Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Health Foundation report, The state of health and health inequalities in Scotland.
We welcome this report which confirms that persistent inequalities can be attributed to the accumulation of disadvantage, a stagnation in wages and living standards, and the impact of austerity on public services.
That is why we are using all the powers and resources available to us to create a fairer Scotland. We are doing that by ensuring health services are accessible to all, committing £19bn to public services over the next year; committing £4 billion in social security and welfare payments over the next financial year; and extending the Scottish Child Payment to families with eligible under 16s – increasing it to £25 per week per child.
The actions we are taking include the delivery of our new Getting it Right Together approach across health and social care, improving access to mental health services, strengthening the Universal Health Visiting Pathway and expanding our Welfare Advice and Health Partnerships – placing money advisors in 180 GP practices in some of Scotland’s most deprived areas.
We agree with the Health Foundation that a collaborative approach is needed and we will continue to work closely with key stakeholders to drive forward progress in reducing health inequalities.