Public Health Department

Since 2013, responsibility for improving the health of the local population - public health - has been a legal responsibility of the Council. It does this not only through dedicated services but also through the whole range of its policies and decisions. But the Council also receives a grant specifically to be used on public health and its improvement. Here you will find links to the main ways in which that grant is spent and also to other services that have a role in improving the wellbeing and health of the city.

Director of Public Health reports.

There is a statutory duty for Directors of Public Health (DPH) to produce an independent, annual report on the health of the local population. The report is a vehicle for informing local people about the health of their community, as well as providing necessary information for decision makers in local health services and authorities on health gaps and priorities that need to be addressed.

The latest report, written by Interim Director of Public Health, Dr Tony Hill, has a focus on the topics of healthy weight and the ‘commercial determinants of health’ (the private sector activities that affect people’s health), highlighting how the actions and behaviours of private sector organisations influence us and our health throughout our lives. Read the 2023 Newcastle DPH report here.

The 2022 report, written by Interim Director of Public Health, Lorna Smith, sets out the biggest opportunities to improve the health of Newcastle residents as they grow up and get older, focussing on the wider determinants of health, and taking action through local empowerment and leadership. Read the 2022 Newcastle DPH report