Department of Health (DH)

DH is responsible for public health issues in England, and the national health service (NHS). It works with UKCDS to ensure better coordination of UK global health research. 

International work is driven by the government's global health policy, Health is global: a UK Government strategy 2008-13, which outlines a set of principles and actions that the UK Government will focus on to improve the health of people across the world. 

Health is Global has five action areas: 

• better global health security
• stronger, fairer and safer systems to deliver health
• more effective international health organisations
• stronger, freer and fairer trade for better health
• strengthening the way policy and practice is developed

Research and funding

DH invests in research to support health care for people in the UK and overseas. It sets the direction of UK health research priorities, supports research institutions and commissions research for policy development.

It is the largest single funder to health and social care research in the UK, spending £650m a year on research and development.

The majority of research is used to ensure that the policies and services provided by the NHS are based on the latest and most reliable evidence, and the needs of the public.

Research is delivered and managed through the department's research arm, the National Institute for Health Research, and its Policy Research Programme.

UKCDS Collaboration

DH is involved in cross-government and multi-player global health initiatives involving other UKCDS members and stakeholders.  It works closely with DFID on government wide health and development policies, and BIS on science and innovation research strategy. Furthemore, DH supports major development-related programmes such as:

• Living with Environmental Change - A ten-year programme bringing together research councils, government and business to understand the impact of environmental change and develop solutions to help the world adapt. 
• Global Uncertainties - A programme to develop and support new multi-disciplinary research in response to global security challenges.