Duncan Selbie
Duncan Selbie (dob 1962-3)[1] is a British government official who served as Chief Executive of Public Health England from 2013 to 2020.[2][3] Most of his functions as Chief Executive of PHE have been transferred to the Acting Chair of National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP), Dido Harding; the remaining functions have been transferred to Michael Brodie at PHE until the agency is dissolved in its entirety.[2] He did not claim to have deep public health experience, but did have wide experience within the NHS.[4]
Previously from 2007 to 2012 he was Chief Executive of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust and earlier South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.[5] He joined the NHS in 1980, as a teenager.[6]
Views
Selbie is an advocate of local government’s role in improving the public’s health saying that local experts are best placed to identify where their most vulnerable people are.[7]
He is also reported to believe that health policy should not be viewed in a silo because economic, educational, and social factors are key to improving health inequalities.[8] He said “Good health is about having a good place to live, with a decent home, a job and friends.” [9]
He regards health as being “inextricably linked to work” and is reported to have said “People in work generally have better health”.[10]
As part of a drive to make hospitals healthier, Selbie has called for a 'tobacco-free' NHS, with a blanket ban on smoking on their grounds.[11]
PHE initiatives
Public Health England recommended a range of measures to solve the problem of childhood obesity. In March 2016 when former Chancellor George Osborne announced a tax on sugary drinks Selbie said “A sugary drinks levy is fabulous news for children and families in helping them to cut back on sugar. This will reduce the risks of obesity, tooth decay and other life-threatening diseases.” [12]
Influence
In December 2013 the Health Service Journal rated Selbie as the 33rd most powerful person in the English NHS.[13]
Pay
As of 2015, Selbie was paid a salary of between £185,000 and £189,999 by the department, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.[14]
References
- ^ "Duncan Selbie interview: "We've doubled healthcare spending in the past 20 years, yet the health gap has not closed" | Civil Service World".
- ^ a b "Government creates new National Institute for Health Protection". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
- ^ "NHS England » Duncan Selbie".
- ^ Das, Pamela (2013). "Duncan Selbie: The new face of public health in England". The Lancet. 381 (9873): 1175. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60787-4. PMID 23561989.
- ^ "Duncan Selbie - GOV.UK".
- ^ "Duncan Selbie interview: "We've doubled healthcare spending in the past 20 years, yet the health gap has not closed" | Civil Service World".
- ^ "Duncan Selbie interview: "We've doubled healthcare spending in the past 20 years, yet the health gap has not closed" | Civil Service World".
- ^ "Duncan Selbie interview: "We've doubled healthcare spending in the past 20 years, yet the health gap has not closed" | Civil Service World".
- ^ "First magazine".
- ^ Editor, Rowena Mason Deputy Political (2016-10-31). "Sitting at home on sickness benefits is bad for health, says Green". The Guardian.
{{cite news}}:|last1=has generic name (help) - ^ "Campaign to make NHS 'tobacco free'". BBC News. 2017-02-26.
- ^ Campbell, Denis; Smithers, Rebecca; Butler, Sarah (2016-03-17). "Sugar tax: Osborne's two-tier levy brings mixed response". The Guardian.
- ^ "HSJ100 2013 The annual list of the most influential people in health". Health Service Journal. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ "Senior officials 'high earners' salaries as at 30 September 2015 - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. 2015-12-17. Retrieved 2016-03-13.