Director of Public Health's Annual Report

Director of Public Health's Report for 2008

We are pleased to make available on pdf NHS Grampian Director of Public Health's (DPH) Report for 2008.

During 2008, we have celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of the introduction of the NHS in Scotland. The DPH Report reflects on that achievement  and  provides us with an informed basis from which to chart progress and signpost the ways forwards.

The DPH Report is an integral component of our planning processes in NHS Grampian. It has a key role in informing NHS Grampian's Health Plan, providing a focus for our work to improve health - including the fundamental role of health protection - and, to reduce inequalities in health.

If we are to fulfil our commitments to our key stakeholders, the people of Grampian, we need to improve health and reduce inequalities in health through our individual and collective efforts, whether in communities, organisations or business.

Stakeholders look to the DPH 's Report to provide guidance on how, by our collective efforts, we can reduce the risk of serious preventable ill-health. The Report carries key messages on the action we can, and are, taking to ensure the best possible health for the people of Grampian. It informs the plans of partner agencies.

This year, for the first time, the Concordat,  between central and local government, provided the basis of the Single Outcome Agreements. As we move towards an outcomes based approach across the Public Sector, we have an increasingly strong platform for consensus, around key health messages, to strengthen our respective actions in realising these objectives.

Key sections of the report include: Celebrating 60 years of Public health in Grampian; Population trends  and service development; Tackling serious preventable ill-health; Nutrition; Tobacco Control; and Alcohol.

There are some positive indications that the population of Grampian is responding to national and local challenges around health. We want to ensure that good health is achievable in every community in Grampian and we will continue to work closely with Community Health Partnerships and Community Planning Partnerships to support a systematic approach to encouraging good health. 

We invite any individual, community or organisation, not yet known to us, and wishing to join us in working for good health to make contact through our Healthpoint service on 0500 20 20 30. Please take the opportunity to talk with our team about your activities, ideas or aspirations or drop them a line at healthpoint@nhs.net.