Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)

What is it?

Hackney has teamed up the local primary care trust (PCT) to jointly assess the health and well-being of their local communities.

Data collected for the JSNA will be used to improve the way the council and the PCT commission services and set priorities for local people.

It will produce a ‘big picture’ of local needs and provide evidence on to best way to tackle inequalities and help vulnerable people.

Why do we need one?

Many factors affect people’s health and well-being: earnings, lifestyle, education, culture, the types of work people do as well as age, gender and genetics.

In the past, local agencies often assessed their communities’ needs in isolation. This meant lots of duplication and inefficiency with little ‘joined up thinking’ by agencies who were frequently providing services to the same ‘customer’ groups.

With the joint assessment, it is hoped to get a better understanding of how best to deliver services and get better outcomes.

What will happen?

The council and PCT are looking across all Hackney agencies dealing with health and well-being to produce a 10-15 year assessment of current and future needs. They will consult widely on the JSNA with a view to launching the report at the end of 2008.

Who will be involved?

The Joint Director of Public Health for City and Hackney Teaching PCT and the London Borough of Hackney is leading a working group of key people from the council, PCT, patient groups and other agencies. The group will research and prepare the JSNA.

Communities, patients, service users, potential users and providers will be actively engaged in the process and the findings of the JSNA will be fed back to the local community.

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Page updated: 17 Sep 2008