Book Now - Principles of Health Protection 2025
CPD Course
Virtual Delivery Dates & Times (over 6 days)
Dates: 7th, 9th, 14th, 16th, 21st, & 23rd October 2025 (12:30 - 16:30 UK Time)
Book Here (Places are limited)
About the Course
'Excellent teaching, thought provoking, informative. Very engaging and well organised, Bharat is very obviously passionate about health protection and wider public health. It was great to have guest speakers, and I found I was able to take something away from every session' Testimonial Course Participant 2024.
The University of Exeter is a leader in public health research and education. Our flagship CPD course, led by public health expert, Dr Bharat Pankhania, tackles key concepts in health protection, including emerging threats, infection/outbreak control, timely interventions, immunisation and environmental incidents.
Alongside subject-matter expert speakers the course addresses local, national and global challenges which impact how public health and health protection are delivered.
Our course emphasises the importance of emergency preparedness, forward planning, robust outbreak management systems, cyber security, and public health infrastructure. Additionally, we prepare you to be adept at recognising the importance of normally, not in the news, communicable disease control issues and expertise required. We promote collaborative working - with an emphasis on 'prevention' as being the best way forward.
The course will give participants a grounding in the core principles of health protection and is a useful building block towards achieving competency in health protection on call, usually for UKHSA and/or local authorities. The content covers the Faculty of Public Health competencies, and much more. The course also relates to the syllabus for the DFPH (Diplomate exam) and, furthermore, will serve as a refresher and a primer for new practitioners (Consultant to Health Protection Practitioners).
Watch Course Overview Here
Accreditation
CPD points approved and awarded to Principles of Health Protection CPD course by the Royal College of Physicians.
Course Lead
Dr Bharat Pankhania, Senior Clinical Lecturer, University of Exeter Medical School with contributions from expert guest speakers.
BOOK NOW! (Places are limited)
Early Bird Rate - £950 (Until 5th July 2025)
Standard Rate - £1050
For organisations we are able to offer a discount of 20% on the standard delegate rate for bookings of 5 people @ £840
Or E: FHLS_CPD@exeter.ac.uk
Delivery Format
This course will be delivered virtually
Tuesday 7th, Thursday 9th, Tuesday 14th, Thursday 16th, Tuesday 21st and Thursday 23rd October 12:30-16:30
The sessions will use a combination of participatory methodologies including presentations, case studies, table top exercises, group discussions and problem-based learning with ample opportunities for discussion, debate and blue sky thinking. (By virtue of the session's formats, delegates are required to have a functioning camera and microphone throughout the duration of the course.)
We advise you to make every effort to join all sessions to gain the most out of the course. If you are unable to attend any of the sessions, the sessions will be recorded and will be made available.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course the learner will be expected to be able to:
- Understand the underlying principles of Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control as well as planning for and responding to emerging threats, emerging infections and environmental incidents
- Understand the art and craft of outbreak control and management and its application in a public health setting
- Become conversant with the fundamentals of dynamic surveillance and timely interventions
- Understand the principles of immunisation and instituting immunisation programmes
- Develop relevant communication skills. How to get your messages across
- Understand the importance of collaboration with partners and when to seek expert assistance
- Become part of a community of practitioners from a range of sectors
Feedback and Certificates
We will ask you to complete a polling survey at the end of each day. Your feedback allows us to make adjustments for the delivery of the next session.
At the end of the course we send you a certificate highlighting the learning outcomes with a section where you can complete your own CPD Reflection of the course, which you can use in a future professional development review.
Aimed at those already working in or considering working in public health, health protection, infection control, environmental health, infections with an animal and human interface and primary care.
This course is also particularly useful for local authority public health teams.
Programme for Principles of Health Protection CPD Course
A more detailed programme and other information will be provided to delegates before the course begins. Each day runs from 12:30-16:30.
**Please note that the programme may be subject to alteration.**
| DATE | SUBJECT | TOPICS |
| Day One | EPIDEMIOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, SYSTEMS PROCESSES AND PRINCIPLES OF CONTROL | Welcome, course overview and "speed dating" delegate introductions |
| Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology | ||
| Systems Processes and Principles of Control | ||
| Surveillance Systems, managing an infectious disease incident | ||
| Discussions | ||
| Day Two | UNDERSTANDING PANDEMICS AND THE PRINCIPLES OF INFECTION DISEASE MANAGEMENT | Review of Day 1 and an Overview of Day 2 |
| Pandemics, using influenza/SARS Covid 2 as an example | ||
| SARS Covid 2 and Other Infectious Diseases - Past, Present and the Future | ||
| Emerging Infectious Diseases Threats plus Tuberculosis Revisited | ||
| Hot Topics and Review of the Day | ||
| Day Three | PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF VACCINES AND IMMUNOLOGY | Recap of Days 1 and 2 and Overview of Day 3 |
| Principles of Vaccines and Immunology | ||
| Vaccine Policy and Its Implementation | ||
| Vaccine Technology and their Deployment | ||
| Day 3 Wrap-Up | ||
| Day Four | EMERGENCY PLANNING AND CURRENT HEALTH PROTECTION ISSUES | Recap Day 3 and Overview of Day 4 |
| Good Sexual Health, Infections and Management (STI's, HIV and Others) | ||
| HIV | ||
| Virtual Outbreak Management | ||
| Day 4 Wrap Up | ||
| Day Five | INFECTION CONTROL | Recap Day 4 and Overview of Day 5 |
| Water-borne Issues. Legionella and Cryptosporidium | ||
| Infection control in clinical settings | ||
| AMR | ||
| Day 5 Wrap Up | ||
| Day 5 Recap and Overview of Day 6 | ||
| Day Six | EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS | Essentials of Emergency Preparedness |
|
Cyber Security as an example of a major threat. Simulated Emergency Response Exercise |
||
| National and international emergencies discussed, CBRN incidents | ||
| Open Session and Discussions | ||
| Course Summary |
Whether you study on-campus, virtually, or via a blended learning programme, you'll be supported by the University of Exeter's world-class faculty with wide-ranging opportunities to develop interdisciplinary and vocational skills. Find out more
Dr Bharat Pankhania
Dr Bharat Pankhania has widespread experience of advising on national communicable disease control action plans at national and international level. Having had experience of both Primary and Secondary Care, Dr Pankhania realised that to make a bigger contribution to people`s health, primary prevention of illness was important, thus he trained in Public Health Medicine and thereafter did further training in infectious diseases and Communicable Disease Control.
Dr Pankhania’s experience includes:
Pandemic Influenza outbreak planning and major plan testing exercises. He was the local Lead for Pandemic Influenza planning at Public Health England and became the reference point for outbreak planning, testing systems and control strategies.
Ebola and SARS: Dr Pankhania was immersed in and contributed to the Ebola and SARS surveillance and control methodologies, specialist screening methods at ports of entry.
Tuberculosis: Dr Pankhania became an expert in investigating clusters of Tuberculosis and using newly developed tools. Investigations and controlling TB outbreaks in schools, hospitals and prisons.
Legionella: Dr Pankhania has led on and was the Legionella lead in his previous job. He investigated complex outbreaks, advised hospitals and hotels and also developed expertise in the health and safety law relating to Legionella.
Dr Kev Smith
Dr Kev Smith is Regional Director Public Health Commissioning for NHS England, North East and Yorkshire. He has been the principal advisor to the NHS in the region throughout the height of the COVID pandemic advising the NHS Executive team and system leaders on the likely impact on NHS services.
Dr Bret Palmer
Upon leaving secondary school, Bret worked in the civil service and eventually took himself to Leeds University. After leaving with a master’s degree in chemistry, he then gained entry into Bart’s and The London Medical School, an enjoyable time with a memorable stint with the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, as part of his medical elective. After qualifying as a medical doctor, he then worked in hospital-based medicine for 4 years, mainly working in emergency medicine and care of the elderly.
His hospital experience reinforced the maxim of ‘prevention is better than cure’. Most of the cases he dealt with, especially in emergency medicine, were wholly preventable. The most surprising aspect was that most of these cases had no idea of the basic life changes they needed to make in order to improve their health for the long term. During training as a specialist public health doctor, he studied a Master’s in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and gained by CCT in Public Health in 2016. He then decided that in order to do front line public health work, he'd step back to do Genitourinary medicine (GUM) training. I CCT in GUM and HIV medicine in 2020.
Dr Smita Kapadia
Dr Smita Kapadia is a Consultant in Communicable Disease Control working within the UKHSA’s East of England Health Protection Team, where she leads the Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance workstream.
Smita trained in India as well as the East of England and qualified as a consultant in 2011; she has over 15 years of communicable disease control experience and understands the challenges of controlling infectious diseases in resource-limited contexts.
Smita led the East of England Health Protection Team’s COVID Response Cell. One of her current areas of focus is the ongoing Group A streptococcus situation.
Contact us
Please contact the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Team Continuing Professional Development Team with any questions at FHLS_CPD@exeter.ac.uk
Blog: Empowering health protection practitioners to deliver excellence
Dr Cathy Whapham
Cathy has worked in contamination control for more than 25 years, predominantly alongside clinical microbiologists, infection prevention and hospital engineering teams on water hygiene programs. She has extensive practical experience of critical contamination and waterborne outbreaks within public and private sectors both nationally and internationally, and provides bespoke training and holistic advice on waterborne contamination, prevention and control strategies for in-premise drinking water distribution systems. Cathy offers an independent advisory and consultancy service to the healthcare, leisure, residential and agricultural sectors focusing on water management problems, developing and challenging Water Safety Plans and co-ordinating Water Safety Groups. Alongside her consultancy, Cathy manages the Tickmore Orchards and raises native breed Ryeland Sheep in Herefordshire.
Dr Tina Joshi
Dr Tina Joshi is an Associate Professor of Molecular Microbiology in Peninsula Dental School, University of Plymouth. She is an international expert in Antimicrobial Resistance, advising on diagnostics, public communications and strategies to combat AMR, and attended UNGA79's meeting on AMR. Dr Joshi leads the Molecular Microbiology Research Group and her team research development of point of care diagnostics, disinfection and molecular mechanisms of antibiotic & biocide co-resistance. She delivers applied research that changes lives and has real world impact. She is Editor in Chief of the Journal of Medical Microbiology and Co-Chair of the Knocking Out AMR Project.
Dr Magda Bucholc
Dr Magda Bucholc is the Lead Epidemiologist in PHA and a Visiting Lecturer in Data Analytics at Ulster University. Her research focuses on implementing advanced statistical and machine learning methodologies in disease surveillance, epidemiology, and clinical decision-making.
She has over 80 peer-reviewed research outputs and has secured ~£3.3M in research funding. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Bucholc supported the NI Government Specialist Covid-19 Modelling Group and developed the COVID-19 Tracker to provide public access to comparative COVID-19 data across the island of Ireland. She also serves as Northern Ireland’s representative on the British Standards Institution committee.
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