The North West Public Health
Observatory (NWPHO), based in the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool
John Moores University, was established in 2000 to provide a range of
health intelligence functions for the regional Directors of Public
Health. The Association of Public Health Observatories (APHO)
coordinates the activities of the 12 PHOs across the five nations of
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland,
all of whom are core funded by the Department of Health to deliver a
number of key functions, including:
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Promoting and delivering
health intelligence to decision-makers to improve health and reduce
health inequalities.
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Monitoring health and disease trends and
highlighting areas for action
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Acting as advocates for population health
information, ensuring that high-quality, relevant information is
available to a range of stakeholders.
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Looking ahead to give early warning of future
health problems
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Developing a skilled health intelligence
workforce
The
NWPHO fulfils a regional public health information and intelligence
function, steered by a regional advisory group, which is chaired by the
Regional Director of Public Health, supporting public health
professionals working in the NHS, local authorities and other services
to improve the health of the North West population. In addition to this,
we have a range of functions that support national public health
intelligence and are the leading observatory for alcohol, drugs misuse,
crime and violence and dental health.
Public Health
Intelligence
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The NWPHO is a designated Department of Health
‘safe-haven’ for sensitive data items and holds 10-year datasets of
hospital episodes, mortality and birth statistics as well as a range
of geographic and geo-demographic classifications. From these we
produce an annual Health Profiler which is used to monitor local
trends, health inequalities and regional progress towards national
health inequalities targets.
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We produce bespoke reports using a wide range of
health-related datasets and carry out novel analyses and
dissemination of new methods for health intelligence, in particular
focussing on small area health measures and determining new and
novel ways to illustrate health patterns and investigate health
inequalities.
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As a specialist analytical service, we conduct
bespoke and routine analyses for partners and customers and use our
detailed knowledge of the local and regional situation for added
value. We also provide training, support and advice on methods such
as Health Equity Audit, Lifestyle Surveys and Social Marketing
Insight and Health Scrutiny.
Regular
Reports
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We produce a series of synthesis reports each
year, which draw together policy, evidence and intelligence on a
range of topics such as conducting lifestyle surveys, health and
work, healthy weight and social marketing.
-
Where possible, we link these reports with the
production of technical documents produced in conjunction with APHO
and contribute to a series of national ‘Regional Indications’
reports produced for the Chief Medical Officer for England.
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We produce a series of quarterly reports, which
focus on ‘hot topics’ or routine national datasets within each
issue. Since April 2006, several reports have been published,
examining a wide range of subject such as: Measuring Childhood
Obesity in the North West, Health Equity: Asthma & COPD from QOF &
HES 2004/05, Birth Trends in the North West, 2000-2005, Alcohol
Specific Hospital Admissions for those Aged 16 and Under.
Local Health Profiles
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From the health indicators within our annual
small area health dataset, we have created an online Health Profiler
- just enter a postcode from any area in the North West and obtain a
profile of that local community
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o Working with other teams in the Centre for Public Health, we
produced a range of alcohol indicators for the very first ever
alcohol related health profile for local authorities in the North
West region.
-
With all other PHOs in the country, we are
involved in the production of the annual local Health Profiles as
outlined as a key role of Observatories in the Government White
Paper ‘Choosing Health’ . These profiles are now in their fourth
year and have proved to be a valuable information source.
Online Data Tools
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We aim to make all our public health
intelligence, routine and bespoke datasets and methodologies
available and accessible via a range of interactive web-based tools.
Included with these are links to a range of national and
international public health tools for access to wider datasets.
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NWPHO online tools are linked with the production
of reports and publications but allow users to access the data in a
way that suits them: for example via tables, interactive maps,
textual profiles or flexible charts.
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On behalf of our public health partners across
the region, we have developed an integrated public health website,
where a range of agencies, public health networks and regional
taskforces make their work plans, membership, events, publications
and best practice available to the wider public health community.
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As part of our technical developments, we are
constantly enhancing the ability of our users to search across a
range of public health resources. This now includes an interoperable
website search of the other UK Public Health Observatories.
We aim to improve the health of the population in the
North West by working with key public health stakeholders in the region
to provide a seamless public health intelligence service that enables
better decision making locally, regionally and nationally. By
collecting, monitoring and analysing health related data, producing
reports and health related information we can help improve health
services, reduce health inequalities and positively promote healthy
lifestyles.
Contact staff in the North West Public Health Observatory
(Organisational Chart)
| Professor Mark A Bellis, Director |
m.a.bellis
|
+44 151 231 8764 |
| Clare Perkins, Deputy Director |
c.perkins |
+44 151 231 8762 |
|
|
Caryl Beynon,
Interim head of Analysis (Job share) |
c.m.beynon |
+44 151 231 4540 |
|
Ian Jarman,
Interim head of Analysis (Job share) |
i.h.jarman |
+44 151 231 8130 |
|
Simon Chambers, Research Assistant |
s.j.chambers |
+44 151 231 8783 |
|
Irene O'Farrell, Public Health Analyst/Researcher |
i.b.o'farrell |
+44 151 231 8783 |
|
Mark Robinson, Intelligence Analyst |
m.robinson1 |
+44 151 231 8783 |
|
Claire Tiffany,
Alcohol Analyst |
c.tiffany |
+44 151 231 8783 |
|
|
Stephen Rogers, ICT Project Manager |
s.rogers |
+44 151 904 6029 |
|
Paul Dance, Web Programmer |
p.g.dance |
+44 151 904 6027 |
|
Karen Murphy, Public Health Information Analyst |
k.murphy |
+44 151 904 6022 |
| Wayne Murray, Web Developer
& Programmer |
w.s.murray |
+44 151
904 6026 |
|
Paul O'Donovan,
Database Developer
& Programmer |
p.c.o'donovan |
+44 151
904 6026 |
| Neil Potter, Web Developer & Programmer |
n.potter |
+44 151
904 6027 |
| Sacha Wyke, Data Manager |
s.wyke |
+44 151 904 6032 |
|
| Lynn Deacon,
Knowledge & Communications Project Manager |
l.k.deacon |
+44 151 904 6042 |
|
Lindsay Dewa,
Public Health Analyst |
l.h.dewa |
+44 151
904 6041 |
|
Beccy Harrison,
Public Health Project Officer |
r.harrison |
+44 151 904 6043 |
|
Jennifer Mason,
Public Health Project Officer |
j.j.mason |
+44 151 904 6043 |
|
|
Helen Carlin,
Social Marketing & Evaluation Project Manager |
h.m.carlin |
+44 151 904 6023 |
|
Samantha Phillips,
Social Marketing Analyst/Researcher |
s.phillips |
+44 151 904 6020 |
|
Joy Spalding,
Social Marketing Analyst/Researcher |
j.spalding |
+44 151 904 6044 |
| Craig
Timpson, Research Assistant |
c.timpson |
+44 151 904 6021 |
|
|
Julia Humphreys,
Business Manager |
j.humphreys1 |
+44 151 904 6033 |
|
Alyson Jones,
Research & Business Coordinator |
a.m.jones |
+44 151 904 6034 |
|
Cheryl Jolly,
NWPHO Administrator |
c.i.jolly |
+44 151
904 6035 |
| Tom Hennell, Consultant Analyst GONW |
|
+44 161
952 4359 |
| |
All emails are @ljmu.ac.uk |
|