Duncan Cooper

I am an experienced Consultant in Public Health and senior public health leader with considerable experience across local and regional Government, the National Health Service (NHS), national public health organisations and research institutions. My principle motivation is to ensure that data, evidence & partnership working drives tangible action to improve population health and welfare.

Consultant in Public Health (Associate Director Reducing Inequalities Alliance & Population Health) - NHS Bradford District & Craven CCG - Bradford, England

(2022-04 - 2026-04)

Role purpose: Led the establishment and development of the Reducing inequalities Alliance (whole system approach).

• Led the Reducing Inequalities Alliance for Bradford District and Craven, bringing partners together across Local Government, the NHS and VSCE organisations in a collaborative programme.
• Stakeholder engagement & up-skilling, building an inequalities learning network (with a workshop/conference/social media programme).
• Used population health models to profile and forecast health trends, influencing and authoring district strategies.
• Published population wide health needs assessment and evidence briefs to inform data-led commissioning and service transformation.
• Led a team that designed, managed and evaluated multi-agency programmes of work.
• Healthy Working Life: a regional initiative (from the ‘Get Britain Working’ white paper) to support employment for employees with physical & mental health conditions (with new initiatives and joint evaluation work).
• Core20plus5 (reducing Health Inequalities national approach): 70+ community based pilots funded, initiated, evaluated and prioritised for continuation.

Consultant in Public Health - Bradford Council - Bradford

(2019-03 - 2022-04)

Portfolio: Public Health Intelligence, Children & Young people, maternity, public mental health, suicide prevention, CYP commissioning. COVID response: Developed strategic COVID intelligence, established schools support team, outbreak management.

• Established a multi-disciplinary team supporting over 200 schools with timely advice, tailored local COVID guidance and outbreak management.
• Designed a local COVID surveillance system (based on national & local data sources), with daily/weekly bulletins & recommendations as required.
• Gathered and analysed local/international evidence for a COVID Mental Health Needs Assessment (recommendations led to the commissioning of a range of new mental health services).
• Established Living Well Schools with Local Gov, academic & NHS partners (to improve schools setting as health promoting environments).

Consultant in Public Health - Wakefield Council

(2015-08 - 2019-03)

Head of Public Health Intelligence, Public Health Commissioning and Health Protection.

• Led a broad public health portfolio covering business intelligence, research, public health commissioning and healthcare public health.
• Re-commissioned sexual health & drugs and alcohol services.
• Designed a locally acceptable prioritisation framework to find efficiency savings (with service transformation to improve cost effectiveness).
• Re-vitalised a Public Mental Health approach in the District (writing an influential Director of Public Health to catalyse change, establishing a Suicide Prevention strategy & leading the response to a CYP suicide cluster).

Specialty Registrar in Public Health - Health Education England - Yorkshire and Humber

(2010-08 - 2015-07)

Placements and key achievements

• Wakefield Council (April 2014 - August 2015): Sexual health policy lead and commissioned new service; cancer prevention.
• Office of West Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner (April - August 2015): Established the West Yorks Criminal Justice Mental Health network.
• Public Health England (Sep 2013 - April 2014): Transport and Air Quality impact assessment (led to successful funding for improving bus networks and reducing air pollution).
• Bradford Metropolitan District Council / NHS Bradford (Jan - Sep 2013): COPD service reviews, Public Health transition to LA campaign.
• Born in Bradford – Bradford Institute for Health Research (Sep 2012–Jan 2013): Epidemiological research into lifestyle & environmental factors on pregnancy outcomes. Published in peer reviewed journals, conducted media interviews.
• West Yorkshire Health Protection Unit (April - Sep 2012): Management of infectious disease cases (within duty room). Supported regional outbreak of Cryptopsporidiosis (recommendations implemented guidance).
• NHS Leeds (August 2010 - April 2012): JSNA review. HIV surveillance (designed a novel approach to prioritising HIV testing in Leeds with cost-benefit analysis).

Public Health Specialist - Bradford and Airedale NHS Primary Care Trust

(2008 - 2010)

• Led the public health intelligence function for PCT and built a team of public health analysts.
• Established the Bradford Public Health Observatory and led development of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

Senior Scientist - Health Protection Agency West Midlands

(2000 - 2008)

Public Health Information Analyst - NHS Executive West Midlands

(1999 - 1999)

Seconded to NHS Executive West Midlands.

Geographical Information System Officer - West Midlands Cancer Intelligence Unit

(1997 - 2000)

Research Assistant - Nuffield Institute for Health

(1996 - 1996)

Career break

(2026-04 - 2026-09)

I have focussed on musical interests (gigging & recording), a self-build garage conversion, travel, voluntary work and supporting family members; whilst keeping abreast of policy developments in the health sector.

PhD - Public Health Surveillance - Utrecht University (2008)

Masters in Public Health - Public Health - University of Leeds (2011)

Master of Research - the Built Environment - University of Leeds (1996)

BSc 2:1 - Geography - University of Nottingham (1990)