The Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit (WHIASU) has published two practical guides to assist:
- public bodies in undertaking statutory Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) in Wales, and
- those who wish to carry out voluntary HIAs and highlight best practice to support and complement the statutory guide.
These guides outline a structured, evidence-based process designed to support consistent and effective HIA practice. Each guide includes templates, checklists, and links to additional resources to facilitate the HIA process.
The Guide for Public Bodies provides step-by-step guidance for public bodies required to carry out HIAs under the HIA regulations in Wales. Alongside the guide, an animation has also been developed to outline the key requirements for public bodies.
The Voluntary Guide replaces the previous HIA: A Practical Guide produced by WHIASU in 2012 and outlines best-practice steps for undertaking voluntary HIAs.
Our resources to support the steps in the HIA process have also been refreshed. These include:
- HIA screening record sheet
- HIA scoping template
- HIA workshop recording template
- HIA workshop agenda template
- Population and wider determinants of health resources
All of the above resources can be used alongside our updated e Learning course, ‘The Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Process: Voluntary HIAs and Best Practice’, to support the completion of high-quality and impactful HIAs. This revised course introduces learners to HIA in Wales, including the types, timing and principles of HIA, the health and well-being aspects, the HIA process and associated tools, as well as further reading and case study examples. It is designed to complement the Voluntary HIA Guide. An additional e Learning course to support the Guide for Public Bodies will be launched in autumn 2026.
To access the e-Learning course:
- If you have a Learning@Wales account already: Log in to the Learning@Wales site and find the ‘Voluntary Heath Impact Assessments (HIAs) and Best Practice – An Introduction to the HIA Process e-Learning Course’ via the ‘NHS’ tab and by clicking on the ‘Public Health Wales WHIASU’ page. Please contact [email protected] and we will email you to provide access.
- If you do not have a Learning@Wales account: please contact [email protected] to request an account and we will email you to provide access.