John Ashton (public health director)

Professor John Ashton CBE (born 27 May 1947 in Liverpool) is a former a lecturer and professor of public health at Southampton/London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine /and the University of Liverpool Medical School. He was Regional Director of Public Health/Regional Medical Officer for the North West of England for 13 years and Director of Public Health/County Medical Officer for 6 years.

He was one of the initiators of the World Health Organisation's Healthy Cities Project from 1986-88 during which time it went from being a European project to a global movement and a pioneer of three public health initiatives.

He has criticised both UK Labour Party and UK Conservative Party health reforms, and in February 2012 the Government response to his criticism of the Health and Social Care Bill 2011 which he says "will totally dismantle the NHS" was raised in Parliament

In January 2011, he was appointed a trustee of the National Museums Liverpool, and in November 2012 he was elected as president from 2013 to 2016 of the Faculty of Public Health In September 2014 Ashton took voluntary leave of absence following his use of “inappropriate and offensive language” on Twitter for which both Ashton and the FPH apologised. On 26 September, the board said it had given advice to Ashton and were looking forward to his continuing his role in office.

Ashton was educated at Quarry Bank High School in Liverpool, Newcastle University Medical School and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

In 1982 the Health Education Council (HEC) invited the University of Liverpool, Department of Community Health to submit a proposal for a pilot project to reduce teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. At the time Liverpool had one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the country and the Department of Health had recommended specialised informal clinics for young people. The study which liaised closely with the HEC developed contacts with a wide range of community leaders to establish support for the project. Although a 1986 report by the Guttmacher Institute highlighting the disparity between pregnancy rates in different countries seemed to confirm the importance of effective contraception which in turn depended on "the degree of openness ..sex education ..and ..contraceptive advice," in January 1986 the HEC turned down the study without giving a reason. Ashton believes the Victoria Gillick affair and attempts to restrict sex education in schools played a part and that a "political desire ..to control peoples behaviour ..worked against a genuine public health interest". Despite advice from religious leaders that it was entirely their responsibly, the DHSS and DES insisted the program contained a strict moral message. Later in 1986, fear of AIDS led to a change of attitude towards sex education.

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