MEMORANDUM BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PUBLIC
HEALTH (PH1) (contd.)
6. THE ROLE
OF THE
HEALTH DEVELOPMENT
AGENCY
6.1 The Health Development Agency (HDA)
was established in January 2000 in line with a Saving Lives
commitment. Operating as a shadow authority until 31 March
2000, it was formally launched by the Minister for Public Health
on 2 June.
6.2 Most of the Agency's staff transferred
from the Health Education Authority that closed on 31 March 2000.
However, the HDA is a completely different body providing evidence
of effectiveness and new standards to improve practice and deliver
better public health outcomes.
6.3 The HDA has a key role in driving forward
the Government's public health agenda. As its first fundamental
objective the agency will establish an evidence base of what works
in public health practice. Major elements in this will be to identify
gaps in the evidence to be filled with new research, and to disseminate
to the field practical guidance on public health interventions
which have been shown to work. In this, the HDA will focus initially
on the key NHS priority areas i.e. CHD and stroke, cancer, mental
health, and older people. The HDA is also providing a knowledge
management service to capture and disseminate significant learning
through the HAZnet website (http://www.haznet.org.uk) and support
the sharing of learning within HAZs and beyond.
6.4 In its first year of operation the HDA
will produce a wide programme of work. This includes:
(i) advice to the Department and local agencies
on how to encourage people to eat more fruit and vegetables;
(ii) developing Evidence Base 2000.
This is a new database driven website for local policy makers
and practitioners. The website will provide the latest evidence
of what works so that good practice can be replicated elsewhere.
The website will concentrate on key Government targets;
(iii) an analysis of the public health aspects
of Health Improvement Programmes (HImPs). This will used to develop
standards of good practice in HImPs development.
6.5 The Health Development Agency will work
across a range of organisations to improve public health and to
share good practice. It will support greater collaboration at
local levels (including schools, local government and voluntary
agencies), and work to improve the information available to those
working in the public health field to help them target their efforts
to deliver the best health outcomes. The Agency will have staff
based in every NHS region to work closely with local agencies,
including the new Regional Public Health Observatories and local
authorities. The HDA will be appointing a number of regional staff
to be based in NHS Executive Regional Offices or in the local
public health observatories. They will seek to foster joint working
between local agencies including Health Authorities, local authorities,
and the Government Offices for the Regions.
National Electronic Library for Public Health
6.6 The National Electronic Library for
Public Health (NeLPH) is being developed as part of the wider
National Electronic Library for Health (NeLH) launched in the
Information for Health White Paper. Further information
on the NeLH is at Annex E.
6.7 The HDA is undertaking initial scoping
and development work for a major web-based resource for multi-sector
public health practitioners as part of the NeLH. This will include
consideration of how to ensure consistency and synergy with related
work within Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Development
of the NeLPH will provide an important resource on the wide range
of web-based information and resources.
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