"I do believe I tried my best."

Available for over a year

Dr Mike Gogarty is standing down as Essex County Council's Director of Public Health. He's been giving his assessment of the last two years of the coronavirus pandemic, saying he's "very disappointed in the sad, tragic loss of life" and that it has been "an awful period". But he says Essex's politicians "were absolutely phenomenal" and "really put the national ones to shame". Mike Gogarty began his career in the NHS as a GP in Clacton before moving into public health. He has spent the last 30 years in senior positions including being Director of Public Health for Tending and Colchester from 2003 until taking up his current role as Director, Wellbeing, Public Health and Communities for Essex County Council in 2013.