Website of the Department of Health

This document was published formally as an integral part of National Standards, Local Action (July 2004) which set out the framework for all NHS organisations and social service authorities to use in planning over the next three financial years.

3 April 2006: the paragraph setting out Developmental standard D13 has been updated. NICE published its first public health guidance on 31 March 2006.  To reinforce the importance of the new guidance, Caroline Flint, the minister for public health, has announced an amendment to Standards for Better Health.  The change to Developmental standard D13b in the public health domain clarifies the status of new NICE public health guidance for implementation in the NHS in England and allows the Healthcare Commission to assess, from 2007/08, the progress of NHS organisations towards achieving conformity with NICE public health guidance.

• Download Standards for Better Health (updated April 2006) (PDF, 78K)
• National Standards, Local Action: Health and Social Care Standards and Planning Framework 2005/06-2007/08