Tag: deprivation

Twice as likely to die early or live with ill health if you live in Scotland’s poorest areas

We’ve known for some time that health inequalities exist, but a new report out today shows the scale of the problem. The NHS Health Scotland study (below) found that people living in the poorest areas have DOUBLE  the rate of illness or early death than people in our wealthiest areas.

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Nearly a third (32.9%) of early deaths and ill health in Scotland could be avoided if the whole population had the same life circumstances as the people who live in our wealthiest areas.

Our report also shows that early death and illnesses associated with the things that harm our health the most, like drugs, tobacco, poor diet, and alcohol, are more common in the poorest areas than in wealthiest areas.

Dr Diane Stockton, the study lead at NHS Health Scotland said: “The stark inequalities highlighted in our report represent thousands of deaths that didn’t need to happen. Illnesses that people didn’t have to endure, and tragedy for thousands of families in Scotland.

“It does not have to be this way. The fact that people in our wealthiest areas are in better health and that conditions that cause most of the ill health and early death result from things we can change – like illnesses associated with mental wellbeing, diet, drug use and alcohol dependency – shows that it is possible to create a fairer healthier Scotland.

“Our report highlights that to do this, we have to improve the life circumstances of people in our poorest areas and prevent their early death or avoidable ill health. This is about more than encouraging healthy choices. It’s easier to access the things that harm our health in these areas, and so no one type of behaviour change is going to solve this problem on its own. It’s about addressing the environment we live, rest, play, work and learn in so that it supports us to be mentally and physically well. And it’s complex. There is no silver bullet, but, with collective effort for a fairer healthier Scotland, we can help to ensure that everyone in Scotland can enjoy their right to the highest attainable standard of health.”

View the report on the ScotPHO website 

 

 

 

Record number of students from deprived areas heading to University

A record number of students from Scotland’s most disadvantaged areas have successfully gained a place at university according to UCAS statistics published yesterday – the third year in a row a new record has been set. Continue reading Record number of students from deprived areas heading to University

Holyrood’s Education & Skills Committee is coming to Muirhouse

Community Event 16 May:

Attainment/Achievement of children and young people experiencing poverty

The Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee is meeting at Muirhouse Millennium Centre at 6 pm on Wednesday 16th May.  The committee are very keen to hear directly from parents/carers/guardians, young people, teachers, and other professionals who work with young people in schools and in the community with a focus on attainment or achievement. Continue reading Holyrood’s Education & Skills Committee is coming to Muirhouse

Edinburgh’s economy: A tale of two cities

“The time has come to take a good look at why there are still people living in Edinburgh who are not sharing in this prosperity” – Councillor Gavin Barrie, Housing & Economy convener 

An Economy Strategy to tackle inequality and poverty in the Capital has been published by the city council. The draft strategy which will be considered by councillors at the Housing and Economy Committee on Thursday, recognises that although Edinburgh remains the second most prosperous UK city outside London, jobs growth alone has not been sufficient to tackle poverty and deliver sustained improvements in living standards for everyone. 

Consultation carried out with all political parties and businesses, as well as local communities and the third sector, revealed a consensus of opinion that Edinburgh’s economy should aim to create jobs and inspire innovation but that it should also do much more to ensure that the benefits of that prosperity are accessible to all residents across the city.

It has been created around three themes – innovation, inclusion and collaboration and includes ten steps to achieve this goal. The council alone cannot achieve this and needs ownership and leadership from other city partners such as the Edinburgh Partnership and Edinburgh Business Forum.

Cllr Gavin Barrie, Housing and Economy Convener, said: “Our Economy Strategy sees an important shift in the focus of our work to help Edinburgh’s economy to grow. It is going from strength to strength and has shown great resilience during tough economic times. The time has come, however, to take a good look at why there are still people living in Edinburgh who are not sharing in this prosperity. 

“We need to grow our economy so that it is fair in terms of wages, opportunity, access to housing, education and good careers. Much of that work has already started through our commitment to build 20,000 new affordable homes in the city and the £1.1b Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region deal, which will provide £300m for world leading data innovation centres, £25m for regional skills programme to support improved career opportunities for disadvantaged groups and £65m of new funding for housing to unlock strategic development sites.

“The strategy also fits in well with the most recent Scottish Government Economic Strategy and UK Industrial Strategy, both of which have placed increasing emphasis on the need for inclusive growth for our economy.

“Locally, the strategy also represents one of the first major practical steps towards achieving the City Vision for 2050 that we have been developing with contributions from people across the city since September 2016.”

Hugh Rutherford, Chair of the Edinburgh Business Forum, said: “To stay ahead of our global competitors, Edinburgh needs a laser focus on our world leading sectors – financial services, tech, life sciences, creative industries and tourism.

“But we need more than sectoral growth – we need responsible and sustainable ‘good growth’, making sure everyone benefits in a way that’s not happened before. Crucial to the success of this will be the private sector, all levels of education, and the third and public sectors working together to achieve this common goal.”

Ella Simpson, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council, said: “I am pleased the Strategy explicitly acknowledges poverty and inequality in the City and highlights actions which aim to reduce the impact on people’s lives.  The strategy needs to recognise the existing communities and people as the bedrock for fair growth in the city and it is important that we provide support to business, from all sectors, to be the best employers they can be.” 

The Strategy’s ten steps, which all have their own actions plans.

  • Establish Edinburgh as the data capital of Europe.

  • Develop Edinburgh as a city of resilient businesses with the space to grow.

  • Create a step change in the growth of green and socially responsible business in Edinburgh.

  • Deliver new approaches to tackling the barriers that reinforce worklessness, poverty and inequality.

  • Reform Edinburgh’s education and skills landscape to meet the needs of our changing economy.

  • Deepen our relationships with employers to unlock good career opportunities.

  • Create a transformational city centre fit to power Scotland’s economy.

  • Build a world class Waterfront, and deliver business and residential growth in West Edinburgh.

  • Build affordable places for people to live and work.

  • Deliver sustainable and inclusive growth in our world leading culture and tourism sectors.

Drug deaths: blame Thatcher?

Trainspotting

Rising inequality during the 1980s and an ‘erosion of hope’ in Scotland’s poorest housing schemes increased the risk of drug-related deaths among members of ‘Generation X’ in Scotland, according to new research. A study by NHS Health Scotland and Glasgow University has found that poorer men born between 1960 and 1980 were at greater risk because of the economic and social conditions during that period.

The study also found links to gender and deprivation: young men in poor neighbourhoods were found to be 10 times as likely to die from drugs as women of the same age from a more affluent area.

Researchers discovered the link while investigating the reasons why drug-related deaths have continued to rise. According to the most recent figures drug-related deaths reached an all-time high in 2015, when 706 people died.

Report author Dr Jon Minton from the University of Glasgow said his analysis was ‘consistent with the hypothesis that economic and other policy decisions during the 1980s created rising income inequality, the erosion of hope amongst those who were least resilient and able to adjust, and resulted in a delayed negative health impact.’

He said: “The same kind of pattern we have observed and reported on previously regarding the risk of suicide in vulnerable cohorts in deprived areas in Scotland is repeated, and even more clearly visible, when looking at trends in drug-related death risk.

“For people born in 1960s and 70s, the risk of drug-related deaths throughout the life course was much increased, and gender and area inequalities in these risks increased even more. The similarity in trends in both suicide and drug-related deaths suggests a common underlying cause.”

NHS Health Se in drug-related deaths was ‘likely to be the result of a cohort of people who are at higher risk’.

Dr Fraser said: “The full impact of excess mortality in these cohorts with high drug-related deaths is unlikely to be known for some time. It already represents the deaths of hundreds of people prematurely.

“We are hopeful that the findings will be useful in informing current and future policy to help prevent the creation of further cohorts at greater risk of drug-related deaths in Scotland.”

AileenCampbell

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell has announced a refresh of Scotland’s drug strategy, to respond to the changing nature of Scotland’s drug problem.

The Road to Recovery strategy was launched in 2008 and since then has been backed by more than £630 million of investment to ensure treatment is a person-centred and sustained offer.

Ms Campbell (above) also announced work is being progressed to develop a “Seek, Keep and Treat” framework. This joint initiative between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Drugs Forum will examine the operational implications of engaging with older drug users, how to encourage them into services and how to keep them in treatment.

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said:

“I’m proud of what the Road to Recovery strategy has achieved. In Scotland, drug taking in the general adult population is falling and drug taking levels among young people remain low.

“However the nature of Scotland’s drug problem is changing and we need to adapt services to meet the needs of those most at risk, who we know face complex and wide ranging social and medical issues.

“In setting out our plans to refresh the existing strategy, I’m encouraging everyone involved in treatment services to think about how they can make changes at a local level. There is also a collective need to challenge the stigma of addition and build services based on respect and dignity, as well as clinical need.

“I look forward to hearing views from across the sector in the coming months as we work together to tackle the evolving and complex needs of those who suffer from problem drug misuse.”

Poverty Alliance publishes local elections manifesto

The Poverty Alliance has published a manifesto for Thursday’s local authority elections. The manifesto sets out what can be done at a local level to tackle poverty including the provision of high quality, affordable childcare and universal access to free breakfast clubs. Continue reading Poverty Alliance publishes local elections manifesto