Local authorities are now at the centre of the local response to the challenge of Covid-19, and at the heart of this is the director of public health, providing technical advice and leadership across the public health system.

Directors of public health(DPHs) are joint appointments between the council and the secretary of state. Trained and registered as public health consultants, outbreak response is a core part of our standard training and health protection is a core competency that all consultants have to maintain. Now more than ever this training and competency is being brought into play to save lives and give practical advice and leadership to support councils respond to the biggest challenge of our lifetime.