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In this episode of Public Health Spotlight, we head to Bracknell Forest to hear from Charlotte Pavitt, Director of Public Health (DPH), as she shares her journey and experiences in public health leadership.

Charlotte reflects on her non-traditional route into public health, beginning with a background in human biology and a pivotal population health module that inspired her to move “further upstream”. She discusses her early career in NHS quality improvement and primary care trusts, before undertaking specialist training and a Darzi Fellowship, which ignited her passion for system leadership and social prescribing.

Drawing on roles across London and the South West, Charlotte shares her experience leading pioneering work around complex lives, including commissioning GP services for homeless and vulnerable communities, and embedding mature partnership approaches to suicide prevention in Devon. She highlights the realities of building trust across diverse systems with competing priorities and significant health inequalities.

The conversation explores what it means to lead one of England’s smallest public health teams and how that constraint can drive creativity and collaborative leadership. Charlotte outlines her “health in all policies” approach, the importance of influencing across council structures, and how to seize opportunities within transforming health and care systems. She speaks candidly about tackling rising obesity, addressing the commercial determinants of health, and recognising how environments from high streets to social networks shape outcomes just as much as individual choices.

Reflecting on key career milestones, Charlotte discusses balancing family life with professional progression, overcoming imposter syndrome, and stepping into Bracknell Forest’s first dedicated Director of Public Health role.

Throughout the episode, she offers honest insight into collaborative leadership, winning hearts and minds, and the value of strong peer networks both locally and through ADPH. Her advice to aspiring leaders is clear: invest in relationships, communicate with empathy, and remain open-minded about what public health success looks like.

This episode is a candid and encouraging exploration of modern public health leadership rooted in partnership, pragmatism, and making a tangible difference to communities.

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Thank you for tuning in to Public Health Spotlight: A Panoramic Associates Podcast. For more expert discussions on public health, be sure to subscribe. Visit our website at panoramicassociates.co.uk to learn more about our work in the public health sector. This podcast is produced in collaboration with the Association of Directors of Public Health.