Bury Council appoints new director of health

Incoming chief Jon Hobday will play a key role in campaigns to improve the health and wellbeing of residents, from vaccinations to smoking cessation and getting people moving more.

He has worked for the council since 2015 as a consultant in public health leading on all elements of health improvement including physical activity, drugs and alcohol, food and suicide prevention, as well as the wider factors which determine health outcomes.

During the pandemic he took a lead role working with communities around reducing inequalities in cases and vaccination uptake.

More recently he has been the lead on measures to tackle poverty and the cost of living crisis.

Jon takes over the role from Lesley Jones, who is retiring at the end of the year after nine years in the job.

Lesley Jones (Image: Bury Council)

Originally from Dudley in the West Midlands, Jon, aged 41, has lived in Prestwich for the last 12 years with his wife and three young sons.

He graduated with a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science before completing a Masters in Public Health at Warwick University in 2008.

His career began in at Wolverhampton Council in the community development team, then at Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust in various roles leading on self-care, physical activity and oral health.

Moving to Bury in 2010, he completed five years of specialty public health training in Greater Manchester which included placements in Manchester, Oldham, Salford and Bolton.

Areas of work included prison health, CVD prevention, mental health, falls prevention and child health.

He also did a clinical leadership fellowship at the Countess of Chester Hospital and was acting consultant at Bolton Council leading on complex lives and liver disease.

Jon said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to this post.

"Bury is a fantastic place to work and live in and I am confident, through working with partners, we will be able to make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of Bury residents.

“I am passionate about reducing inequalities and ensuring our residents have got the best possible opportunity to achieve good health.

"Through working with our communities, using local strength-based approaches, I believe we can make a real difference to the lives of our residents.”

Cllr Tamoor Tariq, cabinet member for adult care, health and wellbeing at the council, said: “Jon brings a wealth of experience to the role, which is critical to our work supporting the health of Bury residents.

“Covid-19 has not gone away and flu is always a threat, even more so this year with new strains around.

"Protecting us from disease is only part of the job, which also involves encouraging us to live a healthier lifestyle.”

Last year, Mrs Jones was given a special award in recognition of her work to tackle the impact of Covid-19 in the borough.

Cllr Tariq added: “I’d like to thank Lesley Jones for her exceptional public health leadership in Bury.

"During the pandemic she led a response of the highest quality, particularly around vaccination and testing, and I wish her all the very best for the future.

“Jon was a first-class candidate for the director of public health job, and I know he will bring new ideas to our public health agenda, while building on the exceptional work of Lesley Jones, who really stepped up during the pandemic.”