Public Health Intelligence

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Public Health Intelligence North East (PHINE), is a new concept to help get the best possible use of the regional health intelligence resources.

It was developed in response to Professor Peter Hill’s analysis of the requirements for the new Strategic Health Authority when it was set up late in 2006. This identified a need for a new level of competence and facilities in information and intelligence to service the requirements both of commissioning and of the new public health policy “Choosing Health”. Local Area Agreements and Joint Strategic Needs assessment, as well as the new focus on ‘World-Class’ Commissioning have underscored this. Public Health Observatories were created in each region in 1999 and have taken the lead in these fields all over the country.

The North East Public Health Observatory recognised the need to develop clinical and health information networks, bringing together skills from all around the SHA area to provide the expertise. At the same time NEPHO has pioneered the development of an internet based infrastructure to provide the vehicle for these communities to share expertise for the benefit of all. Over the next few years this should make the best possible use of all out skills, deliver greatly improved service to all our communities.

The aim of PHINE is to:

  1. provide effective links between information specialists in the region
  2. to create a basis for sharing of expertise and good practice
  3. to avoid duplication
  4. to carry out a workplan agreed by the RDPH and DsPH
  5. to develop a single portal enquiry service
  6. to create a programme of personal professional development of relevance to information specialists