Sponsors
Public Health North East
Our job is to persuade other regional organisations to put health at the heart of what they do so everyone in the North East benefits in the long term.
Although it has always been the job of the NHS to treat patients who are already ill, more and more primary care trusts are focusing their efforts on preventing problems developing in the first place.
Nationally, the Department of Health is responsible for protecting and improving our health, which includes everything from immunisation programmes to patient safety and preparing for a flu pandemic. Public Health North East - which is accountable to the Department - has an overall responsibility to persuade other regional organisations to put health at the heart of what they do so everyone in the North East benefits in the long term.
Public Health North East is working to change lives by transforming our traditionally poor health. We lead efforts in the region to:
- reduce obesity
- improve diet and nutrition
- cut rates of smoking
- increase physical activity
- improve mental wellbeing
- change the culture of binge drinking
Good health and wellbeing depend on a lot of things. Illness is obviously a major factor along with lifestyle choices. But where we live, how much money we have got, whether we have a job and our state of mind are also important. And strong partnerships with all those who contribute to the health and wellbeing of the population are vital at all levels - nationally, regionally and locally.
We work alongside other government departments and public sector organisations as well as community and voluntary groups. These networks help us get a public health perspective built into regional programmes for crime, transport, education and skills, housing, environment and regeneration.We also make sure effective measures to prevent the spread of disease are in place by working closely with the Health Protection Agency.
- preventing and controlling infectious diseases
- reducing the effects of chemical, microbiological and radiological hazards
- preparing for potential or emerging threats such as pandemic flu
The regional director of public health has responsibility for emergency planning and works closely with the Health Protection Agency, NHS and other agencies in the event of a major incident. Public Health North East also aims to build expertise in the region by developing the skills of health professionals and others through support and training programmes. And we work closely with North East Public Health Observatory, which has an important role in conducting research, increasing awareness of public health issues and identifying wider causes of illness.