By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
Nottinghamshire County Council is recruiting for a new deputy public health leader at a cost of £130,000 a year.
A new Deputy Director of Public Health for Nottinghamshire is needed to “strengthen the resilience of the public health team” following the pandemic.
The full-time post will cost £130,940 per year, inclusive of on-costs, and will be funded from the Public Health Grant – of which Nottinghamshire County Council received over £41m for 2020-21.
The new role will deputise for Jonathan Gribbin, the current Director of Public Health for Nottinghamshire.
Councillors debated the new role during the Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee on September 20.
A report stated that the deputy would “lead senior teams within the Council and across the health and care system with the overall aim of promoting evidence-based commissioning which results in improvements in population health and reduces inequalities”.
Councillor Boyd Elliott (Cons) chair of the meeting, said: “In order to strengthen the resilience of the public health team in delivering against our duty to protect the health of the county’s residents, we are proposing to establish a deputy director of Public Health role.
“Aside from health protection, the role will improve outcomes on other public health agendas, working alongside senior officers in Nottinghamshire County Council, our Integrated Care System partners and our commissioned
services.
“The cost of the role can be contained within the public health grant and therefore represents no additional burden to the council’s medium term financial strategy.”
Councillor David Martin (Ashfield Ind) said: “I would like to lay on record my thanks and gratitude from the residents of Ashfield and the county for the fact that we had Jonathan Gribbin as Director of Public Health during the past 18 months. He has done an absolutely excellent job.”
Councillor Stephen Carr (Lib Dem) echoed the positive comments about Mr Gribbin but added: “If this position is going to provide even more of that direct approach, I will support it.
“But I will be watching it because we could have several staff for £130,000 rather than just one person.”
