Work in progress at WMPHO

This indicator measures the rate of alcohol related admissions per 100,000 population using Hospital Episode Statistics. WMPHO produces a quarterly report on NI39 indicator. The layout of the data is by PCTs and the West Midlands Region as a whole. For each area, the data are broken down by counts of the number of alcohol specific and attributable diseases and by selected age bands.

Workshops for public health information analysts on methods and issues in public health information analysis.

An analysis of the activity of Stop Smoking Services in the West Midlands. Its aim is both to look at the overall performance of each service and to explore the distribution of service throughout the population in order to improve the effectiveness of services.

Response to public health queries from PCTs, Local authorities and others. Aim to answer most queries within 48 hours and nearly all within 14 days.

WMPHO is working alongside other public health observatories on this APHO national project. The aim of the project is to create practice level profiles for the whole of England. These profiles will help to assist GP practices and PCTs to ensure that they are providing and commissioning an adequate level of effective and appropriate healthcare services for their local population. The profiles will contain information that can be used for both practice and PCT commissioning, for local needs assessment, for monitoring of population health and service use, and for clinical governance reviews.

Ensure complete and accurate recording of drug treatment by West Midlands drug and alcohol agencies to National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS).

Monthly newsletter with news of important local and national public health events and issues. Jointly produced with West Midlands DH.

The West Midlands has established a training scheme for Public Health Analysts. Six trainees have been recruited to the scheme and WMPHO is coordinating a training programme for them.

Aim of enquiry is to help NHS ensure it does not practice age discrimination. WMPHO are to provide data to give objective evidence of non age discrimination.

The HIA gateway is a web site with information on Health Impact Assessment, Strategic Environmental Assessment and health in other impact assessment. It contains a large collection of completed reports as well as guidance and other documents relating to these assessments.