Sir Henry Burns (born 1951), known generally as Harry Burns, is the professor of global public health, University of Strathclyde, having been the
Chief Medical Officer
Chief medical officer (CMO) is the title used in many countries for the senior government official designated head of medical services, sometimes at the national level. The post is held by a physician who serves to advise and lead a team of medical ...
for Scotland from September 2005 to April 2014. He has become known for his work to address health inequalities. He is a member of the
Council of Economic Advisers
The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) is a United States agency within the Executive Office of the President established in 1946, which advises the President of the United States on economic policy. The CEA provides much of the empirical resea ...
in Scotland.
Early life
Henry Burns was born in
Barrhead
Barrhead ( sco, Baurheid, gd, Ceann a' Bharra) is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow city centre on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. At the 2011 census its population was 17,268.
History
Barrhead was formed when ...
Burns initially pursued a career in general surgery, and for five years he was a consultant surgeon at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. He took up a managerial role as the medical director of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. He completed a master's degree in Public Health in 1990. He worked as deputy director of planning and contracts at Greater Glasgow in 1992, becoming the director of public health for Greater Glasgow the following year. In 1999 he was awarded a visiting professorship in public health medicine at the University of Glasgow, and he also became a senior research fellow in the ''School of Business and Management'' at the university.
He took up the post of chief medical officer for Scotland on 5 September 2005. In 2007 his second annual report emphasised the importance of the early years as the basis for health and wellbeing in adulthood. He was co-chair of the Scottish Government's Early Years Taskforce which was set up in 2011. Burns helped Scotland conceptualise health improvement differently, being aware that the small gains that resulted from a range of interventions can add up to produce significant overall improvements.
In January 2014 it was announced that Burns would step down as chief medical officer in April 2014 to take up the appointment of Professor of global public health at Strathclyde University. He took part in Renfrewshire's Tackling Poverty Commission.
In December 2014, it was announced that Burns would join the Scottish Government's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) to help look at the issue of inequality.
In September 2016, the Scottish Government announced that he would chair an independent review of targets in Scotland's NHS, with an initial report and recommendations expected in spring 2017.
Honours
Burns was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from University of Strathclyde in 2008.
Burns received the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland's Meritorious Endeavours in Environmental and Public Health Award in 2008.
Burns was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
in the
2011 Birthday Honours
The Birthday Honours 2011 for the Commonwealth realms were announced on 11 June 2011 in the United Kingdom,United Kingdom: New Zealand,East Renfrewshire Council, who awarded him their highest honour, by making him an
honorary freeman
The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...
Nicola Sturgeon
Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2014. She is the first woman to hold either position. She has been a member of ...
presented Burns with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ''
Holyrood Magazine
''Holyrood'' is a fortnightly current affairs and politics magazine. Created following the advent of devolution in the UK in 1999 the magazine provides coverage of the goings on at the Scottish Parliament, as well as interviews with leading pol ...
''-launched first Scottish Public Service Awards, recognising his lasting contributions to public service in Scotland.
See also
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Glasgow effect
The Glasgow effect refers to the lower life expectancy of residents of Glasgow compared to the rest of the United Kingdom and Europe. The phenomenon is defined as an " cess mortality in the West of Scotland (Glasgow) after controlling for depriv ...