Public Health Scotland Newsletter

25 June 2026

Welcome to the June edition of the Public Health Scotland Newsletter. The past month has seen the release of new blogs, publications and the latest health news from the Public Health Scotland website. We encourage you to browse our latest updates and gain an insight into how we are working towards a Scotland where everybody thrives.

Keeping well in the hot weather

It’s important to know the steps we can take to stay safe and well in hot weather. Read our news story on how to keep yourself and others healthy while enjoying the sunshine.

A group of teenagers walking across a field with trees in the background

MenB vaccine to be offered to eligible young people this summer

Following recent outbreaks of meningitis in the UK, the Scottish Government has announced plans to offer a new programme of Meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination for young people this summer.

PHS publishes Annual Vaccination and Immunisation report for 2025

We have published the Annual Vaccination and Immunisation report, which provides an overview of Scotland’s Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) activities in 2025.

What football can teach us about health

In this blog, Dr Rishma Maini, Consultant in Public Health at PHS, uses football to illustrate how improving health requires coordinated effort across the whole system, with everyone playing a role in helping people live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Arts Engagement: A public health lifeline

In this blog, Dr Shahnoor Minhas Amin, Public Health Registrar at PHS, explains the powerful link between the arts and health, and why it’s a critical tool for tackling health inequalities.

Changes in Residential Rehab since 2023

The research evaluates the progress made since 2023 to residential rehabilitation under the National Mission - assessing referrers' perceptions, referral practices, post-rehabilitation service provision, collaboration among organisations, and barriers to success.

Community Acute Respiratory Infection (CARI) surveillance in primary care

The CARI respiratory surveillance programme monitors the burden and impact of acute respiratory infection in our communities. This annual release by PHS presents a summary analysis of respiratory samples submitted by 149 sentinel GP practices.

A group of people sitting in a circle, one has a notebook on their lap.

Substance use services from a lived experience perspective - reviewing the evidence from 2024-25 around MAT Implementation

This release summarises a qualitative secondary analysis of lived and living experience evidence about substance use services across Scotland, focusing on implementation of the 10 Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards during 2024-25.