Health promotion specialist

You would motivate and educate people to improve their health. You’d also run campaigns to raise awareness of health issues.

You would focus on issues such as:

• The importance of a balanced diet, and taking regular exercise

• The dangers of smoking or excessive drinking

• The risk of coronary heart disease and cancers

• Mental health

• Sexual health

• Drug misuse

You might work with individuals on a one-to-one basis, or you may help specific groups in the population, such as older people or people with disabilities. You might be based in schools, workplaces or prisons.

As well as giving advice to people on how to make lifestyle changes, you would work on more strategic activities to promote good health.

For example, you could:

• Work on public health campaigns such as screening and immunisation

• Develop new ways to improve public health and influence local, regional and national policy

• Work in partnership with the NHS, voluntary organisations, local authorities and the police

• Research what the public knows about particular health issues

• Produce publicity materials such as leaflets, brochures and videos

• Organise exhibitions and events and work with the press

• Run training courses and workshops

You’d inform and advise key people like managers in health authorities and local councils. You’d also work closely with other health professionals, such as doctors, nurses and health trainers.

Being persuasive and tactful are important for this job so you can inspire and motivate people.

• NHS Careers - more about the role of the public health practitioner in the National Health Service

• NHS Education for Scotland – Training for the healthcare workforce including higher education and professional development