Upcoming Events

Voluntary Health Scotland brings together leaders from some of Scotland’s most important health charities for a timely debate on health inequalities, the right to health and the need for more inclusive healthcare. Health inequalities are the unjust and avoidable differences in people’s health across the population and between different groups^. Scotland compares poorly on health inequalities compared to most of Western Europe, which means that the right of everyone to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is not being enjoyed equally^. This longstanding injustice has been brought into sharper focus by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The root causes of health inequalities lie outside of the NHS, but modern health care has enormous potential to prevent the onset of illness and to delay its progression. As a result, inequitable access to effective health care can in itself be an inadvertent yet powerful driver of health inequalities^. At the same time, the good health of individuals depends on healthy communities, a healthy society and a healthy planet.

Scotland’s health charities are at the heart of efforts to create better health for people, especially those individuals and communities who might otherwise be marginalised, missing or overlooked in society’s efforts to improve health outcomes.  They do this through research, campaigning, policy work, education, advocacy and direct services. Our panel will offer a rich and considered insight into what ‘building back better’ and ‘recovery’ must involve in order to seriously address Scotland’s health inequalities.

This event will be relevant to all third sector staff, volunteers and board members with a direct interest in health policy and practice, including health charities, community health organisations, other voluntary organisations, TSIs, social enterprises.

Event Aims:

to explore how can communities, third sector and public sector organisations work jointly to reduce health inequalities within local communities.

To examine what must change in order to support local level actions and align national policy and legislation behind them.

to discuss how we engender macro-level change to influence the wider determinants of health inequalities.

Speakers:

• Hilda Campbell, CEO, COPE Scotland
• Bushra Riaz, Policy Officer, Kidney Research UK
• Alastair Hudson, CEO, HIV Scotland
• John Watson, Associate Director Scotland, Stroke Association

Event will be chaired by Claire Stevens, CEO,  Voluntary Health Scotland

Bookings will be open soon on via the Gathering website. Please contact Lauren Blair for more information about this event.