New Public Health role in Sunderland

Gerry Taylor joins Sunderland City Council from Luton Council where she was Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, a role which also incorporated being Director of Adult Social Services and integrated commissioning.

Her newly created role will see her leading a new directorate which brings together Public Health with the Integrated Commissioning of services across the City Council and Sunderland CCG for the first time, with the aim of developing a single plan for prevention and wellbeing for Sunderland. She will also lead the city's public health response to the Covid pandemic.

Welcoming the appointment, Councillor Graeme Miller, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said: "I'm delighted Gerry has agreed to join us in this key new role which will help drive forward improvements to the health and wellbeing of our 277,000 residents and reduce the health inequalities that continue to beset our communities. Good health is essential to Sunderland's transformation into a modern prosperous and globally recognised city where people can live healthier, longer, happy independent lives."

Cabinet Member for Healthy City, Councillor Dr Geoffrey Walker, added: "This is an incredibly challenging time for public health in our city and Gerry will be at forefront of our continued efforts to tackle the Covid pandemic working with Public Health England and partners across the city and the region. Bringing public health together with integrated commissioning will help us to work much more efficiently and effectively towards the commitment we set out in our ambitious City Plan to make Sunderland a healthy city."

Gerry will replace former Director of Public Health Gillian Gibson who has moved to Public Health England.

Sunderland City Council's Chief Executive, Patrick Melia, added: "Gerry brings a wealth of public health and commissioning experience to the role and we're very much looking forward to working with her. This new role is an important step forward in our plans to create healthier communities and help people live more independent lives at a time when the health and wellbeing of our people has never been more important."

Speaking about her new role, Gerry Taylor, said: "I am really pleased to be returning to my native north east to work as part of Sunderland's team to improve health and reduce inequalities, particularly at this vital time for public health in the city."

David Chandler, Deputy Chief Officer and Chief Finance Officer at NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), added: "We're very pleased to welcome Gerry to her new role in the city. It's more important than ever for our NHS and council to work closely together, and Gerry's newly created role will help us to build healthier communities across Sunderland."