Health and wellbeing board duties

This guidance sets out a framework for the NHS and local government to work together, through health and wellbeing boards, to undertake joint strategic needs assessments (JSNAs) and joint health and wellbeing strategies (JHWSs).

The 8 week public consultation:

• set out duties that support JSNAs and JHWSs to be undertaken by clinical commissioning groups and local authorities through health and wellbeing boards from April 2013
• explained how JSNAs and JHWSs will fit together with commissioning plans in the health and care system
• set out how the JSNA and JHWS process will enable the NHS and local government to make real improvements to the health and wellbeing of local people

JSNAs are assessments of the current and future health and social care needs of the local community, and JHWSs are strategies for meeting the needs identified in JSNAs.

Health and wellbeing boards are a forum where leaders from the health and care system work together to improve the health and wellbeing of their local population and reduce health inequalities.