UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) is an independent, dedicated regulator for public health professionals in the United Kingdom, providing professional regulation to public health specialists, specialty registrars and practitioners from a variety of backgrounds, all of whom have a common core of knowledge and skills.

The Register is particularly for those public health professionals who have no other regulatory body.

We define public health as: “The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organised efforts of society.” (Sir Donald Acheson) and our primary objective is to provide public protection by ensuring that only competent public health professionals are registered and that high standards of practice are maintained and enhanced.

The underpinning principles for UKPHR are:

• Public protection
• Fairness
• Transparency
• Robustness
• Collaboration with appropriate bodies

Benefits of UKPHR registration

• For the public  – a regulated workforce improves public protection
• For registrants – achieving registration demonstrates professional competence, affords recognition of that achievement and reinforces their choice of a public health career path
• For employers and commissioners – in recruitment and commissioning decision-making, registration provides quality assurance and quality enhancement of those members of the public health workforce employed or commissioned to plan, manage and deliver public health interventions
• For governments – an accredited register offers an effective form of regulation proportionate to the risk of public harm that public health practice represents