Newcastle and Gateshead councils have entered into a new year-long agreement, effective from April 2024, to share a Director of Public Health, Alice Wiseman, who is currently the Director of Public Health for Gateshead Council. Alice will be splitting her time between the two councils, covering the statutory role for both local authorities and giving both councils the opportunity to assess the suitability of making it a permanent arrangement in the long term. The public health teams at both councils will continue to serve their respective local authority areas separately, but both will report to the same director.
This joint approach will further improve the strength of partnership between the two councils and is expected to lead to more effective collaboration with other key partners. Councillor Karen Kilgour, Deputy Leader of Newcastle City Council and Cabinet Member for a Healthy, Caring City, welcomes Alice in her new role, delivering healthier communities in Newcastle and tackling the health inequalities that exist among parts of the city’s population.
Acknowledging that this is a new approach to filling an important position, the councils will work closely with wider stakeholders to assess the longer-term possibilities of this agreement. The arrangement is expected to lead to wider benefits with both public health teams working more closely together for the benefit of residents in both Gateshead and Newcastle.
Alice said that having grown up in the area, she knows that the communities of Gateshead and Newcastle are closely connected and face many of the same public health challenges. There are lots of opportunities to align their work and share learning for the benefit of both areas. The Director of Public Health is expected to build on the councils’ existing partnership and make a bigger positive impact on the health and wellbeing of local communities.
This content shows how two councils have come together to work towards a common goal, improving public health. The joint approach is expected to lead to more effective collaboration between councils and provide wider benefits by having public health teams work more closely together. Despite the new arrangement, both councils will continue to serve their areas separately.
Newcastle and Gateshead councils have entered into a new year-long agreement, effective from April 2024, to share a Director of Public Health, Alice Wiseman, who is currently the Director of Public Health for Gateshead Council. Alice will be splitting her time between the two councils, covering the statutory role for both local authorities and giving both councils the opportunity to assess the suitability of making it a permanent arrangement in the long term. The public health teams at both councils will continue to serve their respective local authority areas separately, but both will report to the same director.
This joint approach will further improve the strength of partnership between the two councils and is expected to lead to more effective collaboration with other key partners. Councillor Karen Kilgour, Deputy Leader of Newcastle City Council and Cabinet Member for a Healthy, Caring City, welcomes Alice in her new role, delivering healthier communities in Newcastle and tackling the health inequalities that exist among parts of the city’s population.
Acknowledging that this is a new approach to filling an important position, the councils will work closely with wider stakeholders to assess the longer-term possibilities of this agreement. The arrangement is expected to lead to wider benefits with both public health teams working more closely together for the benefit of residents in both Gateshead and Newcastle.
Alice said that having grown up in the area, she knows that the communities of Gateshead and Newcastle are closely connected and face many of the same public health challenges. There are lots of opportunities to align their work and share learning for the benefit of both areas. The Director of Public Health is expected to build on the councils’ existing partnership and make a bigger positive impact on the health and wellbeing of local communities.
This content shows how two councils have come together to work towards a common goal, improving public health. The joint approach is expected to lead to more effective collaboration between councils and provide wider benefits by having public health teams work more closely together. Despite the new arrangement, both councils will continue to serve their areas separately.