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Strategic Direction
General Commentary Information Technology. The new NHS Information strategy 'Information for Health' was launched in 1998. The strategy tackles the issues around information in the NHS as a way of improving health and enabling more effective management. Section four addresses the strategic objective for ensuring the availability of accurate information for managers and planners to support local Health Improvement Programmes. The strategy emphasises the switch from information to support the contract/financial management process to that of addressing local health needs and clinical outcomes. The strategy identifies four key groups for whom information needs must be met, they are: patients, health care professionals, managers & planners and the public. The strategy will be implemented locally via a 'Local Implementation Strategy' (LIS). Communications Leads. Both NHS Trusts have Communications Managers and the Health Authority has a small Department lead by the Head of Communications. The Local Authority has a press office. All these communication professionals have the task of promoting their organisations and health generally to the local population through close liaison with the media. The quarterly publication of the award winning 'Health News' involves all NHS organisations in the district and is seen as a key information giver. Health Focus. The Health Authority's Information Centre currently provides a central drop-in centre for providing the public with pre-payment prescription certificates and general advice and information of wide-ranging health issues. HAZ funding has recently enabled the Authority to appoint an officer to manage and review the future role of Health Focus, liaising with local partners, with a view to using the centre as a focus for all health-based information to the public - written, oral and electronic. NHS Direct. The national initiative of providing a telephone based medical advice and information source, NHS Direct, went live in South Yorkshire and South Humber in November 1999. The service is based in two satellite units - one in Sheffield and one in Doncaster. It is envisaged that the service will be integrated with the GP out-of-hours co-operative, Danum Doctor Services, to provide a seamless service to the public. The Doncaster website. A Doncaster wide website (www.doncaster.gov.uk) was established in partnership with the Local Authority during 1999. It is proposed that all Health Authority information will be transferred from its own website onto this site so that all information about Doncaster can be obtained from this one site. Note: Since this proposal was written the Health Authority has decided not to close its website. Further information can be obtained by downloading the full text version of the Health Improvement Programme for Doncaster 2000 - 2003. Any comments on this section should be submitted to the Theme Lead, John Wells, Doncaster Health Authority, White Rose House, Ten Pound Walk, Doncaster DN4 5DJ, email john.wells@doncaster-ha.trent.nhs.uk |