Tony Jewell

Who is Tony Jewell?

John Anthony Jewell MA FRCGP FFPH was the Chief Medical Officer for Wales. He took up this post in April 2006 and retired in August 2012. Jewell trained in medicine at Christ's College Cambridge and The London Hospital Medical College. After qualifying he undertook vocational training in general practice in East London going on to become a GP in inner London for 10 years. During this time he helped develop a teaching and research focussed group practice by merging single-handed practices and designed a new purpose-built health centre in Chrisp Street, Poplar. During his time in East London he served on Tower Hamlets Area Health Authority for 6 years as the trades union representative and Chaired the multiagency Joint Consultative Committee. While in Tower Hamlets he lobbied for investment in inner city general practice, commissioned Prof Brian Jarman to lead the Tower Hamlets Health Inquiry helping the development of Under Privileged Area scores, published on the workload associated with out of hours care and was Secretary to the Wendy Savage Support Campaign.

In response to the 1988 Acheson report "Public Health in England" he applied to undertake public health training in East Anglia and was based in Cambridge Health Authority where he undertook an evaluation of counselling in general practice. He worked at the Department of Health during his training helping to produce the first Executive letter on Improving Clinical Effectiveness.. When he completed his accreditation he was appointed as a consultant in public health medicine in Peterborough, the most disadvantaged district in East Anglia. His professional interests have included the link between public health and primary care, health inequalities and preventing road traffic crashes. He investigated the high mortality ratio from Road Traffic Accidents in Fenland and helped sponsor research at the University of East Anglia on comparative rates across England and Wales and the specific environmental risks such as "road bendiness". He helped manage several important inquiries while a Director of Public Health such as a fatality from Methotrexate toxicity, the David "Rocky" Bennett inquiry into restraint and a fatal case of neonatal MRSA in Ipswich. During his time as Clinical Director and DPH in East Anglia he advocated for improving clinical quality by the strengthening of managed clinical networks. Between 2002-2004 he was elected and served as President of the UK Association of Directors of Public Health ensuring the organisation was an effective influence in NHS reforms such as Shifting the Balance.