Delivering Health Net Gain Through Health Impact Assessment

A health impact assessment (HIA) is most effective when it is undertaken prospectively and concurrently to inform and shape a plan, policy or development project during options appraisal and design. The objective is not only to protect against poor health but improve wellbeing and address health disparities. This practical session helps practitioners take preventative action on the wider determinants of health through establishing health impact assessment requirements in multi-level spatial planning policies and rules, and providing guidance to developers when assessing the health of a housing or regeneration project. It emphasizes the quality of an HIA can be secured through consensus on meeting local health needs and priorities with stakeholder or community engagement scoped into the process. It will showcase and help participants apply recognised international public health guidance on HIA for application in spatial planning ie from Public Health England, IAIA and SoPHIA, and the processes needed to bring forward a sound but locally led HIA spatial policy and associated guidance for developers and communities. The session will also provide a setting for participants to discuss how HIAs will be locally-enforced, funded and resourced, and whether strengthening the role and capacity of public health involvement may be useful.

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