Good Places Better Health–
a new approach to environment and health
in Scotland
Sheila Beck
Principal Public Health Adviser, NHS Health Scotland
Lorraine Tulloch
Policy and Strategy Manager, Good Places Better Health
Scotland’s health inequality
A boy born in the deprived inner city area
of Calton, Glasgow, can expect to live to
54 years compared with a boy born in the
nearby suburb of Lenzie, who can expect
to live to 82.
World Health Organisation 2008
Source: Dahlgren and Whitehead 1991
Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer, Sir Harry Burns
“If Scotland is to continue to progress and to do so at
accelerated pace, new approaches to health creation
need to be considered.”
Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer November 2010
What would a new approach to
environment and health be?
An Environment Not only • Free from physical, toxic, infectious and allergic
hazard
But also• Nurturing of positive health, wellbeing and resilience
• Consistent with and promoting of healthy behaviour
• Consistent with the development and maintenance
of social capital
• Consistent with greater equity in health
“Historically we have focused
on creating environments free
from significant hazards. Whilst
this continues to be important
we now recognise an
additional need to create
positive physical environments
which nurture health and
wellbeing.”
Good Places, Better Health
Implementation Plan 2008
PROTOTYPE PHASE
2008 - 2011
What is needed to deliver
places that nurture good
health for children?
Four health challenges facing children 0 – 8 yrs old in Scotland:
Asthma
Mental
Health and
Wellbeing
Obesity
Unintentional
Injury
PROCESS
Prototype Products
• Four GPBH Evidence Assessments
- Obesity
- Unintentional injuries
- Asthma
- Mental Health & Wellbeing
• Cross cutting reports
• Healthy Places Report
• GPBH Learning: methodologies and approach
Framing the problem
Identifying appropriate actions
Fuel poverty and children’s health
The Good Places, Better Health picture
• Workshop to specifically discuss fuel poverty
• Workshop to discuss asthma
• Workshop to discuss children’s mental health and
wellbeing
– Evidence review and contribution analysis
– Workshop with practitioners at Energy Action Conference in
Scotland to test findings
What do children need from
housing
• Warm and dry
• Space
• Free from hazards (ETS, mould, hot
liquids)
• Safe, appealing and appropriate places to
sleep
The search for super policies
Health
Equity
SUPER
POLICIES
Sustainability
• Achieving warm dry homes for everyone
We wish to see a Scotland where everyone lives in
warm, dry, appropriately ventilated homes and fuel
poverty is eliminated
Activities consistent with this vision would include:
• review the energy efficiency criteria of the Tolerable
Standard and Scottish Housing Quality Standard
(SHQS) with a view to ensuring they are an effective
means of enabling energy efficiency improvements.
Consideration should be given to applying stricter energy
efficiency criteria within these standards
• streamlining and simplifying the grants system for energy
efficiency improvements
• improving the method and means by which Registered
Social Landlords take action to address the energy
efficiency criterion of the SHQS
• creating a level playing field by applying the Scottish
Housing Quality Standard to private rented sector and
privately owned housing
We wish to see a Scotland where everyone lives in
warm, dry, appropriately ventilated homes and fuel
poverty is eliminated (continued)
Activities consistent with this vision would include:
• identifying methods to improve the uptake rate of home
insulation grants through potential incentives such as a
Council Tax discount for those homes achieving an
improvement in energy efficiency
• recognising further opportunities to use the point of sale
or exchange of lease or the construction of extensions
as a trigger-point to require the communication and/or
upgrading of the building’s energy rating
• ensuring Home Reports include the practical details of
how and where to get grant funding for energy efficiency
improvements
Next stages
• Discuss with colleagues across
Government
• Develop an action plan
• Encourage use of the approach in local
situations
GOOD PLACES, BETTER HEALTH –
a new approach to environment and health
Email: [email protected]
Website: findings and recommendations:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/good-places-betterhealth/Recommendations
Thank you for listening