About the author

Dr Tom Porter, MB BS (Lond), MA (Cantab), MSc (Oxon), MFPH

I'm a Consultant in Public Health Medicine at Oxfordshire PCT four days a week with responsibility for cancer screening, immunisations, and public health input to practice-based commissioning (PBC).  On my remaining day each week I project manage the Public Health Commissioning Network which I helped set up with Sir Muir Gray in 2008.  I 'graduated' from the five year public health Specialist Registrar (SpR) training scheme in the Oxford Deanery, United Kingdom in February 2010. 

I founded Public healthy in 2005 in my spare time and continue to manage it as and when I get time outside work!

Public health training

During my specialist training I spent 3 months at the Thames Valley Health Protection Unit (HPU), 3 months at SW Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust (now part of Oxfordshire PCT), 6 months at the Clinical Trials Service Unit (CTSU), and nearly 9 months at Slough PCT (now part of Berkshire East PCT).

Between October 2006 and September 2007 I took the full time Masters (MSc) in Global Health Sciences at the University of Oxford as part of my training, including a placement at the KEMRI-Wellcome Research Institute in Kilifi, Kenya (read the paper in Journal of International Development which resulted from this).  In January 2007 I passed the MFPH Part A and in December 2007 the Part B (OSPHE) - phew! 

I spent a further 8 months in Berkshire East PCT, including working with the three local authorities (Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead; Slough Borough Council; and Bracknell Forest Borough Council) in 2007-8 and organised a novel public health miniconference in Oxford in April 2008, about which we wrote a piece in the September 2008 PH.com newsletter.

In 2008 I also worked at the Public Health Resource Unit in Supporting Public Health, Oxford, conducting an evidence review for the South Central Priorities Committees, and collating grey and published literature on evidence to reduce inequalities and inequity in screening, on behalf of the UK National Screening Committee. Towards the end of 2008 I started at South Central Strategic Health Authority, looking at the extension of breast cancer screening to younger and older women; and subsequently the decision-making process for continuing healthcare eligibility; and also worked at the South East Public Health Observatory (SEPHO), reviewing public health surveillance systems.  After this I started at Oxfordshire PCT, where I worked on a portfolio similar to my current role (see above), as well as being heavily involved in the PCT response to swine flu in the summer and autumn of 2009.

If you would like more information on any of the projects I have worked on please contact me.

Previous professional experience

Prior to Public Health I was a Medical Senior House Officer (SHO) at Addenbrooke's and Papworth Hospitals on the Cambridge rotation.  After doing my house jobs in Guildford and Cornwall I was an A&E SHO at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and then took a few months away in Guyana, South America as an expedition medic with Trekforce Expeditions.  This latter experience was amazing and highly recommended! 

Medical training

I trained in medicine at Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge (pre-clinical, including doing a Part II in Genetics) and Guy's, King's and St. Thomas', University of London (clinical).

Get in touch

Click here if you would like to contact me.