The role of the Director of Public Health
Local authorities have, since 1 April 2013, been responsible for improving the health of their local population. Health and Social Care Act 2012. Section 12 of the 2012 Act introduced a new duty for all upper-tier and unitary local authorities in England to take appropriate steps to improve the health of the people who live in their areas
A Briefing for Directors of Public Health 2017 describes the DPH role and provides information to support them.
The DPH should be a key local champion of air quality improvement, by informing and influencing their peers in local transport, planning, sustainability and other departments, and by getting the message out to the general public to ensure acceptance of air quality related measures and promote behaviour change where necessary.
The DPH is expected to play a key role in generating a deeper cultural shift in the approaches taken by Local Authorities to air quality reduction: from a passive regulatory stance to one of active stakeholder engagement.
The DPH is expected to;
Assess and prioritise
Engage senior decision makers
Lead and champion action
Scrutinise impact of actions
Inform and communicate
Introduction Health impacts What needs to be done Council obligations Legal framework Director of Public Health