In the United Kingdom, a chief medical officer (CMO) is the most senior government advisor on matter relating to health. There are four chief medical officers in the United Kingdom who are appointed to advise their respective governments: *

His Majesty's Government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

(CMO for England and medical advisor to the United Kingdom government) *

Scottish Government The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in ...

Welsh Government The Welsh Government ( ) is the Executive (government), executive arm of the Welsh devolution, devolved government of Wales. The government consists of Cabinet secretary, cabinet secretaries and Minister of State, ministers. It is led by the F ...

Northern Ireland Executive The Northern Ireland Executive (Irish language, Irish: ''Feidhmeannas Thuaisceart Éireann'', Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster Scots: ''Norlin Airlan Executive'') is the devolution, devolved government of Northern Ireland, an administrative branc ...

Each CMO is assisted by one or more deputy chief medical officers, and complemented by a

chief nursing officer Nursing management consists of the performance of the leadership functions of governance and decision-making within organizations employing nurses. It includes processes common to all management like planning, organizing, staffing, directing an ...

. The chief medical officer is a qualified

medical doctor A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis ...

whose medical speciality traditionally was

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

medicine, and whose work focused on the health of communities rather than health of individuals. More recently, some appointees have been senior clinicians without training in public health medicine. In the UK, the CMO is one of the chief professional officers who advise the government in their respective health and social care disciplines. The CMO has independent statutory authority, first established in the 19th century, to issue reports without requiring government approval.

Chief Medical Officers for England

The historic post was created in Victorian times to help to prevent

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

and other epidemics. In 1969, the post of Chief Medical Officer for Wales was created, and prior to this both England and Wales were covered by the post of Chief Medical Officer of England and Wales. *

Sir John Simon John Allsebrook Simon, 1st Viscount Simon, (28 February 1873 – 11 January 1954) was a British politician who held senior Cabinet posts from the beginning of the First World War to the end of the Second World War. He is one of three people to ...

(1855–1876) *

Edward Cator Seaton Edward Cator Seaton (1815 – 21 January 1880) was an English doctor who became the second Chief Medical Officer of the United Kingdom.

(1876–1879) * Sir George Buchanan (1879–1892) * Sir Richard Thorne Thorne (1892–1899) * Sir William Henry Power (1900–1908) * Sir Arthur Newsholme (1908–1919) * Sir George Newman (1919–1935) * Sir Arthur MacNalty (1935–1940) * Sir Wilson Jameson (1940–1950) * Sir John Charles (1950–1960) *

Sir George Godber Sir George Edward Godber (4 August 1908 – 7 February 2009) was an English General practitioner, who served as Chief Medical Officer (United Kingdom), Chief Medical Officer for the Government of the United Kingdom from 1960 to 1973. He was al ...

(1960–1973) * Sir Henry Yellowlees (1973–1984) * Sir Donald Acheson (1984–1991) * Sir Kenneth Calman (1991–1998) * Sir Liam Donaldson (1998–May 2010) *

Dame Sally Davies Dame Sally Claire Davies (born 24 November 1949) is a British physician. She was the Chief Medical Officer from 2010 to 2019 and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health from 2004 to 2016. She worked as a clinician specialising in ...

(June 2010–September 2019) * Sir Chris Whitty (October 2019–present)

Deputies

* John Reid (1972 to 1977) *

Liz Shore Elizabeth Catherine "Liz" Shore, Lady Shore of Stepney, (née Wrong; 19 August 1927 – 20 February 2022) was a British general practitioner and civil servant who served as the Deputy Chief Medical Officer of the United Kingdom from 1977 to 1985 ...

(1977 to 1985) * Michael Abrams (1985 to 1992) * David Walker (2013 to 2015) * John Watson (2013 to 2017) *

Gina Radford Georgina Margaret Radford (born 25 April 1955) is a British priest in the Church of England and a former public health physician. Since June 2019, she has been team vicar in the Dart and Avon Mission Community in South Brent, Devon, in the Dioc ...

(2015 to 2019) *

Jenny Harries Dame Jennifer Margaret Harries is a British public health physician who has been the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and head of NHS Test and Trace since May 2021. She was previously a regional director at Public Healt ...

(July 2019 – March 2021) * Sir Jonathan Van-Tam (October 2017 – March 2022) * Aidan Fowler (March 2020 – present) * Thomas Waite ''interim'' (May 2021 – April 2022) * Jeanelle de Gruchy (September 2021 – present) * Thomas Waite (April 2022 – present)

Chief Medical Officers for Scotland

Through various reorganisations, the CMOs for Scotland has been the chief medical officer in the

Local Government Board for Scotland Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...

, Scottish Board of Health, Department of Health for Scotland, the Scottish Home and Health Department, the Scottish Executive Health Department and now the

: * J. B. McLintock (1894–1898) * James Burn Russell (1898–1904) * Sir Leslie Mackenzie (1904–1929) * J. P. Kinloch (1929–1932) * J. L. Brownlie (1932–1937) * J. M. Mackintosh (1937–1941) * Sir Andrew Davidson (1941–1954) * Sir Kenneth Cowan (1954–1964) * Sir John Brotherston (1964–1977) * Sir John Reid (1977–1985) * Iain Macdonald (1985–1989) * Sir Kenneth Calman (1989–1991) * Robert Kendell (1991–1996) * Sir David Carter (1996–2000) * Ernest Macalpine ("Mac") Armstrong (2000–2005) *

Sir Harry Burns Sir Henry Burns (born 1951), known generally as Harry Burns, is the professor of global public health, University of Strathclyde, having been the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland from September 2005 to April 2014. He has become known for his ...

(2005–2014) *

Aileen Keel Aileen Margaret Keel (born 12 August 1952) is a Scottish medical doctor and academic who is serving as the Director of the Innovative Healthcare Delivery Programme at the University of Edinburgh. She previously served as the Deputy Chief Medi ...

(2014–2015; acting) *

Catherine Calderwood Catherine Jane Calderwood (born 26 December 1968) is a Scottish consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, who has served as the National Clinical Director for Sustainable Delivery at the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital since 2021. ...

(2015–2020) *

Sir Gregor Smith Professor Sir Gregor Ian Smith is a Scottish general practitioner (GP) and former medical director for primary care in NHS Lanarkshire who has served as the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland since December 2020. He previously served in the pos ...

(2020–2025; acting until 23 December 2020, thereafter permanent)

Chief Medical Officers for Wales

The Welsh post was created in 1969. Prior to this there was one post for both England and Wales, the Chief Medical Officer for England and Wales. * Richard Bevan (1969–1977) * Gareth Crompton (1978–1989) * Dame Deirdre Hine (1990–1997) * Ruth Hall (1997–2005) * David Salter (July 2005–April 2006; acting) *

Tony Jewell Tony Jewell may refer to: * Tony Jewell (footballer) Tony 'TJ' Jewell (born 8 December 1943) is a former Australian rules football player who played in the Australian Football League, VFL between 1964 and 1970 for the Richmond Football Club. ...

(April 2006 – 2012) *

Ruth Hussey Ruth Carol Hussey (October 30, 1911 – April 19, 2005) was an American actress best known for her Academy Award-nominated role as photographer Elizabeth Imbrie in '' The Philadelphia Story''. Early life Hussey was born in Providence, Rho ...

(2012–2016) * Chris Jones (March–July 2016; acting) * Sir Frank Atherton (2016–2025) * Professor Isabel Oliver (2025–present)

Chief Medical Officers for Northern Ireland

* William Richard Dawson (1922–1929) Chief Medical Officer of Ministry of Home Affairs, Northern Ireland * Frank F. Main (1954–1968) * Thomas Terence Baird (1973–1978) * Bob Weir (1978–1986) * James McKenna (1988–1995) * Henrietta Campbell (1995–2006) * Sir Michael McBride (2006–present)

References

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External links

Chief Medical Officers

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Government occupations Government of Northern Ireland Government of Scotland Government of Wales Health in the United Kingdom Civil Service (United Kingdom) Administrators in the National Health Service Public health in the United Kingdom