Public health - agencies
Here is a select listing of public health related agencies. We have focussed on agencies operating in the United Kingdom. The list is arranged by country with agencies listed in alphabetical order.
UK wide
Faculty of Public Health (FPH)
The FPH is a Faculty of the Royal College of Physicians and sets, monitors and promotes standards in the education and training of specialists in public health in the UK. It advocates on key public health issues and provides practical information and guidance for public health professionals. The three key areas of of the Faculty's work are health promotion, health protection and healthcare improvement. The policy area of the website highlights the health themes that the Faculty is currently concentrating on.
Health-EU - Public Health Thematic Portal
This is the official public health portal of the European Union which has been developed to help meet EU objectives in the public health field. The portal provides access to comprehensive information on public health initiatives and programmes at EU level, and is aimed at professionals and policy makers and anyone who wishes to keep informed of policies and decisions taken at European, national and international level. Information is arranged thematically.
Public Health England
Public Health England (PHE) is an executive agency of the Department of Health and has been established as part of the major reforms brought about by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 which has also transferred the majority of public health responsibilities and services to local authorities. These reforms came fully into operation on 1 April 2013. The Government's strategy for public health was initially set out in the 2010 white paper Healthy lives, healthy people.
UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) Public Health Research: Centres of Excellence Initiative
The initiative aims 'to produce excellent research that has a potential for impact on the health of the nation by building academic capacity, increasing infrastructure and promoting multi-disciplinary working in public health research'. There are five centres of excellence which bring together leading researchers with practitioners, policymakers and members of the public to tackle complex public health issues.
United Kingdom Public Health Association (UKPHA)
The UKPHA brings together individuals and organisations from all sectors who share a common commitment to promoting the public's health. It aims, as a multidisciplinary organisation, to promote the development of healthy public policy at all levels of government and across all sectors. The Association's three key priorities are combating health inequalities, promoting sustainable development, and promoting health-sustaining production, consumption and employment.
England
Department of Health: Public health
This section of the Department of Health website brings together information on a whole range of policy areas such as immunisation, nutrition, tobacco and alochol, drugs recovery, sexual health, pregnancy and children's health. A new public health system, Public Health England comes into operation on 1 April 2013. For details see Policy and reports.
Health Protection Agency (HPA)
The Health Protection Agency has been established as a non-departmental public body since April 2005. Its role is to provide an integrated approach to protecting UK public health through the provision of support and advice to the NHS, local authorities, emergency services and the Department of Health. News items, current information and guidance are arranged on the website according to the HPA's areas of activity such as infectious disease, chemical and poisons, radiation and emergency response. There is also an A-Z index to topics.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE): public health guidance
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent organisation which has a responsibility for providing national public health guidance that makes recommendations for populations and individuals on activities, policies and strategies that can help prevent disease or improve health. Guidance may focus on specific topics, particular populations or particular settings, and on interventions to promote a healthy lifestyle or reduce the risk of developing a disease or condition.
Network of Public Health Observatories
Public Health Observatories (PHOs) produce information, data and intelligence on people's health and health care for practitioners, commissioners, policy makers and the wider community. The Network of Public Health Observatories brings together information about the nine PHOs in England. Each PHO has a policy lead area.
NHS Networks
NHS Networks aims to promote and connect the many networks which exist throughout the NHS and facilitates this through a register of networks. Networks are encouraged to use the website for communication including discussion forums and submission of news stories. Use the 'Network finder' to find the networks relevant to public health.
Northern Ireland
Community Development and Health Network (CDHN)
The Community Development and Health Network is an independent organisation with an inter-sectoral membership which is using a community development approach towards ending health inequalities. The organisation also aims to be a centre of expertise developing best practice and tools for action.
Ireland and Northern Ireland's Population Health Observatory (INIsPHO)
INIsPHO is housed in the Institute of Public Health in Ireland. The Observatory supports those working to improve health and reduce health inequalities by producing, disseminating and supporting the use of relevant health knowledge and strengthening the research and information infrastructure on the island of Ireland. Part of the Institute’s remit is to ‘strengthen the information and skills people need to work for improvements in the health of society’. INIsPHO manages the Health Well health information website.
Institute of Public Health in Ireland
The Institute of Public Health promotes co-operative activity in public health across Ireland through policy and programme development, the provision of public health information and strengthening public health intelligence, and building public health capacity. The website is organised acccording to the different workstreams. It is one of a number of organisations contributing to the Health Well which has a series of thematic hubs such as the Health Inequalities Hub and the Obesity Hub - see the Health Well.
Public Health Agency
The Public Health Agency for Northern Ireland came into operation in April 2009. It brings together a wide range of public health activities through four key functions: health and social wellbeing improvement; health protection; public health support to commissioning and policy development; HSC research and development. The Agency is structured into three directorates; public health, nursing and allied health professions and operations.
Scotland
Community Health Partnerships
This is the website for Community Health Partnerships (CHPs) in Scotland. “CHPs are the key mechanism for providing integrated health and social care in primary and community settings”. One of their core purposes is to deliver local health improvement. The website provides information about the role of CHP’s and has a map showing where individual CHP’s are sited.
Health Protection Scotland (HPS)
The role of HPS is to strengthen and co-ordinate health protection in Scotland by providing advice, support and information to health professionals, national and local government as well as the general public. It is organised into three specialist groups with expertise provided by a multi-disciplinary workforce.
ISD Scotland: Public health
ISD produces a wide range of information that contributes to understanding the health of Scotland's population. This includes information on: the composition of the population; material deprivation; deaths; aspects of inequalities; the main causes of hospital admission; use of primary care (GP) services; some of the behaviours that influence health such as alcohol and illegal drugs.
NHS Education for Scotland: Public health
This section of the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) website brings together information about NES training, learning resources and other initiatives in health improvement and health protection.
NHS Health Scotland
NHS Health Scotland is a Special Health Board in NHS Scotland and acts as a national resource for improving Scotland's health by providing expertise to support health improvement practitioners and organisations and by disseminating evidence, learning and good practice in partnership with NHS Boards and other key bodies. The organisation of the website reflects these activities. Information about NHS Health Scotland's health improvement delivery programmes is arranged by topic, diferent health sectors and life stages.
Scottish Public Health Network ScotPHN
The Scottish Public Health Network is open to 'everyone in Scotland who has a professional interest and significant involvement in the wider health improvement agenda including staff from the NHS, local authorities, academia and others.' The network aims to undertake prioritised national pieces of work where there is a clearly identified need and the website provides information about current and previous projects and related resources. The network also aims to facilitate information exchange between public health practitioners, link with other networks and share learning, and create effective communication amongst professionals and the public.
Scottish Public Health Observatory (ScotPHO)
The Scottish Public Health Observatory collaboration is co-led by ISD Scotland and NHS Health Scotland. The Observatory, which is part of a network of observatories across the UK, contributes to improved collection and use of routine data on health, risk factors, behaviours and wider health determinants. It takes a lead in determining Scotland's future public health information needs and develops innovations in public health information.
Wales
All Wales Mental Health Promotion Network
The All Wales Mental Health Promotion Network aims to provide strong leadership and a focus for mental health promotion in Wales, and to increase public and professional understanding of public mental health. In addition to the networking facility, resources include information on skills and competences, and on training and education, and a resource database that is searchable by topic and type of resource.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE): public health guidance
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is an independent organisation which has a responsibility for providing national public health guidance that makes recommendations for populations and individuals on activities, policies and strategies that can help prevent disease or improve health. Guidance may focus on specific topics, particular populations or particular settings, and on interventions to promote a healthy lifestyle or reduce the risk of developing a disease or condition.
Public Health Wales
Public Health Wales is an NHS organisation providing professionally independent public health advice and services to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of the population of Wales. It brings together a number of services including the former National Public Health Service for Wales and Wales Centre for Health. Public Health Wales provides and manages a range of public health, health protection, healthcare improvement, health advisory, child protection and microbiological laboratory services and services relating to the surveillance, prevention and control of communicable diseases.
Within Public Health Wales there is also the Public Health Wales Observatory which is part of a network of observatories across the UK.