Paul Cosford is the Director for Health Protection and Medical Director for Public Health England, responsible for the national delivery of services to prevent and control infectious diseases and environmental hazards, and for public health emergency preparedness and response.

Paul has led the national and local delivery of health protection services within the Health Protection Agency since September 2010, and acted as Chief Executive of the Agency from October 2012 to February 2013. Previously he was the Regional Director of Public Health for the East of England leading strategies for health inequalities and health improvement (including tobacco and obesity control), the health system’s response to pandemic flu, and the reduction of healthcare associated infections.

Paul co-authored a report for a previous Secretary of State for Health on delivery of public health outcomes and chaired the Department of Health’s Coalition for Better Health obesity workgroup. He is an experienced clinical leader, publishing on clinical leadership and management, quality, sustainability, inequalities and lifestyle risk factors. He is particularly interested in the characteristics and importance of high quality clinical and health protection teams.

Health, Healthcare, Healthcare Policy, Infectious Disease, Public Policy, Researcher, Global Issues, Vaccines, Epidemics & Pandemics, Medicine, Science, Innovation, Public Health