How a student placement from Ulster University led to 25 years in port health in the East of England for long-serving Brenda

What started as a last-minute university placement swap turned into a career spanning more than 25 years for Suffolk Coastal Port Health Technical Lead, Brenda McRory.

During the third year of her Environmental Health degree at Ulster University in Belfast, Brenda was due to complete a practical placement locally. However, after swapping with another student, she instead travelled to Woodbridge to complete her placement with Suffolk Coastal District Council, now known as East Suffolk Council.

During this time, she trained and worked as a Port Health Officer (PHO) at Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority (SCPHA) which is part of the Council.

A Port Health Officer safeguards public, animal and environmental health by inspecting incoming and outgoing ships, aircraft and cargo at ports. They help prevent the importation of infectious diseases, ensure food safety for imported goods, check for pests and sanitation issues on vessels, and enforce environmental regulations that protect the UK.

The experience proved career-defining.

“I found the team really friendly and encouraging,” Brenda said. “I loved the placement and the job.”

After returning to Belfast to complete her degree, Brenda knew she wanted to be part of the Port Health team in Felixstowe. However, when she graduated there were no vacancies available at SCPHA.

Instead, she moved to Ipswich and secured a role with Ipswich Borough Council in the Environmental Services department, first in private sector housing and then in the food and safety team. She remained there for three years before an opportunity finally opened at SCPHA, where she joined the team permanently in 1998.

Today, as Technical Lead, Brenda’s role focuses on auditing, compliance and ensuring procedures remain aligned with current legislation and advice from central competent authorities in the UK. Her work includes reviewing inspection records, updating policies and supporting colleagues through regular team meetings, where staff can discuss changes and raise questions.

She also manages enquiries and carries out annual audits to maintain high operational standards.

Despite common assumptions, Port Health does not inspect every container of foodstuffs entering the port. Instead, inspections are guided by The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) risk assessments, which categorise goods as low, medium or high risk. Additional checks are carried out on products that have previously caused issues. This is based on local knowledge and risk assessment of the products imported through Felixstowe.

Alongside this, she oversees vessel inspections and water safety testing. This includes monitoring ships’ water systems and port water supply hydrants at both the Port of Felixstowe and the Port of Ipswich. Hydrant testing at Ipswich is delivered under contract with Ipswich Borough Council as part of Port Health services.

“Brenda is very highly respected in the Port Health world. She knows her stuff, and her dedication and commitment to the protection of non-animal origin goods has been truly remarkable,” said Richard Jacobs, Port Health Manager.

Growing up in Northern Ireland, Brenda recalls that many girls she knew planned careers in nursing or teaching. However, she decided early on to pursue something different.

At just 14 years old, she chose to focus on environmental health and food safety, much to the delight and encouragement of her head teacher.

Describing her early curiosity, Brenda jokes that she was “a bit nosy” and liked to understand what was happening behind the scenes, a mindset that would later become central to her career.

Brenda says people are often surprised by the level of detail required in her role. A strong understanding of policies and legislation is essential, as is the ability to work across multiple specialist areas including non-animal origin goods, plastics and vessel inspections.

“It’s about attention to detail and knowing when something isn’t quite right,” she said.

One of Brenda’s proudest achievements has been delivering training for new Authorised Officers on how to carry out checks on fishery products catch certification under Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing regulation.

Between 2022 and 2023, she delivered monthly online training sessions to Port Health Authorities across the UK, helping ensure consistent understanding and compliance across authorities.

More than two decades after arriving in Felixstowe as a placement student, Brenda remains committed to protecting food and water safety standards.

What began as an unexpected opportunity has become a long-standing career — driven by curiosity, attention to detail and a passion for understanding how things work behind the scenes.