College supports Faculty of Public Health Scotland call for action on inequality

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh will this afternoon (Wednesday 20 September) host the launch of a call to action from the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) in Scotland, ‘Healthy Lives, Fairer Futures'. This recommends eight key priorities for the Scottish Government as the new Parliamentary year begins.

Among the identified priorities are:

• Putting health at the heart of all public policy making
• Using the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act to improve population mental health
• Reducing child poverty in Scotland over the next decade
• Increased investment and support for active travel

The call to action was written following an extensive consultation with the 350 FPH members currently living and working in Scotland, who identified tackling inequality as a recurring theme.

Dr Lorna Willocks, Consultant in Public Health Medicine and College representative to the FPH in Scotland, said:

“We know that people’s wellbeing can be adversely affected by public policies where health is not the major focus. That’s why we need all policy making to take health considerations into account.

“The environment and circumstances that people live in are just as important as the health services available to them when it comes to living a long and healthy life.”

Prof Derek Bell, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said:

“Today’s publication highlights the need to improve the social and economic conditions in which people live in order to tackle poor health. People from more economically deprived communities make greater use of unscheduled care services. It is important to ensure that patients are treated in the most appropriate setting, at the right time, and cared for by the right person. Therefore work to address inequalities and deprivation combined with investment in prevention may help to reduce the burden on both hospitals and general practice in Scotland.

“We support the Faculty’s call to the Scottish Government to pursue policies that will improve circumstances which lead to poor health or social exclusion. The College is committed to working with the Faculty and other organisations to embed actions that address the social determinants of health”.

END

Contact:

1. If you have a press enquiry, or to organise an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the Faculty of Public Health press office: HaideeODonnell@fph.org.uk / 020 3696 1478
2. Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh: s.collier@rcpe.ac.uk /0131 247 3658

Notes to Editors:

1. The Faculty of Public Health is a membership organisation for nearly 4,000 public health professionals across the UK and around the world.There are 350 members in Scotland.It is a UK-registered charity and its role is to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities and national populations.
2. The FPH is calling the people and government in Scotland to implement the following actions:
   • Include health in all policies for Scotland   
   • Make taxation more progressive, including income tax, to reduce inequalities.
   • Mitigate the adverse impacts of welfare reform on the most vulnerable.    
   • Introduce a minimum wage for healthy living.
   • Reduce child poverty and mitigate its adverse impacts.
   • Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences.
   • Use the Community Empowerment Act to improve population mental health.  
   • Increase investment in integrated public transport and active travel and prioritise walking and cycling in the built environment.
3. To download a full copy of ‘Healthy Lives, Fairer Futures’, please go to www.fph.org.uk/healthy_lives_fairer_futures
4. The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh aims to improve the quality of patient care. It represents over 12,000 Fellows and Members worldwide, setting standards and influencing health policy. The College has worked to improve public health for nearly 350 years and promotes health and wellbeing for all. The College’s Health Priorities can be viewed here