Healthcare Public Health Framework toolkit

This toolkit brings together a number of tools and frameworks which could be used alone or in combination to support healthcare settings, systems, and partnerships to assess and optimise their services with a population lens. The toolkit is a resource to aid in the identification of trends, needs, and disparities within communities, and to support effective planning and delivery, making the most efficient use of resources. The tools it contains are not intended to be prescriptive but to act as a guide to allow decisions to be taken in a systematic way.

Needs assessments in planning and delivery

Assessing the healthcare needs of the population is vital for identifying health trends, disparities, and emerging challenges. It enables effective resource allocation, ensuring services meet the most pressing needs. This process informs policy decisions, helps optimise care pathways, and ultimately supports the delivery of equitable, efficient, and high-quality healthcare. 

Prioritisation in decision making

Decision-making in healthcare requires prioritising between multiple demands and competing priorities, given population growth; an ageing population and increase in long term conditions; technological advances, and expectations from the public, in the context to the finite nature of resources. Transparent and evidence-based priority setting helps resources to be allocated where they can have the most significant impact, addressing urgent needs, reducing health inequalities, and improving overall outcomes. It supports evidence-based decisions and ensures the system remains both equitable and sustainable, meeting the diverse needs of the population.​

Service and care pathway reviews

Undertaking reviews of healthcare services is essential to ensure that they are safe, effective, and responsive to the evolving needs of the population. Regular reviews help to identify gaps in service delivery, inefficiencies, or areas where care may not be meeting established standards or best practices. They also provide an opportunity to assess whether current pathways are optimised for patient outcomes, ensuring that patients receive timely, appropriate, and coordinated care. Reviews can reveal disparities in access to care, highlight areas for resource reallocation, and allow opportunities for improvement by integrating new evidence, technologies, and innovations into practice. ​

Evaluation and learning​ ​

Evaluation and learning are key aspects of the quality improvement cycle within healthcare and are important factors in the planning and ongoing delivery of high-quality, efficient, and evidence-based services. Evaluation is the central factor that links research to the practical delivery of healthcare.​

A public health approach to primary and community care by 2035 in Wales

Primary and community care is where most people first experience the healthcare system—through local GP practices, pharmacies, dentists, opticians and community health teams. These services are often the first point of contact for individuals and play a vital role in preventing illness, managing long-term conditions, and promoting wellbeing. However, despite their importance, they remain under pressure from rising demand, workforce shortages, and limited resources.

This piece of work sets out a vision for primary and community care in Wales by 2035. Embedding principles such as prevention, equity, sustainability, and data-driven decision-making, to build on what’s already working well and create a fairer, greener, and healthier Wales. This approach aligns with national priorities and strengthens the implementation of the Primary Care Model for Wales, ensuring services are more consistent, resilient, and responsive to changing needs.

Wales faces significant challenges—from an ageing population and health inequalities to climate change and financial pressures. Yet, primary and community care services are uniquely positioned to lead change at the local level. By focusing on prevention and addressing the root causes of ill health, this project is helping to shape a roadmap toward a more sustainable and people-centred system—one that aspires to support healthier lives and stronger communities for generations to come.

Read the A public health approach to primary and community care by 2035 summary report for phase one.

• The public health contribution to better healthcare

  A healthcare public health framework for Wales

• The public health contribution to better healthcare – presentation pack

  A healthcare public health framework for Wales summary slide deck