regional public health observatories

A mini-consultation on SEPHO

Dr Alison HillDirector

South East Public Health Observatory

26th November 2004

Regional Public Health Observatories

– Set up as a result of Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation

– 9 regional observatories– £2.2 million £10 million in 2006/7– Core funding: from DH through Regional Directors

of Public Health – Mix of host arrangements – NHS, University

Shifting the balance of power within the NHS: the contribution of PHOs

PHOs should form the basis of a strong integrated public health function:

• Undertaking the full range of functions to support the Regional Directors of Public Health;

• Supporting public health networks; • Supporting the wider intelligence

functions of PCTs, Trusts, StHAs, and local and regional government organisations.

The Public Health White Paper

Health Information and Intelligence Task Force• Real time public health information• An agreed core dataset• Tackling weaknesses in existing data• Health and wellbeing data from existing sources• Health surveillance at regional level, building on the work of PHOs• Health protection data• New sources e.g. marketing information, NPfIT, nGMS,

UKBiobank• Guidance on data sharing and disclosure• Knowledge management systems

The Public Health White Paper

Public Health Observatories will:• Receive additional resources • Support DsPH to promote local action

and monitor impact• Develop skills in HIA and HEA• Produce a standard set of local health

information

Public Health Observatories

• One stop shop to provide better access to:– public health information– epidemiological and public health tools and

methodologies– people: expertise, specialists, interests….– events– evidence base (e.g. via NeLH and HDA)– current national policy– networking and professional development

opportunities• Contextualised and interoperable.

Association of Public Health Observatories: A national

network 9 regional observatories working together

Each has a national lead area with agreed responsibilities

National collaborative work

Joint digital infrastructure development

• Informing and supporting policy and practice

Better access to information

– Signposting to data from other agencies (e.g. housing and voluntary and social care information resources)

– Public health data tables to download (births, deaths, hospital admissions, demography)

– (and coming soon visual display of these data)

– Hospital episode regional service and analyses

– Drug misuse data

– The 2001 census

Better access to information

– Signposting to data from other agencies (e.g. housing and voluntary and social care information resources)

– Public health data tables to download (births, deaths, hospital admissions, demography)

– (and coming soon visual display of these data)

– Hospital episode regional service and analyses

– Drug misuse, cancer, health protection data

– The 2001 census

Better access to information

Information analysis• Analyses (e.g. CHD mapping, Euro

comparisons)

• Indicator development (basket of health inequalities indicators, regional indications)

• Index development (Health Poverty Index,)

• Making other organisations local analyses available

Put in Jo’s new Euro graph here

Directly standardised mortality rates by all causes, all ages UK, South East, se lected other EU states and EU average

550

600

650

700

750

800

850

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Year

Age

stan

dard

ised

mor

talit

y ra

te p

er 1

00,0

00

Austria

Belgium

Netherlands

France

Germany

Italy

Spain

Sweden

South East

UK

EU15 Average

Better access to information

Information analysis• Analyses (e.g. CHD mapping, Euro

comparisons)

• Indicator development (basket of health inequalities indicators, regional indications)

• Index development (Health Poverty Index,)

• Status reports – obesity, smoking, physical activity

• LHO basket of indicators

Regional variation in overweight and obesity for 16-24 year olds (2001-2).

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

% Obese

% Overweight

Males:

Females:

Better access to information

Information analysis• Analyses (e.g. CHD mapping, Euro

comparisons)• Indicator development (basket of health

inequalities indicators, regional indications) • Index development (Health Poverty Index)

launched on 22nd November • Status reports – obesity, smoking, physical

activity

Tools and methods

• A toolkit for undertaking healthy lifestyle surveys

• A guide to measuring and monitoring deprivation and inequalities

• Health impact assessment

• Health equity auditing

• Visualising and displaying data

Tools and methods

• A toolkit for undertaking healthy lifestyle surveys

• A guide to measuring and monitoring deprivation and inequalities

• Health impact assessment

• Health equity auditing

• Life expectancy calculator

• Excess seasonal deaths calculator

• Visualising and displaying data

Network support and professional development

• Regular consultation with networks to work to their priorities

• Supporting public health intelligence professionals

• PHeNet• Training in resource management –

finding and contributing• Education and training

Delivering our web-based resources

• All data are catalogued (metadata) using agreed international standards

• We have developed a public health language

• All PHOs will be interoperable by April 2005 and will interoperate with HDA and NLH during 2005

• Not dependent on web developer – anyone can contribute

In summary

• PHOs are becoming established now

• They work as a national network

• They provide a one-stop-shop for information, methods and expertise

• They are looking at new ways of analysing and presenting data to help policy makers and practitioners

Giving added value into the future

• What do you want from SEPHO and the other PHOs?