The Health Special Interest Group aims to promote the development of GIS in the analysis of health and social care data by sharing information and expertise.

As a group of dedicated volunteers, the Health SIG membership will share its collective knowledge and provide support to other professionals who wish to utilise the geographical information contained in health service records.

The use of GIS in health was pioneered by academic departments but it is now used by many health organisations across the NHS. GIS provides an extra dimension to information analysis and research and is becoming an integrated part of the decision making process of many health organisations. This dissemination of GIS across the health sector has spurred many software and data providers to customise their products to reflect the work of health professionals. With these developments in mind the Health SIG aims to further ease the burden of starting up in GIS by providing a forum for raising issues and sharing experiences.

The Health SIG will facilitate the sharing of knowledge and information between health and GIS professionals through the organisation of events, the development of its website and the sharing of case studies and resources. We aim to host formal and informal events where professionals can discuss current issues, raise awareness of future developments and agree best practise for dealing with specific health issues.

Our Health SIG webpages should be seen as an important communication tool for all our members offering the opportunity for every one of us to share issues and solutions to problems with others who are approaching them for the first time. All members of the AGI with a health interest need to become actively involved in sharing their expertise with colleagues via this website and the forum the SIG provides. By sharing your experiences with the Health SIG we can make our website a gateway to sharing knowledge, resources, expertise and information and make everyone's visit to the web site a vibrant experience.

Browse the Health SIG web pages to identify forthcoming events, news and useful links. If you can identify themes you would like to see covered or information and expertise you are happy to share with our site please let us know by contacting a member of our management group.

The success of the SIG will depend on the activity of its members - don't leave it to the business group. Contribute your ideas or even your problems - someone out here might have been there before!