eNews Feb / Mar 2013: Spotlight on Dr Ruth Hussey

Describe your role in one sentence

The purpose of my role is to support the people of Wales to become healthier and happier through good medical advice and leadership within Government and the NHS.

What are your main challenges and how do you overcome them?

My role is very broad, ranging from tackling the causes of poor health to securing the best quality of care.  The main challenge is how to address these underlying health problems whilst improving quality in a rapidly-changing healthcare environment. 

Wales has relatively high levels of health inequality and poverty. Lifestyle challenges persist; with a need to focus on action to enable more people to follow all four of the national guidelines for smoking, alcohol, healthy eating and exercise.

The challenge is to ensure healthcare is provided at the optimum quality whilst driving prevention initiatives forwards in a cost-effective manner.