The Steps to deal with stress booklet provides tips and practical advice on coping with stress in your life and covers recognising stress, getting ready, coping better, learning from bad experiences and taking action now. Simple steps such as relaxation exercises and talking to someone can help you feel better and put you in a better frame of mind for dealing with your problems.

This report is the fifth annual perinatal mortality surveillance report conducted under the auspices of the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH).

The eighth Report of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the UK investigates the deaths of 261 women who died in the triennium 2006–08, from causes directly or indirectly related to pregnancy. The full Report is available for purchase or download from the Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries (CMACE; www.cmace.org.uk).

This, the seventh Report of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom (UK) enquires into maternal deaths and has a new title, “Saving Mothers’ Lives”. The change has been made to more accurately reflect the purpose of this, the longest running example of a maternal death review in the world.

Mary Black, Assistant Director for Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement in the Public Health Agency, established the Belfast Drug and Alcohol Working Group in early 2010 to undertake a scoping exercise of drugs and alcohol services in Belfast, and to produce a report outlining their findings and making some recommendations as to how services could be better promoted, targeted, co-ordinated and ultimately improved. 

The Belfast Health Development Unit (BHDU) was established as a Ministerial priority in March 2010, co-locating staff from The Public Health Agency (PHA), Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) and Belfast City Council (BCC). One of the strategic priorities for the BHDU is: an integrated approach to planning and delivery of services for older people in the city.

Your views matter – if you have heart failure, or are close to someone who does, please complete our survey by 31st March 2012 (link below).

Heart failure is a common condition affecting at least 20,000 people in Northern Ireland. The aim of this survey is to find out how to increase the confidence of people living with heart failure so they have a better quality of life, and can work in partnership with health care professionals and support services in managing their condition. The findings of this survey will be used to help improve services.

Prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an important part of our strategy to improve patient safety.

The Northern Ireland HSC Safety Forum established and facilitated a regional collaborative which developed a single VTE Risk Assessment Tool for N.Ireland.

The Public Health Agency Annual report 2010–2011 provides background information about the PHA, highlights the achievements during the 2010–2011 financial year and provides an overview of work undertaken in priority areas for each directorate within the organisation.

The summary financial accounts are presented in the operating and financial review section of the report and members of the PHA board are detailed within the report also.