About public health

The Department of Public Health is led by Director Anita Parkin and its role is to improve the health of local residents, prevent risks to public health and reduce health inequalities to help people live longer, healthier lives.

The public health functions include:

• Most sexual health services
• Drug and alcohol misuse services
• Stop smoking services
• Health checks
• Local programmes to promote physical activity, healthy eating and weight management
• The Healthy Child programme for school age children, including school nurses
• Local projects to prevent accidental injury
• Local projects to reduce deaths related to the seasons e.g. cold-related deaths in winter
• Some screening services
• Infant mortality

Public health staff also commission services from a range of providers, including other parts of the NHS and the VCS (voluntary and community sector).

The transfer of public health was determined by government under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 as part of a national programme for health reorganisation.

The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for Bradford and Airedale identifies the health and wellbeing needs of the local population and aims to support the development of services which reduce inequalities.