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Doctors in Public Health — Who Needs’em

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Abstract

I am a Director of Public Health (DPH hereafter) in Sandwell in the West Midlands of England. I will describe my entry into the role, some of the historical baggage I carry, some of the principles I try to follow and the tools I use. I will also reflect on how practice has changed with the NHS reforms I have experienced. Changes are afoot as health authorities disappear and primary care trusts (PCTs hereafter) take on the mantle of public health (PH) guardians. The implications for the DPH role will be examined. Finally, I will discuss why the multidisciplinary world of PH needs its doctors.

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Authors

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Andrew Watterson

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© 2003 The Editor(s)

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Middleton, J. (2003). Doctors in Public Health — Who Needs’em. In: Watterson, A. (eds) Public Health in Practice. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-230-21421-7_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-230-21421-7_4

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-333-94617-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-230-21421-7

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