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Public Health Information and Intelligence Taskforce

  • Last modified date:
    2 May 2007

The White Paper Choosing Health: making healthy choices easier, published in November 2004, set out the Government's policy and plans for public health. A range of measures are described intended to tackle the most important problems affecting the health of the population over the next few years.

The delivery plan recognised that in order to help people make healthier choices, support and services need to be provided at a local level. Building on the Government's Cross Cutting Spending Review on Health Inequalities, it recognised the vital importance of co-delivery between local government and the NHS in partnership with local communities, business and the voluntary and community sectors. 

Choosing Health highlighted action over six key priorities for delivery:

  • tackling health inequalities
  • reducing the numbers of people who smoke
  • tackling obesity
  • improving sexual health
  • improving mental health and well-being
  • reducing harm and encouraging sensible drinking.

In addition, action will be taken across government on:

  • helping children and young people to lead healthy lives
  • promoting healthy and active life amongst older people.

Delivering these priorities will depend on four supporting strategies:

  • promoting personal health
  • developing the workforce
  • building in research and development and
  • using information and intelligence.

The last of these was the responsibility of a Public Health Information and Intelligence Taskforce chaired by Professor Bernard Crump. The following links provide details of the Terms of Reference and membership of the Taskforce. Its work was completed with the publication of an information and intelligence strategy for consultation.

The Taskforce met for the last time on 11 August 2006 to review responses to the consultation.  A revised version of the strategy was discussed at a large meeting of invited stakeholders on 31 November 2006.  The new strategy was widely welcomed and following further amendments will be published shortly on this web site along with the consultation responses.

Further information can be obtained from:

  • Contact:
    John Newton
  • Address:
    Public Health Development
    Department of Health
    80 London Road
    SE1 6LH
  • Phone:
    020 797 23747
  • Email:
    john.newton@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Health profile of England

The Health Profile of England is a technical reference document that brings together data on the health status of people at national and regional level from a variety of government sources. It gives a snapshot picture of health in 2004, when Choosing Health was published.

It provides a collection of national and regional data to provide a yardstick against which people can compare data from their own local health profile.

Snapshot data and a chartbook provide a broad picture of health and the determinants of health and health inequalities.

Additional links

Travelling?

Ambitions for Health

Ambitions for Health sets out our formal response to the recommendations contained in It's Our Health.

Choosing Health: Making healthy choices easier

The White Paper on making healthier choices easier.

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