A short history of the Multidisciplinary Public Health Forum

SummaryThe Multidisciplinary Public Health Forum (MPHF) was a ‘network of networks’ that was formed through grass roots public conferences held during the mid 1990s. It championed the development of a trained, developed and accredited multidisciplinary public health workforce in the UK. This paper draws on documentary evidence and from a series of semi-formal interviews held with individuals who were involved in the development and work of the Forum, to explore why the Forum was influential, the key milestones of the journey and the lessons that we might learn for the continued development of the public health function.