Welcome from Gill O’Neill
Hi, I am Gill O’Neill, your Director of Public Health in Northumberland.
Welcome to the Public Health service.
Public health is about helping people to stay healthy and avoid getting ill, as well as reducing health inequalities to help people live longer, healthier lives.
In Northumberland we are taking a fresh approach to improving health outcomes in our population and are working hard to reduce avoidable health inequalities.
Along with key partners we have developed the Inequalities Plan which aims to establish key goals that can be delivered at scale over the coming years to level off and start to reduce the gap in healthy life expectancy.
By working collaboratively with key stakeholders and our communities, we will be able to help people live long, healthier and happier lives.
Public health also works to achieve the following:
- Health protection: The team’s projects include assurance around immunisations and screening, sexual health and contraception, children’s public health and health emergency planning.
- Population health: specialist research and intelligence, which includes health needs assessments (HNA), joint strategic needs assessment, health impact assessment (HIA), service reviews, healthcare public health advice and evidence-based briefings.
Public health works closely with national organisations such as NHS England and UK Health Security Agency (Formally known as Public Health England).