Public Health Annual Reports

Every year, Directors of Public Health in local authorities fulfil a statutory duty to write an independent report on the health of their population. 

The Public Health Annual Report (PHAR) highlights key health and wellbeing challenges facing our local communities and provides information and evidence on key issues that partners should prioritise in the forthcoming year. This year, the Director of Public Health has chosen to focus the Annual Public Health Report on the important public health issue of addiction in Wirral, including substance use (smoking, drugs and alcohol) and gambling. This supplements our State of the Borough report, which sets out Wirral’s wider health and wellbeing needs.

While many reports focus on a single addiction, in reality many people who experience addiction often struggle with multiple forms, and we recognise that these addictions often share underlying causes and have similar impacts on families, friends and society. By addressing addiction as a unified issue, we aim to amplify our response, ensuring we allocate resources to address multiple forms of addiction simultaneously and support the development of integrated programmes of work that focus on prevention, treatment and recovery.

It is agreed by many, that addressing addiction is not solely the responsibility of public health services; it requires a whole-system approach that involves cooperation across various sectors, including education, wider local authority services, the NHS, the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector (VCFSE), and law enforcement. This report, therefore, serves to inform us about the pressing need to continue to develop collaborative strategies that embrace evidence-based practices and create effective support systems for those suffering from addiction or its impacts. By working collaboratively and drawing upon the strengths of individuals and communities, we can aspire for every resident to live a fulfilling, addiction-free life.

• Public Health Annual Report for 2023/24: Work in Progress: Health and Employment in Wirral

• Public Health Annual Report (Video) for 2022 and Public Health Annual Report (Video Transcript) for 2022

• Embracing optimism - Living with COVID-19: Annual Report of the Director of Public Health for Wirral (2020-2021): 

  • Public Health Annual Report (2020-2021) Technical Briefing document 

  • Slide set explaining the key facts of the 2021 Public Health Annual Report 

• Public Health Annual Report 2019 as Creative Communities Culture for Health and Wellbeing in Wirral 2019 (also view examples of local creative services and access) 

• Public Health Annual Report 2018 as Harmful Gambling: The Other Side of the Coin

• Public Health Annual Report 2016-17 and accompanying animation of 'Expect Better' the Annual Report of the Director of Public Health for 2017

• Public Health Annual Report 2015-16 with Domestic Abuse Let’s make a difference

• Public Health Annual Report 2014-15 as Improving the public's health in Wirral

• Public Health Annual Report 2012-13 as Social Isolation

• Public Health Annual Report 2011-12 as Population-wide health services

• Public Health Annual Report 2010-11 as ‘life-cycle’ approach to public health 

• Public Health Annual Report 2009-10 as reducing smoking and tobacco use 

• Public Health Annual Report 2008-09 as addressing overweight and obesity

These reports summarise the progress made against the Wirral Health Inequalities Action Plan on an annual basis. Wirral Health Inequalities Annual Report 2009-10