What does it mean for Policy? Kate O'Flaherty. Institute, Public, Health, Ireland, North, Northern, South, Southern, Dublin, Belfast, Wood, Quay, Longstanding, Conditions, Children, Three, Year, Old, Illness, Asthma, Symptoms, Eczema, Skin, Allergy, Inequalities, Cooperation, Sight, Hearing, Problem, National, Prevalence

1. IPH report on longstanding conditions among 3-y-o
What does it mean for policy?
Healthy Ireland & Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures
Kate
O’Flaherty
Director,
Health
and
Wellbeing
Programme
Department
of
Health

2. Healthy Ireland Framework
• Government Decision February 2013
• Review and analysis of current health trends,
determinants of health, international evidence
• Requirement for inter-sectoral approach that shifts
emphasis from disease to health and wellbeing
• Burden of chronic disease growing and persistent health
inequalities
• If trends continue the future is extremely costly and
unsustainable
• Essential to address issues now to improve lives of
current population and future generations

3. Healthy Ireland Vision
where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health
and wellbeing to their full potential, where wellbeing is
valued and supported at every level of society and is
everyone’s responsibility

4. Healthy Ireland Goals
• Increase the proportion of people who are healthy
at all stages of life
• Reduce health inequalities
• Protect the public from threats to health and
wellbeing
• Create an environment where every individual
and sector of society can play their part in
achieving a Healthy Ireland

5. Healthy Ireland Action Themes
• 1 - Governance and Policy
• 2 - Partnerships and Cross-Sectoral Working
• 3 - Empowering People and Communities
• 4 - Health and Health Reform
• 5 - Research and Evidence
• 6 - Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation

6. Guiding Principles for Implementation
• Better
– governance and leadership
– use of people and resources
– partnerships
– systems for healthcare
– use of evidence
– measurement and evaluation
– programme management

7. Healthy Ireland Implementation
• New opportunity to:
➢Shape the national discourse on health and wellbeing
➢Re-focus efforts on prevention and ‘keeping people well’
➢Empower people to look after own health and make the
‘healthier choice the easier choice’
➢Connect and mobilise existing and new initiatives and
partnerships around a shared agenda and aims
➢Address priority issues in a collaborative approach

8. Milestones in implementation
• Reporting to Cabinet Committee on Social Policy
• Health and Wellbeing Division established in HSE
• Establishment of Healthy Ireland Cross-Sectoral Group
• Healthy Ireland Council established

10. Prioritising Early Intervention
• Child health, wellbeing, learning and development
inextricably linked
• Most effective time to intervene is before birth to early
childhood
• Giving every child ‘best start in life’ involves providing for
physical and emotional development, acquisition of
cognitive, social and linguistic skills, building resilience -
all contributing to enhanced ability as grow older to be
responsible for looking after own health and wellbeing

11. • First overarching national policy framework which
comprehends the age ranges spanning children and
young people (0 – 24 years).
• Represents a whole of government approach
• The Framework:
- sets out and centralises common outcomes
- captures policy commitments
- identifies key transformational goals necessitating action
- ensures an innovative and effective way of working

12. Outcomes
Framework

14. • Establishment of clear and efficient structures to ensure accountability,
drive implementation and provide a forum for stakeholder engagement
New Structures:
• Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium (incorporating
Sponsor’s Group)
Advisory Council (comprising Early Years, Children and Youth sectors
and interests)
Existing Structures:
• Reconfigured Children’s Services Committees National Steering
Group
• Comhairle na nÓg Executive
• EU Structured Dialogue National Working Group

15. HI & BOBF: Collaborative Approach
• DH lead on Outcome 1 Active, Healthy Children
• Agree priorities, address challenges, monitor
progress
➢Child obesity
➢Physical activity
➢Mental health
• BOBF constituent strategies in development:
• Early Years, Youth, Participation

16. IPH report: policy implications
• Paints a picture of burden of illness in early years
and in young families
• Reinforces policy direction and prioritisation around
child health and wellbeing
• Emphasises need to strengthen efforts
➢preventable ill health
➢early detection and intervention
➢reducing inequalities

17. IPH report: policy implications
• Critical to support parents – parenting skills and
confidence
• Enhance ante-natal and early childhood
development services – breastfeeding,
immunisation, screening
• Access to and co-ordination of services and
information to enhance holistic care and early
intervention
• Support collaboration and contribution of wider
community and sectors outside of health

18. IPH report: policy implications
• GP access for under-6s
• Embedding shift in emphasis to ‘prevention/keeping
people well’ at the ‘first point of contact’ (primary care) for
‘early years contacts’ (under 6-y-o)
• Includes age-based preventive checks, eg weight,
exposure to smoke in household
• Reflects critical role primary care/GP has in proactive
health promotion, surveillance, prevention, appropriate
chronic disease management, with emphasis of
supporting and enabling people look after own and family
health

19. Thank You
• Health and Wellbeing Programme in Dept. of Health
• www.health.gov.ie
• Follow us on Twitter @hi_HealthyIre