The government has issued proposals for delivering action on the targets to eradicate health inequality announced in February.
The consultation lists six "priority themes", including improving NHS primary care services, strengthening disadvantaged communities, improving opportunity for young people, and tackling factors that cause health inequalities.
The paper concentrates on the creation of "strong public health groups" with government offices for the regions, while primary care trusts will drive forward the agenda at a local level.
It also stresses the need for increased partnership working to eliminate public health inequalities.
"Locally, the work of NHS strategic health authorities and primary care trusts will need to be aligned with local strategic partnerships," says the paper.
To do this, health improvement and modernisation plans should be connected with local authority planning processes, and fit with local community strategies and neighbourhood renewal strategies.
In addition, local strategic partnerships should put health inequalities at the core of their strategies and devise monitoring arrangements. There also needs to be "committed NHS participation" in the partnerships, says the paper.
It also outlines work on the development of a "basket of indicators" to track progress towards the achievement of the national health inequalities targets.
Responses are invited by 9 November.
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Government Legislation
17 July 2008
Private Member Bills
17 July 2008
Details of government consultations
11 July 2008
