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Chief Medical Officer

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Dr Tony Jewell, Chief Medical Officer

Public Health and Health Professions

Dr Tony Jewell (Chief Medical Officer) is Director of the Department for Public Health and Health Professions.

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) provides independent professional advice and guidance to the First Minister and other Welsh Government ministers, and to officials in the Welsh Government on health and healthcare matters.

The CMO:

  • Leads public health policy and programmes, working across all Welsh Government policy departments and with a wide range of external partners, with the aim of improving health and reducing health inequalities; 
  • Leads the clinical contribution in Wales to improving the quality of healthcare and patient outcomes;
  • Leads the medical profession in Wales, having key roles in medical regulation, education and training, standards and performance; 
  • Maintains appropriate UK and international links, working with other UK Chief Medical Officers, government departments and organisations.

Dr Tony Jewell took up his appointment as Chief Medical Officer for Wales in April 2006.

Dr Jewell was previously Clinical Director and Director of Public Health in the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority. He was a family doctor ('general practitioner' or GP) in inner London for 10 years before training in public health in East Anglia.

He has worked in the Department of Health and is past President of the UK Association of Directors of Public Health.