Welcome to our October 2019 E-bulletin: sharing news & views from the VHS network & updates from Scottish Government & the NHS affecting the voluntary health sector.

VHS News & Events

VHS Annual Lecture and AGM 2019
A not to be missed opportunity to hear two substantive presentations from Dr William Bird and Dr Roy Robertson, two GP's who have occupied the front line in addressing health inequalities for many years and continue to be in  the vanguard of changing how we think and act on prevention and harm reduction.

This half day morning event on 20 November in Edinburgh, followed by a networking buffet lunch, is open to anyone with an active interest and involvement in health policy or practice and we particularly encourage our full members to attend, as the event includes a short AGM. AGM Papers will be sent to all members nearer the time.

VHS Parliamentary Reception of the Health Inequalities Cross Party Group 
For the third year running, VHS is holding a Parliamentary Reception to promote and celebrate the work of the  Cross Party Group on Health Inequalities, of which we are Secretariat. Sponsored by Anas Sarwar MSP, in the Garden Lobby of the Scottish Parliament  on Tuesday 5 November, we are delighted to announce that our guest speaker is Christine Brown, Head of WHO European Office for Investment for Health and Development.  Christine will talk about WHO’s Healthy, Prosperous Lives for All – the European Health Equity Status Report 2019  and how they collaborated with the CPG on Health Inequalities to publish a case study on the CPG as part of the health equity initiative. This is also an opportunity to learn more about the CPG’s work this year, meet external CPG members, MSP members and view exhibition stands.

Realising the Right to Health: VHS Annual Conference 
Key messages, speaker presentations and conference feedback from our annual conference, held last month, will be on our website soon. Meanwhile, thank you to all presenters, exhibitors and delegates for a thought provoking day and congratulations to  DART  for their winning poster which lays out visually the barriers to accessing mental health services, along with platforms of support and safety nets. 

CPG Health Inequalities: The Future of Primary Care
View the presentations from the Cross Party Group on Health Inequalities meeting on 2 October. 

Key Messages: Third Sector Round Table on Preventing & Controlling Infection in Community Settings
This round table event in September aimed to provide an opportunity for third sector organisations to discuss the health protection issues they encounter in their work, find out more about the support and resources Health Protection Scotland (HPS) can offer, and share good policies and practice. The round table also set out to explore whether the NHS Scotland National Infection Prevention and Control Manual is a useful resource for the third sector, or whether it needs adapted for use for the sector. In light of the development of Public Health Scotland, the meeting also acted as a catalyst for the development of cross-sectoral partnership working and information sharing.

First Minister: Legislate this year on HFSS multi-buy price promotions
VHS is a signatory on a letter sent to the First Minister  from the Scottish Obesity Alliance, to urge the Scottish Government to restrict price promotions on food and drink products high in fat, sugar and salt. The letter, co-signed by 20 leading national health charities, medical royal colleges, campaign groups and professional bodies with an interest in health and public health working in Scotland, calls on the First Minister to take action and commit to legislation to regulate multi-buy price promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar and salt in Scotland in this autumn’s Programme for Government.

Healthy Universities for Healthy Communities - Knowledge Cafe Series
VHS is a partner in this new initiative, led by the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Dundee.The date of the final Showcase event, to share conclusions and recommendations, has been shifted to 5 December - If you would like to attend or for more information, email .

Policy News

New NHS Health Scotland report: Building our Future
The report provides a description of NHS Health Scotland’s strategic development as an organisation, and an account of their work in three key areas – alcohol, place and early years.  The aim of the report is to demonstrate Health Scotland’s contribution to public health 2003 to 2020. 

New Guest Blog: Draft Social Security Standards consultation 
Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance have detailed their response to the Draft Social Security Standards consultation in a blog for VHS. The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 has extended the right to access independent advocacy to people with disabilities.

National Taskforce for Human Rights Leadership holds first meeting
The Scottish Government’s National Taskforce for Human Rights Leadership has met for the first time. The taskforce will consider the recommendations of the First Minister’s Advisory Group on Human Rights Leadership. A new statutory framework will also be developed by the taskforce to improve human rights protections for Scottish citizens and will evaluate how public participation can be improved. The task force comprises members from the public sector and is co-chaired by Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP and Alan Miller, former chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission.

New report: Found Wanting: Understandings journeys into and out of food insecurity
Menu for Change has released a study on food insecurity in Scotland. The longitudinal report argues that low and irregular wages combined with the changes to social security system have led to higher numbers of people going without food. The findings also show an increase in the use of food banks as a result of “short-term income crises” which lead people to turn to foodbanks.

Annual suicide prevention report published
The Scottish Government has published the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group’s first annual report. The Group was established in September 2018 to support the delivery of the new suicide prevention action plan Every Life Matters. The report makes 11 recommendations to the Scottish Government and COSLA, which include improving the provision of accessible data about suicides; the introduction of multiagency reviews of all deaths by suicide in community settings; considering a system to review all deaths by suicide of young people who have left the care system; and introducing a new model of care for those who have been bereaved by suicide.

VHS Response to the Health and Sport Committee Stage 2 Inquiry into Primary Care
We  have submitted our response to the Health and Sport Committee Stage 2 Inquiry which asks, what should primary care look like for the next generation? Our vision for the future of primary care is for an effective, person centred and compassionate system that understands its role in addressing health inequalities, and that is confident and able to work with third sector partners. VHS is also giving oral evidence to the Committee on 8th October'. 

Scottish Government Health Survey published
The Scottish Government has published the findings of the Scottish Health Survey 2018. The survey, which provides information on the health of adults and children, covered areas including mental health, diet, food insecurity, smoking and asthma. 

NAO publishes report about Brexit and health supply chains
The National Audit Office (NAO) has published a report  on the impact of Brexit on health and social care supply chains. While acknowledging the Government’s “enormous amount of work”, the NAO found a no-deal Brexit still presented risks to the NHS and social care services. The report criticised the lack of a central arrangement for stockpiling equipment and supplies for the care sector and raised concerns about extra shipping capacity being ready by Thursday 31 October. 

VHS Members' News & Events

British Red Cross - Life beyond the ward
This BRC discussion paper outlines key findings from the experiences of people being discharged from hospital, based on research in Scotland. The findings in this paper reveal that, despite a wealth of guidance on ‘ideal’ hospital discharge and examples of excellence and good practice, problems persist. Discharge processes vary considerably within local areas. While patients might appear medically fit for discharge, their wider, non-clinical needs can go unmet, resulting in future avoidable hospital admissions.

Heart attack gender gap is costing women's lives
Stark inequalities in awareness, diagnosis and treatment of heart attacks are leading to women needlessly dying every day in the UK, according to a new briefing from the British Heart Foundation..

Urgent ‘joined-up’ action to tackle the tobacco epidemic
ASH Scotland is calling on Scottish Government to take a joined-up approach to health-harming substances and include a focus on tobacco as part of their renewed focus on drug and alcohol services, following the publishing the Scottish Health Survey 2018 which shows that  there has been a concerning increase (5%) in the number of smokers in Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities. 

New Routes Mentoring Programme to Expand
The Wise Group is to expand its successful nationwide New Routes mentoring programme, removing the upper age limit of 25 to allow access for all males serving a short term prison sentence. New Routes – a Public Social Partnership led by the Wise Group with third sector partners, including VHS members  Families Outside – is the largest justice mentoring programme in Scotland, having provided long-term mentoring and guidance to nearly 4,000 males over the last six years. New Routes provides wraparound support, guidance, and advocacy for up to 12 months, empowering people to believe in a life outside of prison - just 9.7% of young men on the programme return to prison within a year of their mentoring compared to a national reoffending rate of 34%.

The 2019 Cycling Scotland Conference
Takes place on  4 & 5 November at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, bringing together over 250 professionals, campaigners, volunteers, and national and local politicians to share experiences, learn from each other and network to help support cycling in Scotland and beyond. 

Other News

CFPHS Award to Community group/ Voluntary Sector Organisation
The Committee of the Faculty of Public Health in Scotland (CFPHS) advocacy extends to recognition and celebration of the work done by other organisations and agencies to further causes supported by CFPHS. They invite members of the Faculty of Public Health who are working or living in Scotland to nominate a community group or voluntary organisation which has produced a significant contribution to public health in any area of Scotland, or on behalf of people in Scotland, especially in relation to the areas identified in the FPH in Scotland Call to Action. For details of the award criteria and the nomination form please contact NHS. Nomination form to be returned by 14 October 2019 to NHS.

Trust the facts. Get the vaccine.
NHS Health Scotland and the Scottish Government are launching a brand new campaign highlighting the seriousness of flu and the importance of getting the flu vaccine. Flu is much worse than a bad cold. It’s a highly infectious disease, with symptoms that come on very quickly and it can hit anyone. In the most serious cases, flu can bring on other complications, which means people with flu may have to go into hospital, or could even die. Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer recommends children, those with a health condition, people aged 65 or over and healthcare workers should get the free flu vaccine every year. 

If you’d like to raise awareness amongst your members or supporters, NHS Health Scotland are providing a range of materials available to help with this, including social media posts, intranet copy, campaign images, leaflets and posters. To get involved and request materials email NHS. 

Apply for support to carry out your own research
The Knowledge is Power programme now has an extended application deadline of 18 October. The programme will support six community organisations to develop their own evidence to influence change in their communities and to take forward actions for improvement. It is being delivered by Scottish Community Development Centre and The Poverty Alliance and is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and Scottish Government. The support will consist of group training in community-led action research with tailored on-site support and advice to help you deliver a community-led action research project. Some support costs are available to help the successful groups to deliver the community-led action research project. This might include running costs such as venues and research materials. It might also include the cost of making sure people can take part, such as translation, childcare, travel and personal assistance. There will also be opportunities to work together and share learning with other participating community projects. 

Physical activity guidelines updated
The UK Chief Medical Officers have updated their guidelines on physical activity. They emphasise the importance of exercise for all age groups to reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and depression. It is recommended that adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of intense activity per week. The guidelines suggest older people could avoid the risk of falls through daily activities such as carrying their shopping and gardening. They also cover safe levels of activity for pregnant women and new mothers.

Living Wage Places toolkit launched
Living Wage Places: A toolkit on tackling low pay by celebrating local action, has been launched  by the Living Wage Foundation and Living Wage Scotland, supported by the Carnegie UK Trust. It provides valuable, practical insights for places of all size across the UK – cities, towns, boroughs, zones and even buildings – to begin their own Living Wage Place journey. It includes a range of case studies of those places who have already become recognised Living Wage Places, including Dundee as the first city to be recognised for Making a Living Wage City in the UK, Glenrothes as the first town to be recognised for Making a Living Wage Town and International House in Brixton, London which has been accredited as the first Living Wage Building. To find out more about the work contact Carnegie .

 OSS launch National Sport Summit
The first OSS National Sport Summit on 25 & 26 November in Edinburgh will bring together people from across Scottish government, health, education, criminal justice, business, sport bodies and all forms of sport and leisure delivery in communities to discuss and debate the big issues around sport participation and activity.

Pharmacy inspection reports published for the first time
Members of the public can now find out if a pharmacy inspected since April 2019 has met or has not met all of the standards for registered pharmacies. This major change for pharmacy will help to inform and assure the public about the standards they can expect from pharmacies and drive improvement in pharmacy services. The General Pharmacy Council have also published a new report sharing learning from carrying out over 14,000 inspections covering every pharmacy in Great Britain since 2013.

LGBT Health and Wellbeing’s Information Event and AGM
Tuesday 22 October, 2.30-6pm, Glasgow City Chambers, 80 George Square, G2 1DU
An afternoon looking at the work LGBT Health and Wellbeing does with LGBT communities in Glasgow, why this work is needed and what difference it makes. This event is for LGBT+ people who are familiar with our programmes, and those who are not yet but would like to find out more. If you wish to attend please email by 15th October.

Get your Cash for Culture guide
Cash for Culture from Voluntary Arts Scotland was created to help voluntary-led cultural groups navigate the funding landscape. The publication has been updated for 2019.

Words for Wellbeing Survey
“Creative Words for Wellbeing” can be any creative literary activity, such as writing, reading or storytelling, that helps people to feel in more control of their health and wellbeing. The Scottish Poetry Library,  has been awarded a grant  to undertake a mapping study of the words for wellbeing landscape in Scotland, and to work with key stakeholders to develop a national cross-sectoral network with a shared vision and a plan of action for realising this vision. The survey will be open until 14 October 2019

 Survivors of Childhood Abuse Support Fund now open
A Scottish Government fund to support organisations offering emotional and practical support to survivors of childhood abuse is now accepting applications.Managed by Inspiring Scotland the new £10 million fund aims to help organisations improve access to services which can reduce the impact of inequalities and disadvantage experienced as a result of childhood abuse. Deadline: Friday 1 November 2019.

Scottish Government news

Scottish health survey 2018: key findings
New national taskforce starts work on human rights
Stay active, stay healthy
New group to help prevent suicide
Mental Health Strategy actions: progress reports June 2019
£1 million for community projects which help low-income households to eat
Supporting adults at risk from harm

Dates for your diary

Sept - Oct Memory Walks 2019
12 - 19 Oct Hate Awareness Week
10 Oct Connect us Too' Mental Health Summit 
7-13 Oct Challenge Poverty Week
14-20 Oct  UK Malnutrition Awareness Week
5 Nov Parliamentary Reception: CPG Health Inequalities
4 & 5 Nov Cycling Scotland Conference
15 Nov Spokes Autumn public meeting, New Cycling Solutions for Edinburgh
18 Nov Scottish Cancer Conference 2019
20 Nov VHS AGM & Lecture

Other opportunities for VHS Members
Newsdirect - Political Intelligence
Looking to promote your issues in the Scottish Parliament? Newsdirect is offering VHS members a discount on subscriptions on their daily parliamentary and political briefing, 'Health Today'.
Contact Newsdirect if you're interested in subscribing.

Smoking and Mental Health: Understanding the IMPACT
Wednesday 11 December 2019 / Wednesday 26 February 2020 (both 10.00-12.00)
Free, two-hour nationally-recognised training around the links between smoking and mental health is available for third-sector organisations to help address the inequalities linked to higher smoking rates amongst people experiencing poor mental health.

The training aims to equip workers who support people with lived experience of mental health problems with the knowledge, skills and confidence to initiate a conversation on smoking, and to discuss options for supporting people who are ready to quit.  It is based on a Guidance pack, developed by ASH Scotland, which offers practical solutions to this complex issue – and includes evidence on the effect that tobacco smoke has on reducing the efficacy of many mental health medications. The training comprises a one-hour online session (to be completed in advance) and a two-hour face-to-face session delivered in central Edinburgh.​

Smoking and Mental Health: IMPACT Training for Trainers
Wednesday 13 November 2019 / Wednesday 12 February 2020 (both 10.00-16.00)
Free, six-hour training for trainers to enable them to deliver IMPACT training on smoking and mental health is available for third-sector organisations. The IMPACT ‘Training for Trainers’ course is designed for all those who have a training remit within third-sector organisations or NHS services - the aim is to enable participants to deliver IMPACT training, complete associated administrative tasks, and to collate and report on evaluation feedback. Previous knowledge of issues relating to smoking and/or mental health is not required, but there is an expectation that participants will undertake additional self-study around both topics once they have completed this course.  Supplementary learning resources can be provided by ASH Scotland. The training comprises a one-hour online session (to be completed in advance) and a six-hour face-to-face session delivered in central Edinburgh.

For more information, please visit IMPACT or phone ASH Scotland on 0131 225 4725