This paper seeks to provide a critique on the overall readiness of joint strategic needs assessment (JSNA) to respond to the new roles and functions proposed by the Health and Social Care Bill 2011.
Commentary informed by a national survey of Directors of Public Health in early 2011, a 2010 regional survey of JSNA leads in the South East, and other thematic and case study research exercises commissioned by or associated with the 2009‐2011 DH JSNA Development Programme.
Despite significant progress in the quality of JSNA 2008‐2010, raised expectations pose a serious challenge. It is possible to identify a number of key issues that must be directly addressed if the process is to fulfil the new expectations. The paper concludes with a call to action for members of health and wellbeing boards to audit the quality of their existing JSNA around these main challenges.
A new perspective on JSNA in light of new policy changes, combining existing research, unpublished research (as of August 2011) and the authors' experience leading national JSNA policy and improvement at the Department of Health.
