Background Specialty public health training consists of 48 months of practice across the domains of health protection, healthcare public health and health improvement. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, activity pivoted towards pandemic management and the response became a significant element of registrar practice. This research aimed to understand the impact of this shift in focus on registrars’ role and training. Methods Participatory action research comprising (i) a reflective survey sent to all specialty registrars in the East Midlands training region and (ii) Delphi rounds with survey respondents to generate consensus and define themes. Results Sixteen (44%) registrars completed the survey with 12 (75%) participating in the Delphi rounds. The early pandemic response stages both challenged and re-affirmed registrars’ role and identity in public health and training while providing unique and diverse learning and development. Underpinning these themes is a variability in experience depending on prior experience, placement and training stage. Conclusions The pandemic impacted the practice, training and home-life of registrars who were required to negotiate significant challenge and uncertainty. This original work adds to a growing body of correspondence and opinion pieces articulating the experiences and challenges of medical and public health education during a pandemic.

Local data and published literature estimates can be successfully combined to produce the number of events prevented within a locally defined PCT population (NEPP). Commissioners have shown interest in the utility of such a measure in identifying and quantifying areas for improvement.

No abstract

No abstract