Public Health Network Business Plan 2002/3

Introduction

A Public Health Business Plan for 2002/3 is required by 28 February 2002 as part of the work programme of the Strategic Health Authority. This paper sets out for discussion the main components of the plan.   A pragmatic approach has had to be been taken when developing this plan as the network is an evolving concept and will require evaluation and will be subject to revision and fine-tuning.

The approach

As for the StHA Franchise plan, the Public Health Business Plan consists of six PCT plans with some overarching themes. PCT plans have been developed within PCTs but have been written with a common approach, identifying first what contribution public health will make to the top 22 NHS priorities and also to the most important local authority targets before dealing with broader public health contributions.

In order to deliver an effective public health function for the SE sector, a public health network is needed to make best use of relatively scarce resources. The public health business plan therefore includes arrangements for the signing off and running of the public health network.

The network will seek to

• Ensure that all important responsibilities for the sector are  assignedned leads
• Align policies which differ across the sector if appropriate (e.g. Exceptional Treatment Arrangements)
• Unify leads and approaches where it makes sense e.g. Lead for research ethics committee
• Agree common standards to be applied e.g. Cervical Screening QA
•  Develop policies which assist PCTs in their own decision making e.g. Prescribing
• Develop toolkits and recommend approaches to common problems, backed up by training programmes including Health Impact Assessment and Health Needs Assessment toolkits.
• Develop professional home standards.  The network professional steering group will monitor standards.  The Strategic Health Authority Medical Director/DPH will performance manage the process.
• Establish good working relationships with the Academic Department of Public Health Sciences and other academic departments.

Leadership & Co-ordination

In the first year, the DPH/Medical Director of the SHA will lead the network with a review at one year. This function will be managed by a full time Network Business Manager.

Priorities

The top priorities to be covered by Public Health Business Plan are

• Setting up the Public Health Network
• Public Health input into the top 20 NHS and 2 London Priorities
• Public Health input into the 5 Local Authority floor Targets
• Safe Statutory services including Communicable Disease Control and Emergency Planning.
• Other services which should be undertaken across the sector (including StBOP functions)
• Services which are required at Strategic Health Authority level

Overriding Theme

Health Improvement and reduction in health inequalities across the SE London Sector as far as possible whilst implementing National and local policies.

1.    Signing off the Network

• costing and agreeing Public Health Teams and hosted functions
• Agreeing with CE’s working arrangements, using five scenarios.
• setting up three-year agreement and monitoring arrangements.
• CDC, policies, Resource Allocation, etc.

2.  Appointing DsPH

• In the first 6 montsh of their appointment DsPH wil be expected to draw up a startegy for public health for the PCT and local strategic partnership performance management(This will be reviewed on an Annual Basis)

3. Public Health Input imro 20 NHS priorities and    

    2 London Priorities

• All Primary Care Trusts will expect to have Public Health input to the 20 NHS Priorities, 2 London priorities and local PCT priorities.  Attached are 6 individual plans provided by each PCG/T showing Public Health input into the 22 priorities and local floor targets these have been graded accordingly with 10 core PH tasks listed below: -.

Key for 10 Key Public Health Tasks

1.        Surveillance and assessment of the population's health and well being (including managing, analysing and interpreting information, knowledge and statistics).

2.        Promoting and protecting the population's health and well being.

3.        Developing quality and risk management within an evaluative culture.

4.        Collaborative working for health.

5.        Developing health programmes and services and reducing inequalities.

6.        Policy and strategy development and implementation.

7.        Working with and for communities.

8.        Strategic leadership for health.

9.        Research and development.

10.     Ethically managing self, people and resources (including education and continuing professional development).

3. Public health input to local authority targets

Joint DsPH appointments with local authorities are likely to enhance the public health contribution to the local authority agenda. DsPH will be expected to include within the strategies which they develop the public health contribution to the local strategic partnership agenda

4. Safe Statutory Services

CDC & Emergency Planning

In order to secure safe statutory arrangements for communicable disease control and emergency planning across SE London, it is proposed to operate a single SE London Health Protection service. This will be run by three linked teams within the SE Sector, each team being hosted by a “home” PCT under the terms of a Service Level Agreement. The function will be co-ordinated by a joint leadership team and performance managed by the Strategic Health Authority.

The essential features of this arrangement are (1) important existing links with individuals and agencies in LSL and BBG can be maintained during the period of transition; and (2) each team would have the nucleus of staff necessary to respond to outbreaks and incidents. 

The SE Sector Communicable Disease Control Service as a whole will provide input for strategy and policy at PCT, Sector and Regional levels as appropriate, through its networked arrangements.

On-call; arrangements will cover the sector and there will be three staff 1 – consultant in PH Medicine, 1 Consultant with special interest in CDC and a 1^st on-call Specialist Registrar.

From April 2003, the new National Infection Control and Health Protection Agency will manage the CDC function.  In order to maintain secure and effective health protection across the sector it is vital that the Health Protection Function is maintained as an integral part of local arrangements at delivery level.

Other Statutory Services, which require a safe approach, include cervical and breast screening QA. Two leads are planned: one at Southwark and one at Bromley, which will ensure the safe function across the other PCTs.

5. Other services, which it makes, sense to co-ordinate across the sector

Functions currently led by public health, but handled differently in each of the constituent health authorities, will be integrated within 2002/3. They include leadership of Local Research Ethics Committees and implementation of COREC guidance, management of the public health R & D agenda, MARG and management of Clinical Audit, academic/service relationships etc.

6. Services required at Strategic Health Authority level

As soon as it is clear what appointments can be made in public health at StHA level and what the work programme requires, arrangements will be made for delivery of the functions using as far as possible, existing professional expertise within the SE sector, though lead or SLA agreements. Functions are likely to include arrangements for public health input to the cancer collaborative and the cancer network, public health development of and input to other clinical networks, clinical governance including primary and secondary care and expert input into performance management of specialist functions.