Penny was the Director of Public Health in Northumberland from 2014 to May 2017 but is now Director of Public Health for North Lincolnshire.
Following a 2016 tour of the country to meet local authorities and gain a fuller understanding of the issues affecting local Public Health services Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive of Public Health England, described Northumberland County Council’s approach to public health as exceptional. ‘There is a lot to be proud of and lots to do but the team here is exceptional and I’m delighted to have been able to spend some time here and to see what has been done and is still being done in Northumberland’. Penny herself has said: ‘As the largest and most rural county in England, we face many challenges and working together with community groups is an essential part of our goal to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities’.