Public Health Wales has coordinated national public health networks for the topics of physical activity and nutrition, mental health promotion and sexual health for a number of years.
An external evaluation conducted in 2009, looking at the work of these Networks, identified that the networks were well subscribed, influential at both strategic and individual level and highly valued. A subsequent evaluation conducted in 2013 reiterated the value of these professional networks.
The Health Improvement Review included some reference to the networks and proposed that their scope be reconsidered, with some concerns expressed that a focus on a small number of priority issues, whilst valuable, was not sustainable across the spectrum of public health issues that require similar consideration.
Public Health Network Cymru has been developed as the next step in the evolution of the public health networks, merging the four existing Networks into one all encompassing service, offering a βone-stop