The UK Faculty of Public Health (FPH), the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) and the London Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH London) have today launched a new podcast series – Belonging in Public Health – which explores and celebrates how identity shapes careers and experiences across the public health workforce.

Released monthly, the series features in-depth conversations with public health professionals from across the specialist and wider workforce – from clinical and allied health roles to local government and the voluntary sector – at every stage of their careers and from across the UK. Guests discuss their routes into public health, how their identity has shaped their practice, the challenges they see facing the profession, and what belonging means to them.

Belonging in Public Health is hosted by Samia Latif, FPH Board Member and Chair of the Faculty's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and Matthew Bazeley-Bell, Deputy Chief Executive of RSPH.

In the opening episode, Matthew is joined by Dr Robyn Stephenson, a former medic turned public health strategist working in local government. Robyn reflects on her journey from clinical medicine in rural Jamaica into public health, after seeing patients with treatable conditions repeatedly arrive at hospital in crisis. She discusses leading the decentralisation of an HIV treatment service in rural Jamaica, co-founding Margin2Centre – a non-profit that supports health systems to better serve marginalised women – and how her identity as a queer, Black woman and post-colonial subject shapes her practice.

Matthew Bazeley-Bell, Deputy Chief Executive of RSPH, said: “Public health has a path for everyone, and Belonging in Public Health is a wonderful opportunity to share the stories that show it. RSPH is proud to be part of this wider partnership showcasing the diverse experiences that go into improving and protecting the health of the public. It was a true privilege to speak with Dr. Stephenson and kick off the podcast. I hope that her unique journey serves as a source of inspiration for anyone interested in developing their career in public health.”

You can listen to the first episode via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  

Earlier this month the Programme hosted a one-day CPD course for public health colleagues.

In collaboration with Lecturer in Anthropology at UCL Dr Caroline Parker, the course addressed how we collect, categorise, and visualise data on ethnic disparities in ways that are scientifically rigorous, ethically sound, and do not inadvertently reinforce the very stereotypes they are meant to challenge. 

Catherine Mbema, co lead of this programme who attended on the day said “‘This was an excellent training course with many insightful components, including exploring different ethnicity and race categories from population censuses across the world, which reconfirmed that race is indeed socially constructed. This always needs to be considered when analysing and presenting ethnicity data. Thank you to Caroline for her expertise in leading the course, to ADPHL colleagues for coordinating and to public health intelligence colleagues across London for their attendance and engagement.”

If you’re interested in taking part in the follow up community of practice event on November 30th, then contact aiyesha.desai@hackney.gov.uk

In October 2026 this programme partnered with colleagues from the Asylum Seekers & Refugees, and Healthcare Public Health networks for a day of inspiring speakers, practical learning, meaningful discussion and cross-sector networking.

The day began with a keynote speech from internationally renowned physician, epidemiologist and anti-racism leader Professor Camara Jones. Professor Jones is recognised globally for her powerful and accessible work on structural racism, prevention and health equity. Her keynote was followed by a varied programme of speakers, interactive discussions and plenty of opportunities to connect with colleagues working across public health, local government, the NHS, academia and partner organisations.

To ensure our new Anti-Racism Commissioning Toolkit is rooted in real-world practice, we’re looking for your valuable input.

How you can contribute:

• Case Studies: Share examples of commissioning work (completed or in progress) that applies an anti-racist, health equity, or trauma-informed lens.

• Lived Experience: Share your insights to help shape our framework and ensure it effectively dismantles structural barriers.

Get involved:

Please contact phtri@cityandhackneyph.hackney.gov.uk to share your work or to connect us with lived experience experts.

The NHS is committed to reducing healthcare inequalities and delivering equitable access, excellent experiences and optimal outcomes for everybody. To achieve this, they need to understand and respond to the needs of all the communities they serve. High quality data that helps them understand who is experiencing health inequalities is critical to this.

This plan sets out targeted actions to strengthen the quality, consistency and completeness of ethnicity data recording. It supports NHS organisations to identify and act on issues that affect their ability to record and analyse ethnic health inequalities data.

Access the full plan here