Public Health

The Public Health Directorate is one of the reporting Divisions of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)

Purpose Vision and Values

Our purpose:

• To protect and improve the health and social wellbeing of the residents of the Isle of Man and to reduce health inequalities through strong partnerships with individuals, communities and key public, private and voluntary organisations.

Our vision:

• To protect and improve the health and wellbeing of the island’s whole population rather than treating the individual.

Our values:

• Work systematically to alter our environment, improve lifestyles and reduce risk factors across our population

• Prioritise interventions which will achieve change for the greatest number of people at affordable cost

• Champion approaches that support individuals, families and communities in taking responsibility for their own health and wellbeing 

• Work with partners across government, private and third sectors to get public health into all policies – supporting people to take responsibility for their own health by ensuring they have the necessary skills and knowledge and live in environments and communities where healthy choices are easy choices

Resources:

The Directorate currently employs 19 established members of staff and further 5 staff are employed on contracts.

The allocated DHSC budget for the Public Health Directorate for the forthcoming year has been set at £1,681,274.

Over the coming year the DHSC will have to make difficult choices in the allocation of its resources to achieve efficiency savings of nearly £10m during 2017-18.  This may affect the services provided currently.  Achieving these efficiency savings, while necessary, will not be sufficient to put services on a sustainable footing in the longer term. To do this, the Department must carry out the fundamental reforms set out in the five year strategy.

Strategic Direction

As part of 2017 planning process the Directorate has undertaken a review of the strategic, regulatory and legislative environment in which we operate and have shaped our business plan for the next three years delivery on the following documents issued by Government and DHSC.

• Programme for Government 2016-2021 (January, 2017)
• Delivering the Programme for Government. A Performance Framework for the Programme for Government (April, 2017)
• Health and social care in the Isle of Man - the next five years (August, 2015)
• Programme for Government Service Delivery Plan 2017/18 (DHSC, 2017)
• Isle of Man Government Digital Strategy (June, 2015)

Partnership working

The Directorate continues to work closely with partners in the community, the voluntary sector, health and social care, local government and the private sector.  The greatest opportunities for improving health and wellbeing will come from collaborative working.

We will continue to seek to influence and shape the priorities, processes and budgets of partners to improve longer term health outcomes

Throughout 2017-2020 one of the key priorities will be to work closely and further develop and consolidate our relationships across Government, to develop shared approaches and arrangements for improving and protecting health and wellbeing island-wide.

The main Government and DHSC strategic goals which our work will support are:

• We live longer, healthier lives (IOMG, 2017, p11)
• We will help everyone to take greater responsibility for their own health (DHSC, 2015, p4)
• Measure and Evaluate - Learning Intelligently (IOMGDS, 2015, p5)

Page last updated: June 2017