Shaping the strategic direction of Mental Health

Cynthia Folarin – MPH, DPSN, Cert Ed, RM, RN

Cynthia started her public health career as a Midwife, and her clinical expertise lies in intrapartum care, having spent a number of years as a Delivery Suite Co-ordinator and manager.

While she enjoyed the rewards and challenges of clinical practice, Cynthia chooses to use her knowledge and experience to influence a wider audience – through various senior Public Health roles. As the Deputy Director Public Health, Westminster City Council, Cynthia provided local Public Health leadership of emergency response to the North Kensington, Grenfell Tower fire, specifically in relation to Scientific Technical Advisor Communication (STAC), health response, information intelligence, community engagement and Chair of Child Death Overview Panel process.

As the national Blood Pressure Programme Lead for PHE, Cynthia provided programme oversight, influenced strategic agendas and built partnerships to deliver the action plan “Tackling High Blood Pressure: From Evidence into Action”.  Additionally, in the role of Director of Quality and Governance Cynthia, led the transfer development and implementation of the ‘Quality and Governance’ framework of a Clinical Commissioning Group to enable successful authorization.  

More generally, as an independent Public Health Consultant, Cynthia supported a number of local authorities, public health teams, NHS organizations and the third sector to develop strategies to improve population health and wellbeing. She has completed various assignments that have led to:-

·         Development of an interactive blood pressure tool found on NHS Choices Website

·         Development of commissioning intentions for a Local London Authority using the application of a prioritization framework

·         Conducted Health Visiting and School Nursing service reviews, Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA), Mental Health Needs Assessment and Breast-Feeding service review, as well as

·         Shaping the strategic direction of a number child and maternal health programmes in local London boroughs.

Cynthia has also successfully led the sustained delivery of a number of health improvement programmes that have significantly contributed to closing the cardiovascular death inequality gap between the third-most deprived and third-most affluent wards in a London borough.

Cynthia is a graduate of Durham University National Leading Transformation of Health and Wellbeing Programme and the King’s Fund Leadership Programme. She is passionate about moving the Public Health agenda forward within all sectors of health and social care to address existing inequalities and improve the quality and provision of care for all.