Managing Public Health (Members Only)

Public health encompasses promoting and protecting health and well-being, preventing ill health and prolonging life. Concepts and knowledge of health have evolved, with three key ideas gaining increasing credence that:

Health is largely determined by social factors,
Health can be measured by what people do,
Health is a fundamental human right.

The importance of addressing the social determinants of health is reflected in the prevention and early intervention focus within current health and social care policies from all four UK governments.

Occupational therapy and public health:

Occupational therapy provides practical support to empower people to facilitate recovery and overcome barriers preventing them from doing the activities (or occupations) that matter to them. Find out more here.

1. Wider determinants

Promoting healthy environments,
Supporting vulnerable communities to adopt health occupations
Enabling access to education and employment
Health and Work Champions

2. Health care public health

Rehabilitation and enablement
Covid-19: Post-viral fatigue
Covid-19: Health and wellbeing
Management of chronic conditions
Early diagnosis and interventions
Supporting self-management.
Making personalised care a reality: The role of occupational therapy - for information on how occupational therapists support people to self manage their ongoing health and care needs.

Making personalised care a reality the role of occupational therapy (PDF, 613.43KB)

3. Health improvement

Falls prevention
Making every contact count
Occupational health ergonomics
Community development programmes

Occupational therapy is still predominantly accessed through secondary and tertiary services and is primarily focused on individuals, rather than on populations. Wider adoption of a public health focus requires managers and occupational therapy practitioners to expand their vision of practice beyond quality interventions to addressing the societal factors that create health and ill-health.