Torbay’s Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)

The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act (2007) requires Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and Local Authorities to produce a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) of the health and well-being of their local community. The needs assessment is a systematic method for reviewing the health and well-being needs of a population, leading to a review of commissioning priorities that will improve the health and well-being outcomes and reduce inequalities.

The purpose of JSNA is to improve the health and wellbeing of the population by identifying need both over the short term (three to five years) and longer term (five to ten years). JSNA identifies “the big picture” in terms of the health and wellbeing needs and inequalities of a local population. It provides an evidence base for commissioners to commission services according to the needs of the population.

A JSNA is not a needs assessment of an individual, but a strategic overview of the local community need – either geographically such as local authority / ward or by setting such as GP practice.

In Torbay, JSNA has evolved from an NHS / Local Authority centric assessment to a Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) assessment of population need. Incorporating information from LSP members not only benefits wider LSP members, but also recognises the wider determinants of health. Torbay’s approach to JSNA recognises the importance that all organisations (statutory, voluntary and community) have in improving the health and wellbeing of Torbay’s population.

An overview report is currently being written and will be posted in due course.

The approach to JSNA in Torbay for 2010 onwards, is to remove the ‘static document dataset’ and move to a dynamic and interactive dataset. The tools that support JSNA in Torbay are set out below.

The population tool allows users to look at linear growth models for Torbay compared to wards and GP practices.
The ward profile tool gives a summary of 24 indicators per ward in Torbay. These indicators are consistent across all wards and illustrate the variation that exists.
The ward dataset provides an interactive dataset across the community plan themes and time.
A model for projected need is currently in development and will be posted in due course.

We welcome your comments on these tools (see related documents below).

Please feel free to contact us: ibay@nhs.net or statistics@torbay.gov.uk