Mary Orhewere on being an Assistant Director of Public Health

In this month’s member blog, we hear from Mary Orhewere, Assistant DPH for Birmingham City Council about her journey into public health and being an ADPH Associate Member.

Public Health is a gift that keeps giving.  On any day I can start work with housing colleagues in my local authority to address concerns about cots for infants in temporary housing, be quizzed by Scrutiny on oral health work, do a media interview in response to a measles outbreak, consider National Institute for Health & Care Research proposals, then round off with the privilege of conducting a Faculty of Public Health professional appraisal.  The range and reach of public health practice is a joy.

My professional journey reflects a richly diverse body of opportunities and impacts, big and small, urban and rural, in hospitals and in communities.  From rural midwifery services to nationally adopted research for GPs, from urban dental service redesign to delivering a 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham safe for athletes, visitors and residents.  The consistent theme has been affordable and sustainable improvements/outcomes in health and wellbeing.

Currently I’m an Assistant Director of Public Health in Birmingham, and a public health specialist with broad interests, particularly the use of well-crafted policy to impact lives.

After qualifying as a medical doctor, I worked as a hospital-based junior doctor, then as an NHS General Manager overseeing hospital services, before embarking on Public Health Specialty Training which I successfully completed to become a Consultant.

Now, I have fewer one-to-one patient interactions and do mostly population-level interventions through guidance, policy and the commissioning of services.  These varied roles provide useful perspectives, knowledge and expertise, all of which I bring to bear in my public health practice. As an active Associate Member of ADPH, I look forward to their weekly briefing for updates and I’m involved in a number of ADPH’s policy advisory groups.  I’ve also represented ADPH in national policy development to ensure that the reality of public health practice is considered in decisions that could otherwise be impractical to implement.

During the pandemic I decided to volunteer to become a Representative for Associate Members at the ADPH Council, and it was an honour to be chosen by my peers.

There are several Council meetings a year, all short and fast paced – it’s amazing how much can be accomplished in an hour!  Council reps from regions of the four UK nations discuss relevant topics collectively, distil the issues and the strategies for influence.  A strength of ADPH Council is the diversity of its membership (personalities, styles, etc) and the places we represent.

Associate Member Representatives also get involved in organising the Annual Associate Member Workshop with great speakers and topics to energise, motivate and reflect on.  The intention is to encourage all, including those who may wish to become a Director of Public Health in the future, and we are very grateful to all who generously give their time and suggestions, and to ADPH staff.

Across the UK, every place is unique yet has something in common.  There’s much to do and far to go.  Doing it together is simply working smart.