The public health workforce is far bigger than many people realise. It is made up of 1.5 million people - from environmental health officers to pharmacists, from housing staff to gym instructors. In fact, there are few roles that don’t carry some responsibility for keeping people healthy, safe and well.

Despite this, the contribution of this wider workforce often goes unrecognised. While the role of NHS staff in promoting health is rightly celebrated, it is less clear that Government fully understands how essential this broader workforce is.

With ministers committed to shifting towards a preventative health system, one thing is certain: prevention cannot happen without the public health workforce in its widest sense. But right now, this workforce lacks the recognition and support it needs to thrive.

That is why we are calling for a workforce strategy which supports everyone who supports good health and wellbeing and people in roles which helps people and communities to thrive. It can't be focussed solely on roles within health and care to deliver the shifts we all want to see. To secure this, we need your help to press the Health Secretary to give the wider public health workforce the support it deserves - because there is no prevention without them.