agency in NI. The delegation met with Assistant Directors Dr Tracy Owen, AD Screening, and Dr Louise Herron AD Health Protection to discuss key priorities and potential cross-border links. And, later they met with Dr Christine McKee, Dr Denise O’Hagan, and Dr Stephen Bergin from the Faculty of Public Health, Northern Ireland, to discuss training programmes and opportunities, as well as continuing professional development, professional appraisal and medical revalidation.

“We are very grateful to our colleagues for organising such a beneficial visit and I look forward to building on our long shared history as we look to the future together,” Professor Kelleher said.