Meet the Team

Director

Senior Management Team Member
0.6wte

Prof Brian Ferguson
tel : 01904 328219

Brian has been Director of the Yorkshire & Humber Public Health Observatory, based at the University of York, since January 2004 and was elected as Chair of the UK & Ireland Association of PHOs(APHO) in April 2006. He is a health economist by background, previously holding posts as Deputy Director of the Centre for Health Economics, University of York, and Professor of Health Economics in the University of Leeds. He was previously the Regional Specialist Adviser for the Faculty of Public Health in Yorkshire & Humber region and was a member of the National Public Health Career Scientist Award Panel for five years from its inception. Brian was also previously a non-executive director of Selby & York Primary Care Trust. He is a member of the English Department of Health's Scientific Reference Group on Health Inequalities, and is a partner in the Public Health Research Consortium that is led from the University of York. He is also a member of the Public Health Interventions Advisory Committee of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Brian has recently been accepted on to the UK Voluntary Register for Public Health Specialists

Deputy Director/Project Lead (Children)

Senior Management Team Member
1 wte

Jake Abbas
tel : 01904 328220

Jake's main roles are to lead the analytical team at the PHO, with key areas of responsibility including health inequalities, LAA support and social marketing, and to project manage YHPHO’s national lead role for child health on behalf of APHO. Jake is also currently Chair of the Association of PHOs Technical Group, which brings together lead information specialists from each of the twelve PHOs in Great Britain and Ireland, to share and develop best practice and to deliver a nationally agreed work programme.

Medical Director

Senior Management Team Member
0.4 wte

Colin Pollock
tel : 01904 328223

Dr Colin Pollock has been Deputy Regional Director of Public Health in Yorkshire & Humber since September 2002. Previous to this he was Medical Director & Director of Public Health for Wakefield Health Authority and then Eastern Wakefield PCT. Before entering public health in 1989 he was a full time GP in Otley, West Yorks.

His professional interests lie in screening programmes, health intelligence, health protection and clinical governance (particularly professional performance problems). He works as Medical Director of both the Yorkshire & Humber Public Health Observatory and the Northern and Yorkshire Cancer Registry and Information Service. He is Vice-Chair of the National Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Steering Group. He also works one day per week as a GP in Selby, North Yorkshire.

Deputy Regional Director of Public Health
Medical Director, Yorkshire & Humber Public Health Observatory (YHPHO)
Medical Director, Northern & Yorkshire Cancer Registry and Information Service (NYCRIS)

Knowledge Manager/Health Economics Lead

Senior Management Team Member
0.8 wte

Sue Baughan
tel : 01904 328226

Sue's main roles are to develop knowledge management within the PHO and wider public health community in Yorkshire and Humber and to provide the strategic direction and project management of the PHO's lead area for health economics. Sue is a health economist by background.

Assistant Director/Project Lead (Diabetes)

Senior Management Team Member
0.8 wte

Lorraine Oldridge
tel : 01904 328221

The main focus of Lorraine’s role is the operational management of the PHO and developing strong links with partner agencies. Lorraine will also project manage YHPHO’s lead role for diabetes on behalf of the APHO.

Co-ordinator

Jane Shepherd and Lynda Pease
tel : 01904 328228

Jane Shepherd and Lynda Pease act as co-ordinator, responsible for developing and managing the administration and communications support functions of the Observatory as well as acting as Personal Assistant to the Director. They are also able to help with diary management and financial and HR issues relating to the Observatory.

Health Impact Assessment Manager

1 wte

Public Health Information Specialist

0.8 wte

Ceri Wyborn
tel : 01904 328227

Ceri is lead analyst at YHPHO for the following areas - Dental Health, Work and Health, Fuel Poverty, Rural Health and Sexual Health.

Public Health Information Specialist (HES)

1 wte

James Nelson–Smith
tel :01904 328226

James is responsible for establishing and running a HES Safe Haven Service for the PHO. The service will be available to PCT's and other key health service professionals.

Website Developer

1 wte

Paul Wilkinson
tel : 01904 328222

Paul is responsible for the YHPHO's web presence and for issues including web interoperability with Other PHOs

Public Health Information Analyst

1 wte

Simon Orange
tel : 01904 328225

Simon's role involves the general analysis, interpretation and presentation of data. He is currently working on the First Class Quality of Life section of the next revision of Yorkshire Futures' Progress in the Region report, as well as being involved in other performance reports and analysis. Simon previously worked for Wakefield West PCT.

Public Health Information Specialist

1 wte

Anne Cunningham
tel : 01904 328224

Anne joins the YHPHO from Tameside Council. Her areas of work include Community Health Profiles, and providing advice and support on the health-related aspects of Local Area Agreements.

Public Health Information Specialist

0.4 wte

Margaret Wilkinson
tel : 01904 328231

Margarets post is a joint appointment with North Yorkshire and York PCT. She spends two days a week at the PHO working as lead analyst on lifestyle and primary care data.

Public Health Information Analyst

1 wte

Naomi Holman
tel : 01904 328223

The main focus of Naomi's role is to provide analytical support on diabetes (YHPHO is the national lead PHO for diabetes).