Living in Kent Surrey and Sussex
Recruitment in NHS England – Kent, Surrey and Sussex
Public Health Recruitment – Public health is all about helping people to stay healthy and protecting them from threats to their health. This link will help you find out more about Public Health.
Medical Specialty Recruitment website – this provides guidance to help you apply to your chosen specialty with a recruitment overview, information on eligibility, application, shortlisting, interviews and selection process, preferencing, and offers. You will also find further related information on how recruitment works such as the Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MRSA) and interviews, as well as recruitment data and publications.
Public Health Person Specification
Applicant Guidance
Please see information on the Specialty Recruitment applicant guide.
Oriel Recruitment System – Oriel is the UK wide portal for recruitment to postgraduate medical, dental, public health, healthcare science and foundation pharmacy training. Applicants will use Oriel for all stages of the recruitment process.
South East Applicant Guide – Please find a useful Public Health Specialty Training Prospective Applicants Guide. The guide has been developed by the South east Public Health Registrars and Programme Managers. It is intended for applicants to the Public Health Specialty Training Programme. The guide includes tips and helpful resources to help applicants through the process
Working/Hybrid Information
see link HERE to information on the Training Location page.
Pay Protection Information
For enquires about pay protection, please email the Programme Support Manager (PSM) at england.ksspublichealthschool.se@nhs.net who will put you in touch with the Lead Employer.
Please see the NHS Employers Website and the Pay Circular regarding Remuneration of Public Health Specialist Trainees under the Agenda for Change (AfC) agreement.
Please note that Pay Protection is only offered to people from a non-medical background. It is worked out as a proportion of Band 8d on the AfC pay scale. Pay protection is available if you currently (i.e. this is not offered to any previous roles with higher banding or pay scale,) earn more than the starting salary, and should be applied for through the Lead Employer after being offered a place.
The Lead Employer will contact trainees with relevant new starter paperwork. Within the offer letter there should be information about pay protection. You will be asked for proof of salary and pay slips. Pay protection is based on a full time pro rata salary but not hours. i.e. if you are on a full time 35hrs contract, we would protect the salary, but the training programme is based on a 37.5-hour week.
The Lead Employer will then meet with the Head of School to discuss eligible candidates and confirm whether “previous experience is judged to be relevant to NHS employment.” This is a joint process and can take some time, so please be patient.
We understand that you want to be reassured about pay protection before accepting the training placement offer. However we may only be able to confirm eligibility, and may not be able to confirm that pay protection has been granted until further into the recruitment process.
There is no pay protection for doctors entering the Specialty Training Programme if applied and accepted a medical specialty post with a MBBS or equivalent medical qualification. Medical Specialist Trainees are paid on the standard NHS junior doctors pay scale.
South East Public Health Buddy Scheme for Applicants to the Public Health Specialty Training Programme with Black or Asian Backgrounds
In 2023/24 we launched a new KSS buddy scheme specifically designed for applicants from black or Asian backgrounds planning to apply to Public Health Specialty training. This ha now been expanded to cover the South East Public Health training schemes.
For more information see our South East Buddy Scheme Page.
To apply for the 2026 for 2027 entry round please see below eligibility and application form.
To be eligible, applicants have to meet the following criteria:
- Identify as being from a Black or South Asian ethnic background.
- Be living or working in the South East of England including:
- Kent, Surrey and Sussex
- Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
- Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire
- Other areas within the South East region as applicable
- Be eligible for, and intending to apply to, Public Health Specialty Training in 2026 for August 2027 start
Eligible applicants will paired with a buddy who is currently on the Public Health Specialty training programme and will be provided with support and guidance through the application process.
If you meet the above eligibility criteria please complete the following application form. Applications will be open from 9am Monday 5th October 2026 until 11:59pm Sunday 18th October 2026
Application to the Buddy Scheme for Public health Specialty Training in the South East – Fill in form
If you would like any further information on the buddy scheme or on recruitment, please contact england.ksspublichealthschool.se@nhs.net
Please note that buddies provide informal support and guidance only. They are not involved in recruitment decisions and cannot provide assessment or interview content