The island has a new director of public health.

Dr Matt Tyrer comes to the island from Cheshire where he was director of public health for the last five years.

He takes over from Professor Hugo van Woerden who had been in the role on an interim basis since Dr Henrietta Ewart left in May 2022.

A trained doctor with more than a decade of public health experience, Dr Tyrer led an award-winning team at Cheshire East Council through the Covid-19 pandemic, chaired Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Collaborative, and developed the local authority as a public health training and development location.

He is also an honorary lecturer in public health at Keele University.

Dr Tyrer said: ‘I want to bring my passion for improving health and wellbeing to this spectacular and unique island community. I firmly believe that we can do things now that will make things better for ourselves, our children and generations to come and I look forward to working to create a healthy and happy future for the Isle of Man.’

Meanwhile, Dr Ross Keat will join the team next month as a consultant in public health. Dr Keat will also deputise for the new director as required.

In his current role as public health consultant with Knowsley Council in Merseyside, Dr Keat is the lead for health protection, overseeing vaccinations, screening, sexual health, tobacco cessation, social prescribing and oral health.

He is a qualified dentist, has worked across public health portfolios since 2017, and has worked as a core trainee in maxillofacial surgery. Dr Keat is a Fellow within the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and of the Faculty of Public Health.

He said: ‘I am thrilled to be joining the Isle of Man’s public health team, building on the excellent work of colleagues on the island before me.’