This is the Statement of Strategy for the Department of Health for the period 2016-2019. It sets out our mission, our values, and our role and main functions. It describes the current environment in which health and social services are to be delivered and identifies a number of underlying themes that will inform our work over the three year period. Finally, it outlines the actions we will take, organised into five Strategic Objectives.

Page 7 Our focus will now increasingly shift to driving, monitoring and evaluating the implementation of these policies, in collaboration with other Government Departments and cross-sectoral stakeholders. This will include initiatives in local authorities, workplaces, educational facilities and communities. Work will continue on developing further measures to limit the harm from alcohol, and to strengthen our tobacco control measures. In addition, a health and wellbeing approach will inform and support the development of new strategies in areas such as Drugs and Mental Health.