The Health Authority has a lead role in developing this Programme but it has involved a whole range of key stakeholders within the local Health Improvement Partnership which include elected members and officers representing all the directorates of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, members and officers of Primary Care Groups, Doncaster Royal and Montagu Hospital NHS Trust, Doncaster & South Humber NHS Trust, Doncaster Regeneration Partnership, Doncaster Community Health Council, Doncaster Council for Voluntary Service and representatives of users and carers without whom this Programme would not have been possible.

The Programme is focussed around a range of priorities, some of which are determined nationally through the Government's public health policy document 'Saving Lives - Our Healthier Nation', and through local priorities determined by a local assessment of needs. These are related not just to health services but also to the wider determinants of health such as housing, environment, exercise etc. This Programme acts as a link between the different organisations and provides a co-ordinating influence for health and social care issues across a range of core initiatives within the health and local authorities, together with other initiatives including the South Yorkshire Coalfields Health Action Zone, Single Regeneration Budget and projects funded through European Structural Funds.

We would like to extend our thanks to all the individuals and organisations involved in developing the content of this Programme and look forward to reporting positive progress on the action points it contains.