ONE of the North-East’s leading public health doctors is retiring after a career of more than 30 years.

Dr Roberta Marshall, 58, will retire as North East centre director at Public Health England [PHE] in July.

She has held the role since 2013 when the organisation was created and before that was the North East regional director of the Health Protection Agency.

Dr Marshall co-ordinated the North East’s response to a range of health protection and public health initiatives and worked as one of a team of national incident directors during the 2009 Swine flu pandemic and the UK‘s response to the Ebola crisis.

She said: “It has been a great pleasure working alongside my colleagues in PHE North East and the wider public health community. I have valued not only their considerable commitment to protecting and improving the health of the people of the North East but also the friendship and support they have given me over the years.”

Richard Gleave, PHE chief operating officer, said: “I would like to thank Roberta for her significant contribution to public health.”