First Director of Nursing for public health announced

The top nursing post for public health, which will provide leadership to the workforce and help the public to live healthy lives, was announced today by Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley.

Professor Viv Bennett has been appointed as Director of Nursing in the Department of Health and the Government’s Principal Advisor on Public Health Nursing. She was previously the Deputy Chief Nursing Officer.

This new post will complement the role of Chief Nursing Officer in the NHS Commissioning Board, which will be recruited later in the new year. Together these posts will enhance the role of nursing leadership and replace the current role of Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) in the Department of Health.

The Director of Nursing will be accountable to the Director-General of Public Health within the Department, and work closely with ministers and the Permanent Secretary, to ensure public health nursing is central to government policy.

Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, said:

“Good nursing care is a central pillar of public health and strong nursing leadership must be at the heart of this.

“As an experienced health visitor, Viv will bring her knowledge of public health nursing and her wider experience from the NHS, local and national government to the role. In her current role she has already demonstrated strong clinical leadership of the national health visiting and school nursing programmes.”