We want York to be a healthier and fairer city where everyone can start life well, age well and live well.
Whether they live here, work, study, or are just visiting, we work closely across the council, NHS, charities, community groups and people living in York to make our city the healthiest place it can be.
The Public Health Team leads a range of essential services in York, including sexual health and public health nursing for children and young people. Alongside these services, we apply our expertise to influence a broad range of decisions that shape people’s health in York. This includes helping to design policies and services that strengthen the building blocks of good health, such as housing, education and employment, and reduce the harm from things that negatively impact our health such as tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food.
We also have a role to protect people from the dangers of disease outbreaks to environmental threats, and plan how to handle them.
The work of the Public Health Team is driven by the Council Plan and the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for York, which is informed by the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.
Take a look through the Public Health Annual Reports.
The three main areas we cover
- health improvement: looking at how things like inequality, jobs, housing, education, and unhealthy commodities (for example, tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food) affect people’s health
- healthcare: ensuring health services are designed and delivered so that everyone, (regardless of their background, needs or circumstances) can access high-quality care, have a positive experience, and achieve the best possible outcomes
- health protection: helping to protect people’s health by preventing and responding to risks like infectious diseases, poor air quality, climate change and emergencies such as flooding. We act early where we can, respond swiftly when needed, and support those most affected
Our main jobs
- checking how big projects or local decisions might impact health
- running services like Stop Smoking, Health Checks, substance misuse, and sexual health clinics
- helping with school nursing and health visits for children, as part of the Healthy Child Programme
- overseeing screening screening programmes (such as for breast, colon and cervical cancer; and child development testing) and immunisation programmes (for children, adolescents and adults)
- supporting the Health and Wellbeing Board
- responding to outbreaks of infectious disease
- encouraging people to be more active, whatever their age or ability
- partnering with charities, the NHS, and other health organisation
Also see
- Health and wellbeing
- Health Trainers
- Children's social care
- Adult social care
- Domestic abuse
- Advertising and sponsorship policy