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Useful Links
Association of Public Health Observatories
A Public Health Observatory has been established in each of the NHS regions to collect information about health and health inequality in order to track changes over time. The main tasks of the observatories are to support local bodies by:
- Monitoring health and disease trends and highlight areas for action.
- Identifying gaps in health information.
- Advising on methods for health and health inequality impact assessments.
- Drawing together information from different sources in new ways to improve health.
- Carrying out projects to highlight particular health issues.
- Evaluating progress by local agencies in improving health and cutting inequality.
- Looking ahead to give early warning of future public health problems.
Department of Health, England
The Department of Health, England provides the most recent information and guidance relating to public health issues in England.
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland
The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland provides the most recent information and guidance relating to public health issues in Northern Ireland.
Faculty of Public Health
The Faculty of Public Health is a faculty of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom. It aims to promote, for the public benefit, the advancement of knowledge in the field of public health, develop public health with a view to maintaining the highest possible standards of professional competence and practice, and to act as an authoritative body for consultation in matters of education or public interest concerning public health. It identifies three areas of public health practice: health protection and prevention; health and social care and health improvement.
NB: This site has links to a large number of other institutions of relevance to public health.
Health Protection Agency
The Health Protection Agency is a national organisation for England and Wales dedicated to protecting people’s health and reducing the impact of infectious diseases, chemical hazards, poisons and radiation hazards. It brings together the expertise of health and scientific professionals working in public health, communicable disease, emergency planning, infection control, laboratories, poisons, chemical and radiation hazards.
Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland
The Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland was set up in 1990 as a special agency of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Its aim is to provide leadership, strategic direction and support to all those involved in promoting health in Northern Ireland.
Institute of Public Health
A department of the University of Cambridge, the Institute of Public Health aims to:
- Improve the health of the population by understanding the cause and natural history of disease.
- Identify and evaluate new possibilities for both primary and secondary care intervention.
- Monitor on a population basis interventions as they are currently applied.
The Welsh Assembly, Government
The Welsh Assembly Government provides the most recent information and guidance relating to public health issues in Wales.
Health of Wales Information Service
Health of Wales Information Service brings together the public health resources of the five former health authorities in Wales, which include input from academic departments, with those of the Public Health Laboratory Service in Wales, including the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre.
The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse
The National Treatment Agency (NTA) aims to increase the availability, capacity and effectiveness of treatment for drug misuse in England. It has a key role in holding local Drug Action Teams to account in their role as commissioners of drug treatment services.
NHS Health Scotland
NHS Health Scotland is a new special health board created on 1 April 2003 by bringing together the Public Health Institute of Scotland, and the Health Education Board for Scotland (HEBS) (see below). It provides a national focus for improving health and works with the Scottish Executive and other key partners to take action to improve health and reduce inequalities in Scotland.
Public Health Institute of Scotland
The Public Health Institute of Scotland is an NHS organisation, created to serve the whole of the public health community in Scotland, within the NHS and beyond. It aims to protect and improve the health of the people of Scotland by working with relevant agencies and organisations to increase the understanding of the determinants of health and ill health, help formulate public health policy and increase the effectiveness of the public health endeavour.
It aims to achieve this by working with the public health community to:
- Develop the public health information base.
- Develop the public health evidence base.
- Develop the public health skills base.
National Library for Health
The Public Health Electronic Library is a national "one stop shop" for all information relating to public health. It aims to provide knowledge and know-how to promote health, prevent disease and reduce health inequalities. Its primary audience is professionals within the public health community.
Public Health Resource Unit
The Public Health Resource Unit supports change and development within the NHS and other organisations to bring about improvements in health and healthcare. It aims to bridge the gap between research and service and works in five major areas: support to public health professional development; educational programmes; public health projects team (including workshops and conferences); public health information (intelligence).
The Royal Institute of Public Health and Royal Society of Health
These two health organisations announced in June 2007 that they intend to merge to create a new working body which will work to improve health in the UK and beyond.
Subject to approval the new society will be launched in 2008.
The Scottish Executive Health Department
The Scottish Executive Health Department is responsible for health policy and the administration of the National Health Service in Scotland. The Public Health Policy Unit of the Health Department is responsible for promoting the health of the people of Scotland.
Drug Misuse Information Scotland
This site provides information, statistics and research on drugs misuse in Scotland. Target users are policy makers, professionals, researchers, employers and the wider community.
UK Public Health Association
The United Kingdom Public Health Association is an independent UK wide voluntary association, bringing together individuals and organisations from all sectors, who share a common commitment to promoting the public’s health. It is a membership based organisation that aims to promote the development of healthy public policy at all levels of government and across all sectors, and to support those working in public health either professionally or in a voluntary capacity.
UK Voluntary Register
The UK Voluntary Register for Public Health Specialists provides public protection by ensuring that only competent public health professionals are registered and that high standards of practice are maintained. It operates through a Joint Board chaired by Prof Jim McEwen and its committees.
Related links