On the state of public health in England

摘要

Since 1858, Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) in the UK have reported on the health of the public. This reflects their unique role; unlike their counterparts in many other countries, who often have much more limited responsibilities such as head of a public health department within a health ministry, the UK's CMO is an adviser to all of government with a remit that extends across all ministries.2 Consequently, previous CMO reports have covered issues that relate to agriculture, the environment, and law and order, among others. Moreover, unlike the situation in most other countries, the CMO is independent of government; previous incumbents have challenged the stated views of the government of the day to support measures that would later become official policy, for example, the ban on smoking in public places or minimum pricing of alcohol. The 2011 Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer (by convention the report is titled referring to the previous year) continues this tradition. However, it does so in a very different context from that which has pertained during the past three decades.