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Voluntary Health Scotland

The national intermediary and network for voluntary health organisations in Scotland.

One Goal Many Voices Unlimited Potential

One Goal Many Voices Unlimited Potential

We are the national intermediary and network for voluntary health organisations in Scotland

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You are here: Home / Health Topics / Health Inequalities

Health Inequalities

Scotland’s health is improving, but the gap in health outcomes between the most and least advantaged groups in society is widening. We call this gap health inequalities. Voluntary health organisations describe this as ‘getting sick more and dying earlier’ than necessary.

Health inequalities are the ‘systematic differences in the health of people occupying unequal positions in society’. They are strongly associated with socio-economic inequalities but can also result from discrimination. Health inequalities are unfair, not inevitable, and must be tackled.

VHS works with NHS Health Scotland to support voluntary organisations to understand the causes and impact of  health inequalities. We promote our sector’s knowledge and contribution to tackling health inequalities, through events and publications including Living in the Gap, the definitive Scottish study on the voluntary sector’s approach to this.

VHS is Secretariat to the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Health Inequalities. To attend future CPG meetings contact Lauren Blair for more information.

Useful resources

NHS Health Scotland ‘What are Health Inequalities?’

LIVING IN THE GAP REPORT MARCH 2015

LIVING IN THE GAP EXECUTIVE SUMMARY MARCH 2015

LIVING IN THE GAP POSTER JUNE 2015

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Related events

Renewing Scotland’s full potential in a digital world: a voluntary health sector response


CPG on Health Inequalities: January 2021 Meeting


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