Exploration of College Status for FPH - FAQs
July 2008
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Why has the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) decided to go for royal college status now?
- How will FPH retain its links with the other medical royal colleges and medical organisations?
- Will FPH lose any practical advantages if it is no longer affiliated to the three royal colleges?
- Will this detract from other FPH business?
- Are membership subscriptions likely to increase as a result of FPH becoming a royal college?
- What are the benefits to members?
- Who has FPH consulted and what has been the response?
- Is FPH merging with other public health organisations?
- What key tasks are involved in applying for royal college status and how long will the process take?
- How is this work being taken forward?
- How much will it cost to apply for royal college status and how will this cost be covered?
- How, where and to whom can I express my views on this issue?
1. Why has the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) decided to go for royal college status now?
Our decision to apply for royal college status has been influenced by the following:
- FPH was established in 1972 by the three Royal Colleges of Physicians (RCPs) following a central recommendation of the Royal Commission on Medical Education (1965-68), which recognised the importance of public health as a specialist discipline within medicine.
The commission highlighted the urgent need to create a single professional body that would be responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining professional training, development and standards in the field of public health. (1)
We were created under the auspices of the royal clleges in order to ensure that public health consultant status was recognised as equivalent to the consultant status in other medical disciplines.
- For over 30 years, we have been fulfilling our remit as the professional body for public health specialists and contributing to health and social policies.
We occupy a unique position in that our delegated and statutory responsibilities within the field of public health mean that we already carry out the functions of a 'royal college'.
We are the recognised regulatory body responsible for public health under all schemes for specialist registration in the UK. We also have statutory responsibility for ensuring that standards for good public health practice are applied to the appointment of all senior public health posts at consultant or equivalent level (including director of public health posts). (2)
In addition, we not only have delegated statutory responsibility for the postgraduate training of doctors in public health, (3) it is also expected that we will be given delegated statutory duties for the administration and quality assurance of proposed new systems for the revalidation of specialist public health consultants in the near future.
We therefore believe that our current title and status does not fully reflect our role, statutory responsibilities and regulatory functions.
- The increasing national and international importance of public health has provided us with an opportunity to explore the advantages and disadvantages of applying for royal college status so as to not only put the organisation on an equal footing with other royal colleges, but also to ensure that we can more effectively promote the public health agenda globally.
- Our current status as an unincorporated charity poses significant risks. As an unincorporated body, our trustees are jointly and personally liable for any legal action taken against the organisation and although professional indemnity insurance is in place to protect them, the risks are increased by it not being a legal entity with limitations on its liability.
2. How will FPH retain its links with the other medical royal colleges and medical organisations?
FPH was originally founded as a professionally independent body within the three RCPs with each college nominating a representative to our Board.
The organisation has worked to develop public health as a multidisciplinary specialty and this is reflected in the diversity of our membership.
We believe that obtaining royal college status will only serve to strengthen and add value to our relationships and links with the other medical royal colleges and medical organisations. In particular, we are and always have been:
- A member of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) and will remain so. Through our membership, we will continue to work with other medical royal colleges to speak with a clear and sure voice on generic health care issues for the benefit of patients and healthcare professionals.
- A member of the Joint Medical Consultative Council (JMCC). Through this forum, we will continue to work with the other medical royal colleges and medical organisations to influence policy, engage with key stakeholders, build partnerships and unite around the key issues that affect the practice of medicine and the delivery of healthcare.
In addition, our membership and active participation ensures our positive involvement in discussions with the UK Departments of Health on matters relating to the maintenance of standards of professional knowledge and skill in the health service and the promotion of medical education and research.
- Represented on the governing councils of each its parent colleges. We will seek to ensure that this representation is maintained and that the Colleges also retain their seats on the governing council of the proposed new Royal College .
3. Will FPH lose any practical advantages if it is no longer affiliated to the three royal colleges?
Although FPH was created under the auspices of the royal colleges, we have always operated independently of them.
We are an independent registered charity with our own charity number.
We are governed by a separate Board of Trustees; conduct our own elections; have a separate membership body, award our own classes of membership and conduct our own examinations and assessments.
We are also financially independent of the royal colleges and this is in line with the guidelines laid down by the Charity Commission of England & Wales.
In terms of financial underwriting, we hold reserves approximately equivalent to one and a half times our annual income. These reserves provide us with our insurance against major adverse events.
In practical terms, we enjoy no special privileges or reduced fees for using the facilities of the RCPs. Our members are currently able to use the RCP's accommodation facilities in London and we will seek to ensure that this member benefit is retained.
Any new royal college will operate from the FPH building at no. 4 St Andrews Place. We own the lease and pay a very reasonable ground rent and maintenance charges. This situation will not change at all should our status change.
4. Will this detract from other FPH business?
Not at all. It is to further consolidate, develop and embed our work, mission and role that royal college status is being sought.
Our work to attain royal college status will be incorporated into our strategic and business planning processes and we will continue to work for and on behalf of our members to improve public health and raise the profile of the profession through our three core areas of activity.
5. Are membership subscriptions likely to increase as a result of FPH becoming a royal college ?
Since we already operate independently from our parent royal colleges, we do not expect membership fees to increase as a result of becoming a royal college.
Any costs associated with attaining royal college status will be met from our capital reserves.
6. What are the benefits to members?
Through its members, FPH has established a long track record of promoting excellence in public health practice, and of providing scholarship and leadership in the profession. We believe that royal college status will enhance and strengthen our profile, thus enabling us to further advance the profession as well as lead and influence the wider public health agenda.
By attaining a status equal to the other medical royal colleges, we will command the respect and recognition that we rightly deserve. Royal college status will provide us with an important platform upon which to develop a stronger and more proactive profile as the voice of the public health profession.
We believe that these developments will serve to support and enhance the position and standing of our members both nationally and internationally.
7. Who has FPH consulted and what has been the response?
Consultation with our members and stakeholders was conducted between April and May 2008 and will be ongoing. To date, the consultation has included:
- a survey of our members and stakeholder organisations;
- country and regional member meetings; and
- a letter from the president to our members and key stakeholders inviting them to comment on the proposed change of status.
Of those who responded to our online survey (4) 65.2% of members and 86% of stakeholders (5) supported the change of status.
In addition, the majority of respondents indicated that obtaining royal college status would enhance our standing with other professional bodies (64.2%), with government (60.2%) and with the public and media (59.4%).
55.3% of respondents believed that obtaining royal college status would enhance the professional standing of our members.
8. Is FPH merging with other public health organisations?
No.
9. What key tasks are involved in applying for royal college status and how long will the process take?
We will ballot our members in October 2008 on whether they wish to go for royal college status. If the outcome of the ballot is positive, we will submit an application to the Privy Council to incorporate the Faculty by Royal Charter and if successful, the Charter will be granted by the Queen on the advice of the Privy Council.
We intend to seek the permission of the Ministry of Justice to use the title of ‘Royal’ in the name of the new incorporated body, which if granted will be called the ‘Royal College of Public Health’. We propose to submit our petition to the Privy Council and our request to the Ministry of Justice in early 2009. The process can be a lengthy one and could take up to two years.
10. How is this work being taken forward?
A College Status Working Group, chaired by the President and consisting of members of our Board, has been established to take this work forward.
The Working Group will continue to listen and respond to the views of members and key stakeholders.
11. How much will it cost to apply for royal college status and how will this cost be covered?
We expect the costs associated with applying for royal college status to be in the region of £30K and this will be met from our capital reserves. A more detailed assessment of the costs will be undertaken by the College Status Working Group.
12. How, where and to whom can I express my views on this issue?
We welcome views and comments from our members and stakeholders. We will continue to review and respond to questions raised during the summer. If you wish to comment further on these proposals, you can contact us in the following ways:
or
By post
College Status Working Group
Faculty of Public Health
4 St. Andrews Place
London
NW1 4LB
(1) The Royal Commission on Medical Education recommended that doctors in public health, medical administration or related teaching and research should form a single professional body concerned with the assessment of specialist training for and standards of practice in ‘community medicine'. Immediately after the publication of the Commission's Report in 1968, J. N. Morris invited leaders in the three strands of activities to meet and discuss the proposal. A series of information meetings led to the setting up, in 1969, of a Working Party (chaired by J. N. Morris), which negotiated with the Royal Colleges of Physicians of Edinburgh, Glasgow and London for them to create a faculty of community medicine. In November 1970 the Colleges set up a Provisional Council (chaired by W. G. Harding), later Board, and the Faculty formally came into existence on 15 March 1972.
(2) National Health Service (Appointment of Consultants) Regulations 1996 (Statutory Instrument 1996 No 701 and its amendments).
(3) This responsibility was delegated by the Postgraduate Medical Educ ation & Training Board (PMETB) under The General & Specialist Medical Practice ( Educ ation, Training & Qualifications) Order 2003.
(4) 20% of members responded to the online survey. In addition, approximately 100 comments were received via email, personal letters to the President or as general comments in the survey.
(5) 39% of the stakeholder organisations contacted by the Faculty responded to the consultation via the stakeholder survey or via email/ letter to the President.