Latest news with #HealthandSocialCareServiceRenewalFramework
The Herald Scotland
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
We need a different approach to the delivery of public services
Chief among them was Scotland's Public Services Reform Strategy – Delivering for Scotland. In his foreword to it, Ivan McKee, Minister for Public Finance, acknowledges that Campbell Christie's vision has not been delivered to its full potential. Some might argue that those words underplay the scale of the deficit. Whatever the truth, it is unarguable that nowhere is the gap between ambition and progress more acutely felt than in relation to health inequalities. In its 2023 report, Leave No One Behind, the Health Foundation asserted that the persistence of health inequalities in Scotland over the previous decade was related to three underlying factors – the accumulation of severe multiple disadvantage, a stagnation in living standards and, tellingly, the fragility of public services in the wake of austerity. It is welcome therefore that the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework and the Population Health Framework were also published as the recess approached. While the former is concerned with health and social care delivery, the latter recognises that progress on improving health and reducing inequalities requires action beyond those services. In doing so it echoes Leave No One Behind's focus on the socio-economic determinants of health – income, housing, education, employment. While early health interventions matter, it is prevention which will determine whether Scotland can reverse the tide of worsening health inequalities – among the worst in western Europe – over the next decade. But in their response to the Population Health Framework, analysts at the Scottish Health Equity Research Unit, funded by the Health Foundation, have questioned how far its specific actions reach beyond health and social care. While welcoming the framework's focus on prevention, they point out that actions in crucial areas such as housing are more limited. They call for a broader range of cross-government actions, clearer implementation plans and robust monitoring and evaluation. However, they also recognise that the Public Services Reform Strategy shines a light on the very things which need to happen to ensure intention is met with action – clearer leadership, greater accountability and, critically, budget processes that enable the long overdue shift to preventative spend. Despite fiscal challenges, funding can and must be reshaped to support a different approach to the delivery of hard-pressed public services. Campbell Christie died just four months after his landmark report was published. For those living in Scotland's most deprived communities, where the gap in healthy life expectancy compared to those in the least deprived reaches 25 years, the changes he called for cannot come a moment too soon. Chris Creegan is Director of the Health Foundation's Improving Health and Reducing Inequalities in Scotland Programme Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@
Daily Record
26-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Welcome end in sight to two-child cap that's affected almost a thousand West Lothian families
It was announced that it will be removed from March 2 next year Close to 1000 families in West Lothian are set to benefit from the scrapping of the two-child cap. Linlithgow MSP Fiona Hyslop welcomed the Scottish Government's announcement that the cap will be removed from March 2 next year. The two-child cap was introduced by the Tories as part of their programme of austerity and has subsequently become Labour policy, despite Keir Starmer's previous promises to scrap it. Around 950 families in West Lothian have been affected by the two-cap policy. By ending it the Scottish Government is ensuring 20,000 fewer children in Scotland will live in relative poverty next year. Fiona Hyslop said: 'I welcome the news that the Scottish Government is ending the two-child cap in Scotland. 'The UK Government's decision to continue the two-child cap has harmed 950 households in West Lothian but from next year this will end due to action taken by the Scottish Government. 'The Scottish Government has stepped in to mitigate the harm caused by the UK Government and this makes clear John Swinney's commitment to tackling child poverty in Scotland. 'This policy will provide much-needed support to families across West Lothian when the two-child cap ends next March.' The MSP also welcomed a visit by Scotland's Health Secretary to West Lothian on Tuesday on Tuesday, June 17 during the launch of two health related framewoks. She said: 'It was great to see Neil Gray MSP chose to visit Blackburn Partnership Centre to launch Scotland's Population Health Framework and the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework. 'These are major national policy frameworks are focused on prevention and joined-up community care to help people lead healthier lives and there is so much happening in Blackburn which already is delivering on this. 'The launch of both of these frameworks shows clear progress towards delivering the Scottish Government's vision for a healthier, fairer and more resilient Scotland. 'I was pleased to see the Cabinet Secretary visit Blackburn Partnership Centre, in my Constituency, as part of this launch.'
