Introduction

The Public Health Outcomes Framework sets out a vision for public health, that is to

Improve and protect the nation's health, and improve the health of the poorest fastest

For details of the policy behind the framework, see our further information.

The framework focuses on the two high level outcomes we want to achieve across the public health system and beyond:

1.  Increased healthy life expectancy

2.  Reduced differences in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy between communities

These outcomes reflect the focus we wish to take, not only on how long we live, our life expectancy, but on how well we live, our healthy life expectancy. Our focus is also on reducing differences between people and communities from different backgrounds.

Our overarching indicators domain (group of indicators) presents these high level outcomes.

The nature of public health is such that marked improvements in these outcomes will take years, sometimes even decades.

With this in mind we have developed a set of supporting indicators (grouped into four domains) that help focus our understanding of how well we are doing. Indicators have been included that cover the full spectrum of what we understand public health to be, and what we can realistically measure at the moment.

Find out more

Data are published as part of a quarterly update cycle in August, November, February and May. Exact dates will be announced on the www.gov.uk statistical release calendar and this website.

Data are presented for the most recent period available and accompanying trend data where possible. Inequalities data are provided where these are available.

A list of indicators updated, for the most recent and previous releases, can be found in  the Public Health Outcomes Framework Collection.

Our further information section contains further details of the selection of indicators and how they are presented, along with supporting information and links to other useful data sources.