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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.

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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

• 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

• 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.
  

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.