This article is the first in a series on public health. The four-part series will look at the role of the nurse, midwife and other health professionals in public health and the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) approach (Health Education England (HEE), 2018). This article discusses MECC, which should be at the forefront of all healthcare practice. Future articles in the series will explore the recommended brief interventions and behaviour change models and will discuss how nurses can apply these models when promoting health. The series will conclude with a summary of tools and strategies that nurses can use when engaging their patients and the public in changing their behaviours.
Public health can be defined as:
The science and art of promoting and protecting health, well-being, preventing ill-health and prolonging life through the organised efforts of society
Historically, public health has been
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