North Yorkshire Council

Scrutiny Of Health Committee

9 March 2026

Director of Public Health Annual Report 2024-2025

Report of the Director of Public Health

1.0       PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1 The purpose of this report is to introduce the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2024-2025: ‘Working together for North Yorkshire’.

2.0       BACKGROUND

2.1       The Director of Public Health Annual Report is an independent report on the health of the local population. The Director of Public Health has a duty to write an annual report, whereas the local authority’s duty is to publish it[1].

3.0       ISSUES

3.1       The Director of Public Health Annual Report for 2024-2025 focuses on the power of partnership working to improve the health of the population of North Yorkshire and reduce health inequalities. 

3.2       The report explores the benefits of Local Government Reorganisation to simplify cross-functional working, the role of wider partnership working, and the synergy achieved through collaboration and shared objectives.

3.3       The report begins with an overview of North Yorkshire and the role of Public Health, including the peer review undertaken earlier this year, and then focuses on partnership working and the difference it makes in four main chapters:

1. Working with other council teams and functions

2. Working with wider system partnerships

3. Working with community partnerships and people

4. Working through the innovative use of public health funding

3.4       Each chapter is shaped around examples of collaboration from Public Health colleagues and other teams, with personal reflections and practice examples to help tell the story.

3.5       The report provides recommendations for Public Health and the wider system, and an update on the recommendations from the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2023-2024: ‘Live, Age, Engage: healthy ageing in North Yorkshire’.

4.0       FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

4.1       There are no financial implications.

5.0       LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

5.1       The local authority has a legal duty to publish the Director of Public Health Annual Report, as outlined in paragraph 2.1, ‘Purpose of report’.

6.0       CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS

6.1       There are no climate change implications.

7.0       EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

7.1       There are no equalities implications.

8.0       REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

8.1       The following recommendations are made on the basis that the report provides a valuable overview of the benefits of partnership working to reduce health inequalities for the population of North Yorkshire.

10.0     RECOMMENDATIONS

10.1     That the Committee notes the content of the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2024-2025.

10.2     That the Committee considers the recommendations made within the report and how these relate to the whole local authority.

Louise Wallace

Director of Public Health

County Hall

NORTHALLERTON

23 February 2026

APPENDIX: Director of Public Health Annual Report 2024-2025 ‘Working together for North Yorkshire’: Director of Public Health annual report 2024 to 2025 | North Yorkshire Council

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[1] Section 73B(5) & (6) of the National Health Services Act 2006, inserted by section 31 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012