Chief Executive says Scots die younger than other Western Europeans – multiple policy areas must contribute to health and wellbeing
Paul Johnston, the Chief Executive of Public Health Scotland, says that despite progress in the past, evidence shows that Scots’ health is now getting worse, while the gap in life expectancy between the poorest and the wealthiest is growing. He makes the case that preventative approaches can help tackle the problem.
Mr Johnston’s contribution is the latest article by clinicians, service users and politicians for Reform Scotland’s NHS2048 programme, which explores how reforming the public sector can help to restore the NHS to better health.
Mr Johnston outlined a number of ways in which prevention should be used to tackle Scotland’s public health challenges including:
- Taking a targeted approach to alcohol harm and the action that can help reverse current trends.
- Supporting new ways of tackling high levels of smoking, with tobacco still claiming more than 8,000 lives a year.
- Trying new ways of working to reduce the number of people dying from drug use.
- Not being afraid to approach existing issues with a fresh perspective to help policymakers and the public view issues in a different light.
He says:
“My own experience of public service leadership in areas such as policing convinces me that reform is possible – delivering better services for the public in a more sustainable manner. However, to be successful, reform must be built on strong foundations.
“Excellent health services will support improved health and wellbeing of our population as a whole – but cannot bear all the responsibility for this. Tackling poverty impacts on health, as does the availability of good work, high-quality education and childcare, affordable housing, addressing climate change, and tackling racism.
“Scotland’s health challenges require collective focus and resolve. People in Scotland now die younger than in any other Western European country. People spend more of their lives in ill health. The gap in life expectancy between the poorest and the wealthiest is growing. We have seen great progress in the past but, at the moment, Scotland’s health is getting worse.
“We must be bold and brave in the face of the health challenges we face. A focus on increasing prevention is increasingly gaining traction and it is important we look to shape these opportunities, particularly in reforming and modernising our public services.”
Chris Deerin, Director of Reform Scotland, said:
“This is a thoughtful and significant intervention by the Chief Executive of Public Health Scotland, which does not seek to hide from the crisis we face in our national health and in our health service.
“His focus on the preventative agenda makes good sense both in terms of population health and public expenditure, and his stark admission that people in Scotland die younger than people in other Western European countries, and that the gap in life expectancy between the poorest and wealthiest is growing, is a call to action for our political leaders.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Paul Johnston’s full article is linked in the text above and can be viewed on Reform Scotland’s NHS2048 forum.
- Reform Scotland, a charity registered in Scotland, is a public policy institute which works to promote increased economic prosperity, opportunity for all, and more effective public services. Reform Scotland is independent of political parties and any other organisations. It is funded by donations from private individuals, charitable trusts and corporate organisations. Its Director is Chris Deerin and Alison Payne is the Research Director. Both work closely with the Trustee Board, chaired by Lord McConnell, which meets regularly to review the research and policy programme.
- For media contact Message Matters (Andy Maciver, 07855 261 244, [email protected])