In the United Kingdom, a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is the most senior government advisor on matter relating to health. There are four CMOs in the United Kingdom who are appointed to advise their respective governments:
Each CMO is assisted by one or more Deputy Chief Medical Officers, and complemented by a Chief Nursing Officer.
The Chief Medical Officer is a qualified medical doctor whose medical speciality traditionally was public health medicine, and whose work focused on the health of communities rather than health of individuals. More recently, some appointees have been senior clinicians without training in public health medicine. In the UK, the CMO is one of the chief professional officers who advise the government in their respective health and social care disciplines. [2] The CMO has independent statutory authority, first established in the 19th century, to issue reports without requiring government approval. [3]
The historic post was created in Victorian times to help to prevent cholera and other epidemics. [4] In 1969, the post of Chief Medical Officer for Wales was created, and prior to this both England and Wales were covered by the post of Chief Medical Officer of England and Wales. [5]
Through various reorganisations, the CMOs for Scotland has been the chief medical officer in the Local Government Board for Scotland, Scottish Board of Health, Department of Health for Scotland, the Scottish Home and Health Department, the Scottish Executive Health Department and now the Scottish Government: [5]
The Welsh post [28] was created in 1969. Prior to this there was one post for both England and Wales, the Chief Medical Officer for England and Wales. [5]
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The University of Strathclyde is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal charter in 1964 as the first technological university in the United Kingdom. Taking its name from the historic Kingdom of Strathclyde, its combined enrollment of 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students ranks it Scotland's third-largest university, drawn with its staff from over 100 countries.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for government policy on health and adult social care matters in England, along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish Government, Welsh Government or Northern Ireland Executive. It oversees the English National Health Service (NHS). The department is led by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care with three ministers of state and three parliamentary under-secretaries of state.
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The University of Glasgow School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing is the medical school of the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and is one of the largest in Europe, offering a 5-year MBChB degree course. It is ranked 2nd in the UK for medicine by The Times Good University Guide 2018 and joint 1st in the UK by the Complete University Guide 2021. The School of Medicine uses lecture-based learning, problem-based learning and Glasgow's case-based learning.
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The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for Ireland is the most senior government advisor on health-related matters. It is a government post as the lead medical expert in the Department of Health.
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