Choosing Health, PHOs and opportunities for PH Intelligence

in the East Midlands

• What does Choosing Health say about PHOs?

• How will EMPHO respond?

• What are the implications for local analysts?

• The “Collaborative Project” as a case study

• Networks/managed networks – do we have one? do we want one?

Choosing Health ... on PHOs

“We will invest in and develop the Public Health Observatories ...

.... and set up a Health Information and Intelligence Task Force to lead action to develop and implement ....

... a comprehensive public health information and intelligence strategy”

INVESTMENT IN PHOs

“We will invest £5 million in 2005 and £10 million per annum from 2006 in Public Health Observatories and in developing the national public health information and intelligence strategy....

...This will ensure that the Public Health Observatories are better placed to support directors of public health and their teams with information and skills to promote local action and monitor its impact on health.”

“We (DH) will develop a standard set of local health information that can be linked to other local data sets for publication. “

“Public Health Observatories will produce reports designed for local communities at local authority level which will support Directors of Public Health in promoting health in their area.”

“The first of these local reports will be published in 2006.”

LOCAL REPORTS

LOCAL REPORTS (Cont.)

“These reports will bring together information for neighbourhoods on the basis of local authority boundaries, supplementing existing Director of Public Health reports with consistent national reporting of key data, which will become available over time, on areas such as levels of exercise, smoking and nutrition ...

... so that everyone is able to follow trends, and compare local progress against similar areas.”

LOCAL REPORTS (Cont.)

“Primary Care Trusts will publish these [new-style] local reports to provide accessible information on the health of the local community, clearly communicated in an approachable style. ....

.... Public Health Observatories will produce the information for these.”

PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKS

An expanded role for PHOs providing information to PCTs to inform locally commissioned services and providing local analysis and information to local government.

PHOs will not replace the need for PCTs and local government to have their own information services ...

... but will augment and complement this intelligence and knowledge network. PCTs will need to invest in PHOs to support this development.

DEVELOPING SKILLS

Public Health Observatories will support the development of skills for example in equity audits and health impact assessments.

SUMMARY: KEY ROLES FOR PHOs

• Producing information for new-style local health reports

• Support to DsPH, partnerships and networks

• Skills development

• Centre of regional PH intelligence and information function

HOW WILL EMPHO RESPOND?

• influence national developments

• adapt to changing national scene and effectively use new national information resources

• review functions and reexamine/adjust our internal organisation accordingly

• identify skills and capacity gaps and look to recruit to fill these gaps (or commission out work)

• engage with local stakeholders to review PH intelligence support to PCTs/local networks

• evolution not revolution - (largely) business as usual but more of it and doing it better

IMPLICATIONS FOR LOCAL ANALYSTS

• different perspectives ...– threat or opportunity?– “them” or “us”?

• suggested actions– influence regional (and national) developments

– adapt to changing scene and effectively use new national and regional resources

THE “COLLABORATIVE PROJECT” AS A CASE STUDY

• Data tables at ward and SOA level– economies of scale realised through region-wide raw data processing at EMPHO– common region-wide methodology which has been developed through

consultation– quality assurance– comparability of results

• Standard reports and maps– to be agreed

• HEA case studies– more ideas/creativity– more capacity

• But ...– not all local analysts currently have mandate, freedom or inclination to contribute– duplication of effort remains an issue

THE FUTURE

• There will be more resources for PH Intelligence in the E.Midlands

• As EMPHO’s funding increases stakeholder expectations will grow

• Free market/competition between EMPHO and local analysts is not acceptable - stakeholders will rightly want best value for money

• Coordination of EMPHO’s effort and local analysts’ efforts is required to minimise waste of resources through duplication

THE FUTURE?

• EMPHO focuses on:– standard products for all areas (e.g. as per CP, KHI, ?SVG)– advice– facilitating sharing of good practice– training/capacity development– better communication re work programme (should help avoid duplication)– better dissemination of products

• Local Analysts focus on:– responsive, tailored local service– making good use of resources provided by EMPHO and other regional

and national bodies– unique local problems

– regular dialogue with EMPHO re needs– sharing problems/solutions with local analyst colleagues in E.Mids

ISSUES

• Investment in local service varies across the region– should EMPHO bail out underinvesting PCTs?

• Getting the right balance of central and local resources– should EMPHO increase the size of its central team ...– ... or develop an outreach model?– ... or fund locally-managed posts?– what about joint posts?

• “Poaching”– disruptive ...– ... or a way of providing opportunities for people to move on and

develop

IS THIS THE MODEL? AND IF SO, DOES IT NEED TO BE MORE ACTIVELY MANAGED?

• EMPHO focuses on:– standard products for all areas (e.g. as per CP, KHI, ?SVG)– advice– facilitating sharing of good practice– training/capacity development– better communication re work programme (should help avoid duplication)– better dissemination of products

• Local Analysts focus on:– responsive, tailored local service– making good use of resources provided by EMPHO and other regional

and national bodies– unique local problems

– influencing EMPHO’s work programme to better meet local need– sharing problems/solutions with local analyst colleagues in E.Mids