Linda Edward, Senior Public Health Commissioner for Children and Young People, Haringey Council

Linda Edward’s public health journey is rooted in frontline healthcare. As a qualified adult nurse, midwife and health visitor, she developed a deep understanding of the factors influencing health outcomes and became increasingly passionate about prevention, early intervention and reducing health inequalities. Her experience as a health visitor was particularly formative, reinforcing the importance of structured public health approaches that help give children and young people the best possible start in life.

Linda describes her health visiting training as the experience that truly set her on the path to public health. Working directly with families and communities, alongside colleagues committed to advocacy and health improvement, showed her the power of public health action at both individual and population levels.

Despite her accomplished career, Linda reveals that she nearly left nursing after her first year of training, a reminder that career paths are rarely straightforward. Today, she finds motivation in planning and developing services, collaborating across agencies and designing interventions that improve outcomes for children and families.

She is particularly proud of being part of the team that strengthened and maintained health visiting reach year after year. Her current focus is transforming school nursing services to better align with the changing needs of school-age children and local public health priorities. Linda believes public health professionals must continually adapt services to changing population needs, ensuring the right support is delivered at the right time and in the right place.