Director of Public Health moving on to pastures new

10 January 2022

Lucy Wightman, Director of Public Health for North and West Northamptonshire, has announced that she had been offered and accepted a new role as Director of Public Health at Essex County Council.

“I’ve worked closely with Lucy, particularly over the past few years as we’ve battled COVID, and she has done an exemplary job in that time.
 
“I’d like to wish Lucy all the best for the future, I’m sure she will help Essex County Council take its public health services to the next level, and they’re lucky to be getting her.”Cllr Jonathan Nunn, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council

Lucy will remain with us until the end of this financial year and, at our Cabinet meeting on 7 December, members agreed for us to begin making arrangements to split public health services in the county and appoint our own Director of Public Health. We are already in the process of seeking interim arrangements, so are well placed to cover Lucy’s departure.

“In my six and a half years working in Northamptonshire, I’ve had amazing support from staff in public health, and many colleagues across the health and care system and wider public services. I would like to thank them for their diligence and professionalism, particularly during the past two years and the extreme difficulties presented by the pandemic.
 
“I will miss them all but I’m looking forward to a new challenge. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone the best of luck for the future.”Lucy Wightman

Part of our interim’s remit will be to work on the separation of services as we make the split from joint arrangements with colleagues in North Northamptonshire. We have plans to progress a number of projects across Adult Social Care, Children’s Services, Housing, Leisure and Public Health to ensure an ongoing, joined-up approach to wider wellbeing for the future. We also want to build on the good work Lucy has done with health in looking at population health and how we all work to a set of common outcomes for all our residents to start well, stay well and age well.