Foundations for the future
First published on 03 June 2021
- Corporate information
Today, Public Health Scotland (PHS) publishes its Delivery Plan for the year ahead, alongside its first End of Year report marking the extraordinary work undertaken in what has been an unprecedented year for public health.
The End of Year report reflects the priorities set in the organisation’s Strategic Plan 2022-25. It captures how working innovatively across organisational boundaries and doing things differently have played a crucial role in strengthening and informing Scotland’s response to COVID-19 and protecting the health of people across the nation.
Working with partners to turn academic insight into practical information for policy-makers, training thousands of vaccine administers, and providing a one-stop shop for data, research and evidence faster than ever before, are just a few examples of the work undertaken in the last 12 months, while also retaining focus on mental health and other long term health priorities.
PHS was set up to meet the public health challenges of today and tomorrow. Just as it was established, the COVID-19 pandemic took hold across the world. From day one, the organisation has rapidly adapted to respond to coronavirus while also remaining committed to addressing the long term challenges.
Angela Leitch, Chief Executive of PHS, said:
“PHS staff, the wider public health workforce and local authorities should be proud of their flexibility, resilience and all that we have accomplished together this year. Our End of Year report highlights some of these collective contributions and reinforces that our first value was, is and will continue to be, collaboration.
“The Delivery Plan for 2021-24 sets out what PHS will take forward in the years to come. It outlines the next steps in delivering on our strategic priorities with the aim to reduce inequalities and see people live longer, healthier lives.
“It’s by working together that we were able to respond to COVID-19 on a national scale. This has grown our ambitions even more to be a collaborative leader, to be as innovative as we can be across all our work to bring about improvement and to see a world-class public health system embedded in Scotland.
“We know the challenges ahead of us and we know it will take all of us across the wider health and wellbeing system to see improvements in health for all our communities. I’m confident that by working together we can progress our shared vision: a Scotland where everybody thrives”.
Read our End of Year report 2020 to 2021