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Dr Fiona Adshead

Dr Fiona Adshead is one of two Deputy Chief Medical Officers (DCMO) in the Department's Health and Social Care Standards and Quality Group, which is headed by Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer.

Her role is to help develop policies and implement programmes in key public health areas such as tackling inequalities, prevention of cancer and heart disease, tobacco control, substance misuse, sexual health and nutrition. She has also played a major role with the CMO in developing the Public Health White Paper.

Adshead has broad experience in this field at national, regional and local levels. She became a consultant in public health medicine at Camden and Islington Health Authority in 2000 before becoming director of public health at Camden Primary Care Trust in 2002.  This role involved leading a public health service for the population of Camden, improving health and wellbeing and reducing inequalities by working with the local authority, other stakeholders, community groups and voluntary organisations.

Before taking up her current post Adshead was also a policy adviser to the Faculty of Public Health and a trustee of the National Heart Forum.

Adshead gained clinical and research experience at several London hospitals including St Bartholomew's, the Royal Brompton, Royal Marsden and the Institute of Cancer Research.  She later became registrar, then senior registrar, at Croydon Health Authority and a lecturer at St George's Hospital Medical School.

She has extensive experience at national level in leading standards development and primary care policy in association with professional associations, government departments and charities.

Adshead is married and lives in south London. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, fine art and travel.