Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) was identified as one of the first tasks to be undertaken by PHINE. The project aims to reduce duplication of effort and increase consistency across the region by creating a minimum dataset that all Primary Care Trusts and Local Authorities can draw local data from to inform their Joint Strategic Needs Assessments.

At a PHINE JSNA meeting on 16th November, national and local developments were discussed as well as progress on the minimum dataset and the PHINE needs assessment tool. A series of required next steps were identified and have been circulated on the PHINE website.

The main priority is to ensure that PHINE has enough capacity to populate the necessary indicators and provide appropriate metadata, within the required timescale: it is anticipated that PCTs and Local Authorities will have to publish their Joint Strategic Needs Assessments by April 2008.

Anyone who would like to get involved in PHINE’s JSNA work is invited to join a this group.