Public Health Scotland consultation now underway

People and organisations across Scotland are being encouraged to take part in a national conversation looking at the new Public Health Scotland.

Public Health Scotland will bring Public Health Intelligence, Health Protection and Health Improvement knowledge and expertise together in a single body.

The Scottish Government has published a six week consultation seeking views on a number of areas for the new body, including:

• Governance and accountability
• Outcomes and performance
• Functions and structure
• Future relationships with the wider public health system.

Public Health Scotland will be established by 1 April, 2020 and will be accountable to Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).

The new body will:

• Provide strong public health leadership and be Scotland’s lead national agency for improving and protecting health and wellbeing.
• Support the wider public health system with high quality effective and supportive health improvement, health protection and health care public health functions with leadership roles in research, innovation and the public health workforce.
• Lead in a collaborative way and adopt a whole system approach which will support and enable others to take action together.
• Have a clear focus on supporting local partnerships and communities through the innovative use of intelligence, data and evidence.
• Provide independent advice and support to national and local government, local authorities the NHS and the wider public health system.

The consultation is open until Monday 8th July 2019. You can have your say on the Scottish Government’s consultation hub, Citizen Space.