The PHSKF is a framework that describes the functions and activities carried out by people working to protect and promote the public’s health across the UK. The functions are carried out by professionals (the public health workforce) who are fully dedicated to leading and implementing activities that are designed to deliver on public health outcomes in each of the 4 UK nations: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Some workers may carry out functions and activities described in the framework as part of another role in a wider public health workforce. The framework is used by employers to identify strengths or gaps in their capabilities as teams and organisations to design job descriptions for recruitment. It is also used to support career conversations with individuals workers, by universities and other training providers to design and review curricular, and by individual workers to help them to recognise where their skill-sets fit within the wider public health endeavour – for them to define their development needs if they wish to increase their expertise and capability to protect and improve the health of populations and communities, and to support their career planning and progression.