Summary

Description

The Health Survey for England is a series of annual surveys designed to measure health and health-related behaviours in adults and children living in private households in England. The survey was commissioned originally by the Department of Health and, from April 2005 by The NHS Information Centre for health and social care. The Health Survey for England has been designed and carried out since 1994 by the Joint Health Surveys Unit of the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University College London Medical School (UCL). The 2009 Health Survey for England focused on long term health conditions and self-assessed general health. It looked at the effectiveness and use of personal care plans, which were introduced in 2006 as part of the strategy to support and empower those with long term conditions. The survey had a secondary focus on kidney disease, renal function and diabetes. As well as the focus topics, the report also provided updates on the core topics of general health, fruit and vegetable consumption, alcohol consumption and smoking.