I have been asked to forward this information to the list
Please reply to Donna Empson at DH, not me

I have been asked by Richard Willmer to forward to you information
regarding the Health Statistics Conferences on the 14th and 19th of
October, in London and Manchester.

Please note we still have a limited number of spots available for both the
London and Manchester Conferences and the cut off date for applicants has
been extended to Monday 11th October.

Richard has asked if you could please circulate to anyone you think would
wish to attend or who were thinking of attending, but did not make the
earlier deadline.


Donna Empson
Department of Health
Skipton House
80 London Road
London SE1 6LH

Phone: +44 (0) 207 972 5522
Fax: +44 (0) 0207 972 5662
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THE HEALTH STATISTICS
THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE...

OCTOBER 14 - LONDON
Venue: The Conference Centre, Church House, Dean's Yard, Westminster, London
SW1P 3NZ

OCTOBER 19 - MANCHESTER
Venue: Manchester Town Hall, Albert Squ, Manchester M60 2LA

Keynote Speech:
Derek Wanless, Vice Chairman - Statistics Commission

These major conferences are being jointly organised by the Health Statistics
Users' Group, the Statistics Commission and the Department of Health. They
are supported by the Statistics Commission and the Department of Health and
admission is free. Lunch will be provided. Book now to ensure your place as
numbers will be limited. Booking details are at the end of this message.


Two significant events are occurring which will have a major impact on
health statistics in the future...

1.      The Statistics Commission will be publishing its review of Health
Statistics in early October, which will identify key areas to be addressed.

2.      It has been announced that a Health and Social Care Information
Centre is to be established which will provide a national focus for health
information for England.

This will be your opportunity to learn about the recent developments and
make your comments on how to take this forward. The conference will:

1.      Present and discuss the findings of the Statistics Commission review
of Health Statistics

2.      Present and discuss the emerging ideas for a Health and Social Care
Information Centre

3.      Initiate a debate on how the Statistics Commission recommendations
and the Health and Social Care Information Centre relate and should be taken
forward


Programme

10.00 - 10.30           Registration and coffee
10.30 - 10.45           Chair's introduction (Deana Leadbeter)
                                Keynote speech (Derek Wanless)
10.45 - 11.10   Statistics Commission Review recommendations and questions
                                (Peter West, YHEC and Richard Alldritt, SC)
11.10 - 11.30           Information Centre proposals and questions
                                (John Fox/Richard Willmer, DH)
11.30 - 11.45           Coffee
11.45 - 13.00           Workshops A
13.00 - 14.00           Lunch
14.00 - 15.15           Workshops B
15.15 - 15.30           Tea
15.30 - 15.45           Feedback from workshops
15.45 - 16.15           General discussion
16.15 - 16.30           Where we go from here


Workshops

In each workshop session, there will be a choice between the same four
workshops. The provisional topics are:


1. Are the data useful?
Balancing the effort required from data collectors with the use made of the
data: letting use drive production, especially intermediate products

2. How can we access the data we need?
Public availability of data and metadata: balancing production of data with
supported access and use.

3. Achieving consistency between regions and countries of the UK
How do we deal with areas that change over time and definitions that vary
between areas?

4. Confidentiality versus Access
Disaggregation and reaggregation, balance of public interest in disclosure
versus the need for confidentiality


Booking information

If you are interested in attending then please send the following details
to:
[log in to unmask] by 30th September 2004

Name:
Organisation:
Location:               London/Manchester/Either
Email Contact:
Telephone Number:
Please also let us know if you have any dietary or access requirements.
All four topics will run during Workshops A and B. Please select one topic
for each  Workshop.

Workshop A (11.45 - 13.00)                      Workshop B (14.00 - 15.15)

Topic number: __________                Topic number: __________

We will also be seeking a small number of facilitators for each topic who
will introduce the topic at each session and rapporteurs to collate views
and report back.
If you are interested then please let us know which topic.

Topic: ___________________              Facilitator/Rapporteur