Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services network in Northern Ireland - Update report 2008-2009

The third annual report from the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Healthy Promoting Hospitals (HPH) and Healthy Services network highlights a rich selection of the innovative developments and team-working achievements across services in Northern Ireland. The report provides a platform to showcase the five Health and Social Care Trusts and Cooperation and Working Together (CAWT)��'s commitment to health and wellbeing to the population and shows how hospitals can have an impact on the determinants of health as they are explained in the context of people��'s daily lives.

Personal and Public Involvement Consultation Scheme (PDF 149KB)

The current structure of the health and social care system in Northern Ireland has its origins in the Review of Public Administration (RPA) which was initiated by the Northern Ireland Executive in June 2002. The purpose of RPA was to review Northern Ireland’s system of public administration with a view to putting in place a modern, citizen-centred, accountable and high quality system of public administration. The structure was designed to be more streamlined and accountable and aimed at maximising resources for front-line services and ensuring that people have access to high quality health and social care. Another key feature is the placement of public health and wellbeing firmly at the centre of the system, with a greater emphasis on prevention and support for vulnerable people to live independently in the community for as long as possible.  

IPH Highlights

Recent IPH Highlights detailed in this document include:- Celebrating 10 years of North South working- Tackling obesity- Social Determinants of Health- Health impacts of education: a review- Linking research and policy- Fuel poverty and health- Building capacity- Highlighting differences in health and wellbeing across the island

IPH response to 'Towards a Childcare Strategy' (Northern Ireland)

The remit of the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) is to promote cooperation for public health between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the areas of research and information, capacity building and policy advice. Our approach is to support Departments of Health and their agencies in both jurisdictions, and maximise the benefits of all-island cooperation to achieve practical benefits for people in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Giving every child the best start in life is recognised by governments worldwide as the most effective way to improve life chances and health outcomes.  This is one of IPH’s key strategic action areas in our Business Plan and we endorse the need for early intervention, particularly in tackling health inequalities and improving the health and wellbeing of children in the most disadvantaged communities.  International evidence is increasingly pointing towards investment in the early years as a critical component of any sensible approach to improving population health and tackling health inequalities across the life course (WHO, 2008 and Marmot, 2010).  It is also apparent that Northern Ireland public policy is now reorienting towards achieving better and fairer outcomes in the early years, as demonstrated through the recent draft public health strategy (DHSSPS, 2012a) and the draft early years strategy (Department of Education, 2012).

Community Profiles Tool

The Community Profiles Tool can be used to develop local health and wellbeing profiles from over 200 health-related indicators compiled from a range of data sources. Users can create tables, maps and charts of health-related indicators, and integrate this with key public health documents from the Health Well website such as relevant interventions, policies, and evidence related to each indicator.

A Health Economics Model. The cost benefits of the Physical Activity Strategy for Northern Ireland - a summary of key findings

This summary report follows on from the publication of the Northern Ireland physical activity strategy in 1996 and the subsequent publication of the strategy action plan in 1998. Within this strategy action plan a recommendation was made for the health sector, that research should be carried out to evaluate and compare the cost of investing in physical activity programmes against the cost of treating preventable illness. To help in the development of this key area, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety's Economics Branch agreed to develop a model that would seek to establish the extent of avoidable deaths from physical inactivity and, as a consequence, the avoidable economic and healthcare costs for Northern Ireland.

A Fitter Future for All: Consultation Document

The prevalence of people who are overweight and obese has been steadily rising in Northern Ireland, and in the western world, over the last few decades. It has been described as an “obesity time-bomb”, given the impact that obesity can have on physical and mental health and wellbeing.Evidence has shown that, while weight gain is the result of a relatively simple energy imbalance, the causes that underpin changes to energy intake and expenditure are very complex and cover issues such as social and individual psychology, physiology, food production and consumption, individual activity, and the built environment.This Framework aims to “empower the population of Northern Ireland to make healthy choices, and reduce the level of harm related to overweight and obesity, by creating an environment that supports and promotes a physically active lifestyle and a healthy diet”.In addition, the following overarching target has been set: to reduce the level of obesity in Northern Ireland to the 2005-06 level by 2021.

Making Life Better: A Whole System Strategic Framework for Public Health 2013-2023 (PDF 11MB)

"Making Life Better" is the public health strategy for Northern Ireland 2013-2023. It is designed to provide direction for policies and actions to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Northern Ireland and to reduce inequalities in health.

Home Accident Prevention Strategy

A Healthier Future: A Twenty Year Vision for Health and Wellbeing in Northern Ireland 2005-2025

Investing for Health - Consultation Paper

Investing for Health aims to improve the health of our people and reduce inequalities in health. It sets out a broad range of areas where new and concerted action could make a significant difference to health and wellbeing. Three priority groups are identified; the very young, children and young people, and older people. In line with best practice elsewhere a settings approach is proposed, and homes, schools, workplaces and communities are identified as priority settings. As part of an integrated lifestyle and lifeskills programme the priority topics identified include; smoking, physical activity, eating for health, harm related to alcohol and drug misuse, mental health, sexual health and accidents. åÊ

Making Life Better: A Whole System Strategic Framework for Public Health 2013-2023 (Online Publication)

"Making Life Better" is the public health strategy for Northern Ireland 2013-2023. It is designed to provide direction for policies and actions to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Northern Ireland and to reduce inequalities in health.

Health Survey Northern Ireland: First Results 2013/14

This report presents results from the 2013/14 Health Survey Northern Ireland. It includes information on general health, mental health and wellbeing, diet and nutrition, physical activity, obesity, smoking, drinking and sexual health. Differences reported are those that are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. The fieldwork for this survey was conducted from April 2013 to March 2014. Results are based on responses of 4,509 individuals, with a response rate of 66% achieved. åÊ

Progress report on the Statement of Strategy

The purpose of this report is to set out the main developments from May, 1998 when Working for health and wellbeing was published up to the present time Download the Report here

SLÃÅN: Mental Health & Social Well-being Report

SLÃÅN: Mental Health & Social Well-being Report Click here to download PDF 2.42mb

The HBSC Ireland Trends Report 1998 - 2010

The HBSC is a cross-sectional study conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe. It runs every 4 years and in 2010 there were 43 participating countries and regions collecting data on the health behaviours, health outcomes and contexts of children̢?Ts lives. The Irish survey has been carried out by the Health Promotion Research Centre, NUI Galway since 1998 and brings together all the data (relating to almost 40,000 Irish children) collected over this period to examine the key trends and patterns between 1998 and 2010. In terms of risky behaviour, the survey reports that in 2010 12% of Irish children said they were smoking compared to 21% in 1998. 28% reported that they had been drunk compared to 29% in 1998. 8% reported that they had used cannabis compared to 10% in 1998. In terms of positive behaviour, seat-belt wearing rates have doubled (82%) amongst children since 1998 and 33% reported that their health was excellent compared to 28% in 1998. High rates of life satisfaction (76%) and reported happiness (91%) continue. Click here to download The HBSC Ireland Trends Report 1998 Р2010 PDF 958KB