The Assessment is based on a health needs assessment (HNA) for a particular population in a chosen local area. The coursework requires you to identify, examine and analyse the health needs of a particular population in relation to relevant health determinants and current healthcare service provision within a particular area (local authority) and then critique a resultant health needs assessment. Interpret and discuss the health needs and current service provision, using these as the evidence-base for drawing local area priorities and recommendations for intervention service design, planning, development, delivery, monitoring and evaluation in relation to the health needs of the respective population. Whilst you develop your work from existing HNA and public health reports, think of your work as the latest and most updated evidence-based HNA report prepared for (or required by) commissioners in the local area to commission healthcare services for the chosen population. In the Report, you should clearly underline the health needs of the chosen population and through your suggested priorities and recommendations for service provision, show how these should be met. Your priorities and recommendations should take into account that your Report is to be considered as the latest HNA for the chosen population in the chosen local area. Therefore, this should also take into consideration the challenges facing the local authority and how these can be negotiated in order to implement your HNA more effectively in the local area in relation to the chosen population. As such, the Report priorities and recommendations provide the base for a comprehensive discussion on ″how to make it happen″.
The Report should clearly discuss the epidemiologic context of health problem/s and the health needs of the chosen population including the current service provision and utilisation by the population. This should underline and discuss clearly the health inequalities that exist and their determinants in relation to the chosen population. Think of what should be the local priorities for commissioners and other local area stakeholders with interest in the HNA in relation to the chosen population. Thus, the Report′s recommendations should show how the local area priorities can be achieved. Your work should present at least four clear and key parts: account of the local area, the problem (the health needs), the current service provision and utilisation, and the future local priorities for service provision and utilisation (‘how to make it happen’). Think of your work as the latest (most updated) HNA report on the health problem and population you are studying in the chosen local authority.
