Public Health Scotland’s partnership approach to reducing health inequalities

At Public Health Scotland (PHS), we’re committed to increasing average life expectancy in Scotland by a year by 2035, as a core focus of our 10-year strategy. We also aim to narrow the gap between the poorest 20% of areas and the national average. We can only achieve this by working with colleagues in local government, health boards, and other public and third sector organisations.

Collaborating with local areas to achieve our ambitions

One of the ways we’re strengthening action in this area is through our Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland (CHES). Launched in 2024, CHES is a partnership between PHS, local authorities and NHS boards in Aberdeen City, North Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire, and University College London’s Institute of Health Equity (IHE). It aims to accelerate action already underway to improve health and wellbeing and reduce inequality in Scotland. 

This involves supporting local government, NHS boards and other partners in the three local areas to ensure their actions will make the greatest difference to life expectancy. This involves collaborative working beyond the boundaries of individual organisations. It includes businesses, charities and individuals. Careful planning has been done, and a range of actions are being implemented to improve support for families, widen access to childcare, tackle poverty, help people get into work, and enable people to live healthier lives.

The IHE, led by Professor Sir Michael Marmot, has partnered with over 50 UK local authorities to date to improve health and wellbeing, and reduce inequalities. Together, we apply the following eight core Marmot principles to design long-term, system-wide interventions that embed health equity into local policies and practices.

1. Give every child the best start in life. 
2. Enable all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives. 
3. Create fair employment and good work for all. 
4. Ensure a healthy standard of living for all. 
5. Create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities. 
6. Strengthen the role and impact of ill health prevention. 
7. Tackle racism, discrimination and their outcomes. 
8. Pursue environmental sustainability and health equity together.

By working with local government, NHS boards, communities and Community Planning Partners – including council responsibilities like education, economic development and planning – local efforts are being strengthened. This includes embedding health equity in plans and decisions, working with both elected members and officers to develop leadership for change, and applying proportionate universalism in resource allocation and service delivery.

Our partners in each of the three areas have shown a growing passion for change. This is work that requires openness and the ability to listen to those living and working in communities, as well as strong leadership and decision-making skills.

Local colleagues are working with communities to use data and lived experience to identify health challenges, co-design solutions and strengthen local systems. Together, we are actively working towards long-term, sustainable change that promotes health equity and improves outcomes for all.

Using national and local data to inform local decision-making

Insights from the collaboration are shared nationally through the CHES Learning System. This is open to anyone with an interest in improving health equity in Scotland and is particularly useful for local authority members and officers.  

It examines interventions that impact and reduce health inequities by: 

• gathering learning about what is and isn’t working to improve health equity.
• actively sharing learning to accelerate action and drive improvements in health equity.

The CHES Learning System includes a series of webinars which bring together insightful speakers who can share expertise and learning on relevant topics.