Consultation - Refreshing the Public Health Outcomes Framework - Philippa Lynch

The Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) sets out a high-level overview of public health outcomes, at national and local level, supported by a broad set of indicators. The indicators cover the full spectrum of what is understood as public health and what can be measured at the moment. The PHOF is used as a tool for local transparency and accountability, providing a means for benchmarking progress within each local authority and across authorities, and driving 'sector-led improvement' where a local authority improves by learning from the experiences of peers. Alongside the NHS Outcomes Framework and Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework, the PHOF reflects the Department of Health's focus on improving outcomes for people and communities, setting expectations for what the system as a whole wants to achieve.

The PHOF consists of 68 public health indicators, with over 140 sub-indicators. There are two overarching indicators and 66 more focused indicators grouped into four domains:

1. Improving the wider determinants of health
2. Health improvement
3. Health protection
4. Healthcare public health and preventing premature mortality.

An interactive web tool makes the PHOF baseline data available to local authorities and interested parties. This allows local authorities to determine their own areas of strength and weakness in comparison to national averages and their peers, and shape their work plans accordingly.