Health Profile of England

The Health Profile of England provides a collection of national and regional data to provide a yardstick against which people can compare data from their own local health profile. A focus of the profile is the six priority areas identified in Choosing health: Tackling health inequalities; Reducing the number of people who smoke; Reducing obesity and improving diet and nutrition; Improving sexual health; Improving mental health and wellbeing; and Reducing harm and encouraging sensible drinking. The Health Profile of England is intended to be of use to public service professionals and officials within the local community - such as local councillors and primary care trust directors of public health - who are in a position to exert influence over the planning, commissioning, procurement and delivery of public health programmes. But the document will also be of interest to a much wider audience - anyone with an interest in the profile of health and health determinants in this country. The Department of Health has set a number of PSA targets specifically associated with the achievement of improvement of overall public health, and the reduction of health inequalities. The Health Profile of England illustrates progress in respect of a broad range of measures of health determinants and outcomes. It represents an early component of the development of a national public health information and intelligence strategy, drawing together a range of evidence to provide a convenient source of public health metrics.