Dr Ruth Hussey CB, OBE, DL - Deputy Chair

Ruth retired as Chief Medical Officer for Wales in 2016.  In that time, she supported policy on:

• public health
• quality and safety
• primary care
• research and development
• health strategy with a focus on prudent health care

Born and brought up in north Wales, her career developed in England, initially training as a GP.  She worked in academia, as Director of Public Health in Liverpool and then in strategic posts in north west England for the NHS and Department of Health.  Prior to joining the Welsh Government, she was part of the Public Health Transition Team in the Department of Health, Whitehall.

Ruth  Chaired a Parliamentary Review of Health and Social Care in Wales and was a Commissioner on the Lancet/LSE Commission on ‘The Future of the NHS.’

She has been FSA Deputy Chair since 1 July 2020 and was appointed as Interim Chair from 1

February to 30 June 2021.  She is also Chair of the NIHR, School of Public Health Research Advisory Board.  Ruth is a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health and honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.  She is an Honorary Professor at the University of Liverpool and has awards from other Universities in England and Wales.  She became a Governor of the Health Foundation in Feb 2018 and is a member of the Wales Centre for Public Policy Advisory Group.  Ruth is Chair of the Advisory Board for the Care Inspectorate for Wales and a Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside.

An interest in tackling health inequalities and involving communities in their health and well-being has underpinned her work.

Personal Interests

• Public Health professional on the GMC register.
• Aunt and cousins are farmers in north Wales.

Consultancies and/or direct employment

• Lecturing and professional advisory services - ad hoc activities.

Unpaid Roles:

• Chair, Advisory Board, NIHR, School of Public Health Research
• Advisory Group member, Wales Centre for Public Policy
• Member, Programme Advisory Group, UK Centre for research evidence in Social Care
• (ESRC and Health Foundation)
• Member, Scientific Advisory Group, ARC NENC, Newcastle
• Chair, NIHR Research study steering group – Accounting for unmet need in equitable resource allocation.
• Chair, Bristol and Cardiff PHIRST Independent Advisory Board
• Member, Value in Health Advisory Group, NHS Wales
• Chair, Advisory Board, Care Inspectorate Wales
• Member, UK Food Safety Research Network, External Advisory Board from April 2022
• Member, Independent Commission on UK Public Health Emergency powers.

Fee-paid work:

• None at present - Undertook Covid 19 related work for MHCLG in 2020 and project in NI.

Shareholdings:

• Unit Trusts only

Clubs and other organisations:

• Liverpool College Foundation - Member
• Ramblers Cymru - Member
• Member, RHS
• Member, National Trust
• Harthill Allotment society
• Informal collaboration with public health professionals (Harnessing Health network)
• Member, BMA
• Member, The Athenaeum

Other personal interests:

• None

Non-personal interests

• None

Fellowships

• Honorary Academic positions with a number of Universities (Manchester Metropolitan, Liverpool John Moore’s, Liverpool, Swansea and Bangor)
• Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, and Faculty of Public Health
• Honorary Druid Order of the Gorsedd, Wales (Blue Robe for service to the nation)

Indirect support

• None

Trusteeships

• Governor, The Health Foundation
• Trustee, The Reader Organisation

Land and property

• Aunt and cousins are farmers in north Wales.
• Owns home in Liverpool.

Other public appointments

• Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside.
• High Sheriff for Merseyside 23-24

Other non-personal interests

• None